San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-25
THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO SWIM.

SndrhtnS anu OSciui hTts
Philadelphia Times
With chattering teeth, blue nose,
covered with gooseflesh and not much
of anything else, I stood in position
which, when translated, means with
arms extended forward in straight
line, hands with palms together,
fingers close, thumbs down. Then
begins the monotonous count, Ollie,
two, THREE, just as if you were
receiving lesson in music. "One,"
separate the hands by opening from
the under side; make a circle or half
circle by bringing the arms out to..a
straight line at the side from the
shoulder. Two" draw the elbows
to the side and hands to the chest.
"Three," shoot them from the chest
to position again.
Next was told to be seated and to
extend my legs forward, heels to-
gether, toes out. While the arms are
sweeping the circle at lone" the legs
remain in position. At "two," while
the elbows and hands 60 to the sides
and chest, the heels sticking close to-
gether, are drawn up to the body.
At three" the arms shoot forward
to position. The legs must be
strai ghtened out sideways with a
vigorous kick and cut circle
back to position. The knees are
kept straight and the force of the
movement all comes from the hips.
By the time 1 had finished this move
ment lesson there was not muscle in
no nd
the strain equally distributed; SO you
at once see why swimming developes
muscular forces, gives agility and
suppleness SO the limbs, opens the
chest, increases lung capacity equali-
yes the circulation, and creates and
preserves beauty of form and grace of
outline and rhy thmic movements; but
if you think it is easy just try it.
I was assured the movements
would come more naturally In the
water, go to the water we went, and
the harness or belt ATTACHED to the
pulley rope was adjusted around my
body just under the arms, and 1 con-
fess to you privately that If it had
been a hangman's moose, and the
kindly instructor duty. bound sher-
If, could not have been more terri
fed. thought never had seen so
much dependence placed on so slen.
der q rope, or such an untrustworthy
life-saving continuance. real
lied fully that this uncertain
thing, which would not be still long
enough for me TO catch my lost
breath, was all that stood between
me and that historical country from
which no one but theosophist ever
returns. How can / describe my
horrible sensations when first swung
off into that dark water? It could
have held no greater terror for me If
it had been bottomless. For further
encouragement L was permitted to
hold to one end of a pole, the other
end being held by my instructor.
Gasping and sputtering, I held on for
dear life until likewise one, seeing there
was nothing to be accomplished by
encouraging my timid ty, gent y
forced me to give up the pole, and 1
was left lying face downward upon
the water. AT this juncture 1 tried
between gasps to inquire if any one
mad ever been drowned here; but 1
could not make myself understood,
and it didn't matter, for 1 felt sure
some one would soon De drowned
now. e
The next instruction was to take
posi- ton; instead, took header, and
my feet took to the SIX es. OF course 1t
was only momentary, for the pulley
brought me back to a level, and, af-
ter much and desperate struggling
to combine the arm ana leg move
ment as taught on the carpet, l was
more or less successful (rather less
than more and began to have q dim
idea of the fascination there must be
in swimming when there was no fear
of an untimely introduction to the
hereafter.
/ was not thinking of my curtailed
costume now; nor OF the fit Of 1t; nor
OF bangs that were no more; nor of
powder washed off Individuality
was gone. Water has such q won
deriuliy equalizIng effect. If there is
any one who still believes in that
pretty axiom, Beauty unadorned is
adorned the most" / wish he or
she would make visit to a natator-
ium. No cause for jealousy here.
We are all ugly alike. But en-
viously and more obviously l
watched the rest jumping fearlessly
off springing boards, sliding down
shoots, swinging out over the dark
depths from gymnasium rings, or
diving to come up on the opposite side
of the tank. Right well now under
stood the moral courage and intellect
ual confidence developed by the prac-
tice that lead to such proficiency, and
that new and keen pleasure in ex.
istence had come with the attainment
and NV teeth closed upon the resolve