Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-06-21
He Saved the Nymphs.

II IL SSiuoA1 tAdt 81 SOuuS siIlb Aistht
some man is given an opportunity to
enact the heroic role of Capt. Clark, the
life-saver, under such peculiar circum-
stances as those that attended the res
cue of Miss Esther Johnson and Miss
Katharine Schopin on last Friday night
from watery grave in the Manayunk
canal. The Captain Clark of the affair
was Frederick Kent Morris, Of Trini-
dad, Col
Miss Johnson and Miss Schopin are
known rs the bellies of Manayunk.
They are employed behind the large
soda-water fountain at one of the estab-
iishments there, and their beauty is be-
iieved by many to be mainly response
bic for the heavy run of trade their en-
ployer has had. All the swell young
men Of the town are wont to greet with
smiles by no means derisive these two
fair maidens who concoct the cheering
and Misunderstanding drinks that are
alone INDUCED in by the society people
of Manayunk.
Friday, it will be remembered, was
IN unusually warm day. In the even
ing, especially, the heat was great, and
Miss Johnson and her companion, as
they labored to quench the thirst of ad-
miring crowds, frequently remarked
that they envied the little boys who
were howling and swimming in large
numbers in the canal. As trade was
unusually brisk, the store did not close
until II o'clock, at which hour all the
rafiles, teas, receptions and shines OF
Manayunk have concluded and the gay
jewellers sought their couches. AT this
hour, as Miss Johnson was washing the
glasses. she called to Miss Schopin, who
was rolling barrel of tar camphor
down the cellar stairs.
'I'll goin swimming with you, Kate. .
What ~ said Kate, dropping the bar
rel, which rolled hurriedly down the
stairs and broke. ''You must be crazy.
Where could we go in?''
why, right here in the canal, said
Miss Johnson. Its so dark and still,
you know, that we don't need bathing
suits. Nobody can see us"
Sugar exclaimed Miss Kate, Il
think III have to go you"
Accordingly the girls, who could
swim, or thought they could, with Won
drous facility and grace, locked up the
shop, crossed Main street to the canal
bank, and there disrobed. They trip
ped lightly over the stones and through
the weeds that line the bank and halt
cd on the edge. With shivers of de-
light, not unmixed with fear, they
clasped their hands above their heads
in the most approved newspaper-cut
style and leaped headlong into the
water
There were two splashes, silence
that lasted for several seconds, and then
two muffied but shrill shrieks Help |.
Help" rent the air.
Lucky it was for the reckless bathers
that just at that moment Mr.. Morris.
who had recently come on a visit to
Roxborough, happened to be riding his
mustang across the Manayunk bridge,
under which the girls had placed their
clothing. Realizing instantly the state
of affairs, Morris dismounted and jump
cd from the bridge into the stream be-
low. The girls were sinking for the
seventh time when he clasped them by
their flowing locks and, propelling
himself only with his legs, managed to
get them to the bank. He landed
them safely, and in his efforts to resuci-
tate them (they were almost uncon-
scious) very generously refralned from
lighting the ,bull's-eye lantern which nc
always carries in his hip pocket. When
he saw that the girls were in fair way
toward recovery, he remounted MS
mustang, which had very considerably
waited for him, and rode home.
Neither Miss Johnson nor Miss Scho-
pin knows to this day the name of her
gallant savior, and -i.oither one cares
to discuss the circumstances under
which she was saved.-Phila. Record.