Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-26
THE TEXAS GIRL.
Cold Baths, Nine Mile Walks
and Physical Culture.
FOUND ANOTHER TOUGH.
Daily Tramp Across Brooklyn Bridge-The
Teleseme of the Modern Hotel-i Stu
dent of ZyptoIogy Encountered
Other Big Things.
Special Correspondence of the Gazette.

Special Cores pondence OF the Gazette.
New YORK, April 22-I have found here
in New York girl after my own heart. 1t
isn't that she IS good looking, attractive or
especially bright; but she IS bitten by the
physical culture snake, likes TO breathe
real sir, and lots OF it, walk on her own
feet. and develop the real muscle with
mich she IS well supplied.
So we agree to take -ooh-cold
baths, vieing with each other in their fire.
quency and iciness. Outside Of falling sud
denly and desperately in love, getting re
ligion AZ revival meeting, or inheriting a
fortune you had never even heard of before
life holds no more delightful and satisfac-
tory sensations than those induced by an
icy bath in an icy room on bitter morning.
The fervor of religion, the glow of love, the
intoxicatlon of sudden wealth, II takes 'em
all i'll. and adds 4 magnificent, puiSsant, in
vincible, Alexander signing for more
worldS-to-conquer feeling OF It's own, abso-
lutely mot TO be obtained elsewhere.
After my bath l double up my tists-with
the thumbs outside-and attack hypothe-
cal adversary for five or six minutes every
morning. l never leave him till ne is dis
figured corpse, then l blithely assume n
few clothes-I don't feel the need of SO
many as uSed-and assault the difficulties
of the day with confident heart.
After o while my girl comes for me TO
walk She bitches and giggles: it's curious
that she should when she walks her nine
miles every day. She wears rubbers, too
o, rubbers, now. And holds up her dress.
But you should see me! l have the pre-
scribed outfit, heavy walking shoes, short
walking dress, q nigh color and a stout
heart. hold up my head, put back my
shoulders (according TO reguiations) and go
swinging along in the most approved form.
/ forget and whistle sometimes, away up in
the remote solitudes of Harlem or on some
secluded, pensive and performances path
way in the park. | always stop when l
think of il, though, for my girl hasn't got
that far yet and I've notion it seems loud
to her.
We take physical culture" in broken
doses, twice a week, too, and l find it
perfectly delightful. l know now why
fellows swagger that cultivate their mus
cles instead of their brains, and l don't
blame 'em a bit. l smile TO myself) every
time | see one of them, and l say, Yes, 1
know. So would l if l were only dressed
for it
I had learned before l left Texas to
drink out of canteen, TO sit on my heels
with safety if not with grace, and TO ''stay
with pitching pony as long as the sinche
held. l have now added to these accom-
plishments a stock OF seventv-nine move
ments," exercises and attitudes some
of them about as difficult of execution
as looking at the back of your own neck,
or saying the alphabet backward while
you shut both eyes and look out of the
other They are al perfect wonders of de-
light TO me. l go through them with the
enthusiastic enjoyment OF ten-year-old
urchin; and, like Gregory Griggs with his
forty-seven different wigs, 1 never can tell
which l like the best.
I. always walk across Brooklyn bridge,
wherever else | may take a car There, at
least, for few minutes every day, my pro-
viucial lungs breathe fine fresh air, and my
provincial eyes, ears and nerves are rested
from the sight of shops and stores and the
ceaseless outcry of city life.
There l often meet a ready-made figure, a
simile, that could be used to advantage to
point TO a variety of morals or adorn almost
any sort of tale.
1t consists of two little boys or girls, with
one pair of roller skates shared between
them, and would serve admirably 10 Illus
trate sermon on free trade, while as a
clincher to matrimonial chapter or hus-
bands and wives lecture il could not be
beat. Indeed its application is unlimited;
what are we al but children with one
skate on? There isn't q soul OF Us on this big
bridge stretching from the darkness of the
was into the obscurity of the to be, that
wears but one skate (and bad corn on the
other foot, too MOSTLY and we need some
one on that off side. the biggest and best OF
US. We can skate along a little while-so
can those children frolic and flourish about
that other foot with the bad corn held up
safely; but when we begin to wabble. as
the most skillful OF US is bound to do
sooner or later, there is mighty prompt
reaching out for help on that on side.
l think the suggestion is worthy the at
tention of the preachers, free trade orators
and writers upon 1.-THE ideal marriage" to
all of whom l freely give it.
] walked very slowly across the bridge
the other day and sat down on bench on
the middle tower, because l was some if
teen minutes ahead of an engagement. I
was going to present very nice letter of
introduction 10 very distinguished per-
son. It was written by a man who could
Mt help himself, being under some obliga-
tons to brother, and needing my fathers
support in the matter of little Office
We'll. sat down and opened . book I