Smyrna times., 1884-07-30
How a Girl Climbs a Fence.

Did you ever see a girl try to climba
fence? 1t is more of show than a
circus with a whitewashed elephant.
This is the way she does it:
First she looks around to find out
whether anybody is in sight. Then, if
the coast is clear, she puts one foot on
the second rail of the fence, ard looks
around again. Then she gives little
hop and gets her other foot up on the
second rail. Here she stops for a
moment to rest and straighten her hat
The next maneuvre is the critical
One-to get one foot up over the top
rail. She steadies herself for a
moment, then gives a quick little up
ward kick, that does not quite reach
the mark, but causes her to jump down
on the ground again with tiny scream
and tuck her clothes in all around her. |
Again she surveys the surrounding
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 heels on the
top rail. 1t is now or never with her
then-sOmething must be done in
stanter. Grasping the top rail with all
her might she pulls herself up until
she sits straddle of the fence, with the
landscape spread out beneath her like
a map. If anybody appears in sight,
she Just drops off the fence as if she
had been shot, and gathers herself up
when she gets there.
If the coast continues clear she pro-
ceeds in very leisurely manner to get
down on the other side of the fence.
First she turns around, facing the way
she came, and feels backward with the
foot which is already over the fence for
a good, steady, reliable rail. Having
found such a rail she plants herself
upon it and sets to work to get the
other foot over the fence.
This is a very difficult and embar-
raising piece of strategy, and good
many girls will sit on the top of a fence
half day before they will attempt it..
Some even stay there until n hOrrid
, man comes along and lifts them off.
Not so the truly courageous girl-she
who is no more afraid to climba fence
: than to sit in the same room with a
, mOusetrap. She will never give up
/ the fort till she gets off that fence in
/ the ancient and honorable manner Oi
5 her sex.
a She grasps the top rail and leans a
far back as her arms will allow, anC
0 then tries to coax the refractory limb:
} over after her. Alas; it is too long
e and so she jumps Understandable, will
). a little laugh, and tucks her skirt
e around her again.
y After brief rest she tries anOthe
8 wrinkle. She lies fiat down on he
C face on the top rail and tries to slid
=. off sideways, as she has often seen he
l. little brother do.
re This would all be well enough, an
i would place her on terra firma again
it she only had the courage to carry Ou
e. her intention. But just as she is abOu
ee to slip off pallid fear seizes her. Sh
s. screams, rights up and straddles tn
r fence one more.
I'd This sort of thing continues for fiy
or ten minutes. Then the fair acrob;
I'd begins to get wrathy She looks at ii
ty ground, only three or four feet ava
ly and makes up her mind she will reaC
d. it some way or die. Die she will hay
.ss to some time, anyway.
be So she settles her hat on her hea
N, with determined look, steps back {
ad the reliable rail, and with a nigh
EN- effort draws back her foot to the We
nd edge of the top rail, like an arch
drawing an arrow to the head.
all Oh, if it were not for that Fren,
vi heel she would be free. But, alas,
ks holds her with the dull persistency
.GS ldlt. II lOOh VI ANllOl anu uNope
mt comes over her cOuntenance; her ey
or stick out like buttons. She gives
by quick, backward leap and lets go.
ial What surprise, what delight! S
de finds herself alighting right side
to with care on the soft turf, without
IN much as a feather jOstled in her h
his She can't imagine how it happened
,us She fully expected to be picked up
f a complete wreck and carried home
or die among her sOrrOwing friends.
te- But now that she is really safe a
We, sound upon the dear old earth aga
her she looks up with unspeakable gra
5er- tude to the clear blue sky; then, bru'
rts, ing her skirts and beating them out
og- that they will hang straight, she vO
lers that should she ever have occasion
and cross lots again she will either go il
ind balloon, or else have young N
along to pull down the fences.-Pu