The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-05
CartwheeIs and Laughter.

/ Now, then. ladies' says the profes-
sor, enthusiastically, lets have some
| cartwhecls' Before you know what they
are up tothey have tumbled down off their
| perchcs and gotten into line The inst rue
tor takes a side handspring, and, TO your
amazement, after him goes the whole line
| Of girls, hands down, legs mp, over they go,
one after another, and run around to get
! in line to do it over again. They are
laughing and screaming with delight
This performance is suddenly varied by
| the instructor, who takes a front hand
spring and comes up on his feet. The girls
| hang back and shake their heads ''oh,
| go on, try ii - says the professor. One girl
makes the effort. She goes over all right.
| but her body does not come up on her feet,
and she falls ANONYMOUSLY on the mat
Push with your head when your legs are
up" nrgeS the instructor, and they all try
| it few times, getting better results, but
not succeeding thoroughly.
Rest" says the professor. and away ne
| drags the mats to another position. A
machine that looks like a high, padded
Saw-buck is next dragged forth, and the
mattress laid little beyond it. This is
the German horse. and the girls get into
position beyond it. There is an inclined
board 10 take a run from. The professor
goes through the first movement. 1t is a
run and a vault clean over the horse. The
spectator holds his breath as the first
Saucy little woman takes her position on
the runway. There she goes! over as
clean as a whistle.
The others follow with more or less
agility. One girl, a big blonde, whose
movements are of the ianguid order, gets
half over, and sits on her feet on the top
OF the horse TO the infinite amusement Of
the others. A frail little girl OF about
sixteen doesn't get over ct all at first.
But she perseveres, and, bravo! over she
is at last. This vaultlRg is varied by
leap to the right and a leap to the left,
and then the professor goes over it head
first and turns a handspring, coming UP
nimbly ON his feet. This is another stag
gerer for the girls, but they take it as
horse would hurdle. even if they come to
ground. The little one hesitates Come
on said the professor; what do you
care? Try it, She docs, and is fairly
successful, and laughs gaily with the rest
They Don't Like TO Run.
A club exercise is given next and some
very pretty evolutions take place. The
rest that follows is taken advantage of by
the ladies to lie around on the mattresses
or outstretched on the semi-circle chest
pulley, in perfect abandon. After they
have rested thoroughly they take some
work on the pulleys and that is the end
Of their formal drill.
sup in the galleries, now, girls says
the instructor. "A good run before you
quit
Il don't want to rum" says one. "Not
for Helen," says another. law, please,
professor, DON'T says another.
Come on, come on: this is the very thing
for you; just two runs around the track
and the professor lays hold of a pole
that hangs from one side of the gal
lery and climbs up it in a twinkling and
is over the gallery banister. He is no
sooner landed than a girl goes after him.
Hand over hand, up The pole, every bit as
spry as the instructor. Another one fol-
lows her, but the others climb up a rope
ladder which sways loose from the bot
tom.
When they are all in the track, and the
little one has joined them by way OF the
stairs they start off. 1t is jolly run and
no Iaziness. Off they go after the profess
sor, with their elbows by their sides, ON
a good free trot The pace is quickened.
and on the second time around they are go
ing like the wind. Then they turn, and the
professor falls into comical stride, which
he calls the chicken walk Hands on bips