The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-12
HOW 4 GIRL CLIMBS A PENCE
Puck

Puck Did you ever see girl trying to climb a fence: It is more of a show than a circus with a whitewashed elephant This is the way she does 1t :: Fist she looks around to find ou, whether anybody is in sight Then, il the coast is slear, she puts one foot on the second rail of the fence, and looks around again. Then she gives a little hop and gets her other foot sp on the second rail. Here she stops for moment to rest and straighten her hat. The next maneuvre is the critical one ito get one foot up over the top rail. She steadies herself for a moment then gives quick little upward 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 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 l, catches by the heel on the top rail It IS now or never with her something must oe done instanter. Grasping the top rail with all her might she pulls her self up until she sits straddle of the fence, with the landscape spread out beneath her ike map. If anybody appear in sight, she just drops of the fence as if she had been shot. and gathers herself up when she gets there.
 If the coast continues clear, sh. pro- eeeds in very leisurely manner to get | he ~sl # sI First she turns around, facing the way she came, and feels backward with the foot which is already over the fence for good, steady, reliable rail. Having found such rail, she plants herself upon it and sets to work to get the other foot over the fence.
 This is very difficult and embarrass- ing piece of strategy, and good many girls will sit on the top of fence half a day before they will attempt it. Some even stay there till a horrid man comes along and lifts them of. Not SO the truly courageous girl-she who is no more afraid to climb fence than to sit in the same room with a mouse-trap. She will never give up the fort till she gets off that fence in the ancient and honorable man. ner 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 limbs over after her. Alas; it is too long, and SO she jumps back a-straddle, with a little laugh, and tueks her skirts around her again.
 After briet rest she tries another wrinkle. She lies lat down on her face on the top rail and tries to slide of side ways, as she has often seen her little brother do.
 This would all be we'll enough, and would place her on terra 6rma again, if she only had the courage to carry out her intention. But just as she is about to slip of, pallid fear seizes her. She screams, rights up, and straddles the fence once more.
 This sort of thing continues for five or ten minutes. Then the fair acrobat be- gins 10 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.
 50 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 foot to the very edge of the top rail, like an archer drawing an arrow to the head.
 Oh, if 1t were not for that French heel she would be free. But, alas. it holds her with the dull persistency of fate. A look of terror and despair comes over her coun,enance: her eyes stick ou, like but tons. She gives quick, backward leap and lets go.
 What surprise, what delight. She finds herself alighting right side up with care on the soft turf. without so much as feather jostled in her hat She can't im- agine how is happened so. She fully ex- pected to be picked up complete wreck and carried home to die among her sor- rowing friends.
 Bu, now that she is really safe and sound upon the dear old earth again, she looks up with unspeakable gratitude to the clear blue sky; then, brushing her skirts and beating them out SO that they will hang straight, she VOWS tha, should she ever have occasion to cross lots again she will either go in a balloon, or else have young man along to pull do~ n the fences.