The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-12


 surface, shimmerng and smooth, was but now monientarily disturbed from the other end by a rotund and ponderous Dather diving in and splashing and squirming and spluttering and foaming while Betty re- called the lines.
 Have you heard the ocean moaning,
 Moaning ever soft and low? Iris because that fat old bather Stepped upon its under-tow!'
 As the numerous swimmers went in
 Miss Sandlin bade us stand upon the
 Pools edge and get a better view-all of
 which pleased me, although I feared lest I5ettys irresistible impulse to go in
 "wading" might get the better of her,
 and cause me to lose her then and there so dearly does she love the water. Floating around on the limpid surface
 of this indoor lake were girls of assorted
 sizes-some provided with Water
 Wings" others glorying in their ability to do without them-also few Water Wings WITHOUT girls The thing, however, that drew the fas- cinated gaze of both of us was a huge pole like the Rod and Distaff," of old | which was allowed beginners" and from one end of it we noticed suspended per fectly good Freshman" I say Fresh
 man advisedly, for none but verdant
 member of that class in swimming would be so ignorant as to the gentle Art-to
 cast fear aside, and push out boldly, for the other side.
 You can't possibly go down." the In structress was repeating. "even If l let you go, your Water Wings will keep you up. Now, altogether, arms and legs" But she didn't go, although there was
 charming sound of the water that would
 have done credit to an Excursion Boat All the other swimmers stood stock still in their course, brushed water from their eyes and rearranged their caps while
 Betty and I moved a peg back.
 "Herel You are going by yourself" the Instructress shouted, encouragingly.
 You see, I'm not holding you at all
 You can go without your Water Wings!
 Nextl"
 A trembling form emerged from one of the dressing rooms behind us and we heard a meek little voice saying: You'll have to be patient with me, please. I've never tried to swin before. I've never lived near the ocean or river, and there's been no chance to learn until now"
 She's just the sort of pupil We like" Miss Sandlin interposed, as she heard the remark. Why, do you know women in Birmingham have told us that they have
 never dreamed of swimming until they came here and tried our pool? Others say that they've tried to learn in the surf and everywhere else, and have never suc- ceeded as they have here "Oooh-oo-oo'' we heard from the pros 1 pective swimmer as she put her right foot
 into the water and as quickly drew 1t out again.
 You'll never learn if you behave like l that" we heard the Instructress say. Just make up your mind and jump in But I can't make up my mind" the 1 poor little beginner urged. l Scared cat" Betty whispered to me- when no sooner had she given utterance to her words than we heard a splash and l a lunge and we knew the fatal step had l been taken
 Come in, the waters fne," said a 1 beautiful Naiad, as she swan to the | waters edge, and we recognized one of
 the beauties and beles of Birmingham. wish we could" replied, but I've got to go and write a story about all this.''
 ''Oh what's the use,'' she said as she
 climbed gracefully up to the edge of the 1 Spring Board. Its lots better to know | how to swim than it Is to understand
 English and French and Psychology and
 Biology, including the circulation of a 1 frog. and how it happens
 From a distant corner of the pool where another Water Sprite was doing 1 stunts that were really almost "profes-
 sional." we heard the Bronlidism dis | tinctly:
 Now that I've learned to swim, don't
 see how I ever did without it!' l Neither does any one else-and wher Miss Sandlin told us that since the pool
 at the Young Woman's Christian associa-
 ton was opened last May, that 5000 wom-
 en had taken advantage of the oppor- tunity to learn Swimming, we expressed
 our astonishment and at the same time appreciation by telling her that she could count on us, to make the Tive thousand I Two-th'' the very first day next week that we had morning off ago from two months stay in vir- ginia.