The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-16
a Vivid Picture Of the Fashiona-
bile Girl In the Act Of Climb
ing Fence.

Did you ever see a girl trying TO climb
a fence? 1t is more OF a show han a
circus With a whitewashed elephant This
is the way she does it:
First she looks around to hnd out wheth-
er ANYBODY j. in sight. Then if the coast
is clear, she puts one foot OIL the second
rail Of the fence and looks around again.
Then she gives a little hop and gets her
other foot up on the second rail-. here
She stops for a moment 10 rest and
straighten her hat.
The next is the critical one
to get one foot up over the top rail-
| She steadics herself for a moment, then
gives a quick little upward kick that does
not duite reach the mark, but causes her
TO Jump down on the ground again with
a tiny scream and tuck her clothes Ia all
around her. Again she surveys the sur
rounding country and again hops up on
the second rail.
This time she is bolder and throws her
foot clear to the top OF the fence, where
it catches by the heel on the top rail, II
Is now or never with her then-somethlng
must be done i~nstanter. Grasplng the
top rail with all her might she pulls her
self UP till she sits astraddle OF the fence,
with the landscape spread out beneath
her like a map. If anybody appears IN
light she Just drops off the fence a. II she
had been shot, and gathers herself up
when she gets there. If the coast
continued clear, she proceeds IN a very
Ieisurely manner 10 get down on the other
side of the fence. First she turns around,
facing the way she came, and feels back
ward with the foot which Is already oyer
the fence for q good, steady, reliable
rail. Having found such a rail, she
plants herself upon it and sets to work to
| get the other foot oyer the fence.
This is a very difficult and embarrass-
| ing piece Of strategy, and a good many
girls will sit on the top Of a fence hall a
day before they will attempt it. Some
| will even stay there till a horrid man
| comes along and lifts them off. Not SO
the truly courageous sirl-she who Is no
more afraid to sit in the same room with
a mouse-trap. She will never give up
the fort ill She gets of hat fence in the
| ancient and honorable manner OF her sex.
She grasps the top rail and leans as
far back as her arms will allow, and then
! tries to coax the refractory limb over after
her. Alas, it is too long, and she Jumps
back astraddle, with a little laugh, and
tucks her skirts around her again. After
a brief rest she tries another wrinkle. She
| lies down fiat on her face on the top raIi
! and rail and tries to slide off sideways, as
| she has often seen her little brother do.
This would be all well enough, and
would place her on terra TRINA again, II
she only had the courage to carry out
her intention. But Just as she is about
to slip off pallid fear seizes her. She
screams, rights UP, and straddle5 the
fence once more.
This kind of thing continues for live or
ten minutes Then the fair acrobat be
gins to get wrathy. She looks at the
ground, only three or four feet away, and
makes up her mind she will reach it some
way or die. Die she will have to, some
time, anyway.
SO she settles her hat on her head with
a determined look, steps back on the re
liable rail, and With mighty effort draws
back her other foot to the very edge OF
the top rail, like an archer drawing an
arrow to the head.
Oh, lift only were not for that French
heel she would be free. But, alas, 1t
holds her there with the dull persistency
of fate. A look Of terror and despair
comes over her couutenance; her eyes
stick out like buttons. She gives a quick
backward leap and lets go.
What surprise, what delight! She finds
herself a!iehting, right side up with care
| on the soft turf. without so much as a
feather iostled in her hat. She can'tim-
agine how it happened so. She fully ex
pected to be picked up a complete wreck
and carried home to die among her sor-
| rowing friends.