The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-23


cover health and - - shalt be
clean" So sayeth Holy Writ.
~ go and walk barefoot in the
6ewy grass and thy flesh shall recover
health and thou shalt be clean" So say
rather Kneipp and his disciples.
lust now there is a band of Kneipp-
fists who daily tread the dewy grass in
Golden Gate Park.
With a severe headache, sought out
the leader of the dew-treaders, A Will
man, hydropathist, graduate OF the
Kneipp system. He diagnosed my case
without asking a question. He labeled
me neatly and Enthusiastically as
nerves" and told me that 1 suffered
with nervous headaches and now and
then sleeplessness.
''Nicht warp said Herr Whitman.
va" 1 replied.
Tomorrow morning at half-past
o'clock you will be at the park and 1
will teach you to get rid of all that"
I elevated my brows in horror at the
unearthly hour, but Herr Whitman set
tied my irresolute spirit by saying: 1T
is not too early; the dew is best then
and besides the rest of them will be
there at that hour.
Herr Whitman was already at the
designated spot in the park when
reached there at 80 in the morning. So
were the rest of them" They were
nearly twenty, and regarded me with
little or no curiosity.
"This Young lady has begun the
water cure" remarked Herr Whitman,
by way of introduction
Take off those things, then, said
gray-haired man, glancIng al nay LeeC
in a contemptuOus manner. Not being
an adent al amputation, meekly asked
How? Which?"
shoes" shifted the old gentleman.
Then for the first time l noticed that
thew all wore sandals, which they
slipped off without any trouble Whlle
fumbled with my shoestrings.
no Won never wear ShoeS? l asked
@ woman who was watching me tug at
my refractory strings
"Only on very formal occasions.
Sandals are so much more comforta-
BILE" she replied.
Every one else had left the benches
which served as the dressing-room for
removing shoes, or, rather. sandals. L
could hear the swish OF the women
skirts and the soft patter-patter or the
mems feet. But I was too busy TO pay
any attention to them. At length,
however, 1 got up from the bench, UNI
shod, and ready to measure with all
Corners in the barefoot act"
But ugh! When my feet touched
the wet grass they grew icy numb and
my courage ooZed away as sank back
on the bench and curled up my feet I'M
der my skirts.
Then, for the first time, took in the
surroundings We were on plat Of
grass surrounded by trees and flowers.
To the right the children's playhouse
showed through the trees. The air was
sweet with that faint elusive perfume
that like the dew, disappears with the
rising sun. Some Of the Kneippists
were walking slowly, others were sour
rying to and fro, back and forth, hither
and thither, but all the while on the
dew-laden grass tramped the barefoot
disciples of Father Kneipp.
Herr Whitman walked now beside
one, now beside another, advising as
became necessary change-of pace or
direction.
all ages, sizes and descriptions. The wo-
men for the most part held their skirts
out of the wet grass, but one or two
had dropped them and were in bloom
ers.
There was one child and she led an
old lady who walked with faltering
steps and took deep breaths of the
fragrant air, her bright, unseeing eyes
gazing steadfastly ahead, but seeing
nothing The child tripped along light
huge butterflies poised for a moment
on the green grass. The woman fol-
lowed as blithely.
''It is so good" I heard her say, At
have not had a hemorrhage in my eyes
since I began. I smell violetS. They
must be blooming near here. Can you
smell them?" No. said the child.
"Ah, but you can see them!' and the
blind woman sighed and fastened her
steps.
Herr Whitman spied me and came
over to me. Get up" ne said, and
walk quickly For this first time Won
must not stay on the grass, though,
more than five minutes; the others are
used to it and may take from 10 to Is
minutes"
Conscious that the gray-haired man
was eying my cowardice Disappearing
ly, summoned up my Pickering cour-
age, diSentangled my cold feet and
boldly started along the dew damp
sward. Herr Whitman beside me the
while.
After the first icy thrill I began to
like the cold, tingling sensation We
picked out the patches Of grass that
were in the path Of the rising SUM- The
sensation was like yet unlike the ting
ling touch of electricity. The dewy
grass was softer than velvet and TN
hampered by shoes we walked with an
elasticity and lack Of Earring impossible
on pavements. Yet there was some
thing fascinatingly irritating in the
electric pricking, tingling, tickling SEN
sation of the dewy grass.
run" said Mr.. Whitman, "and you
can stand 1t better"
So for the remaining three minutes
I played a game Of tag with the gray
:9 g SO 90 SO 8: g. 3. 8. 50 8: 50 80 8. 8. 50 8. q
Special to the Sunday Call.
n N the 10th of the present month
there appeared a small three-line