The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-10-29
HER LAuDABLe EFFORT
BY EFFIE SAUNDERS.

me2~ inquired the little stenographsr
9f the bookkeeper,
We'll. that depends he replied,
aon-committally. There is the wealth
sr and the daylight and so many 9TH
sr things ones supposed TO notice a
change in"
oh, tell me all about that some 9th
sr timel" interrupted the little stenog-
rapher i had the floor. and / simply
asked you a question 10 be answered
yes or no. | had reference to a
change for the better However. know
Il would be hard for you to dlstin-
suish any added graces and beauties
IN me, so | withdraw my question"
Thank you" murmured the book
keeper, meekly.
You'll be pleased to know that I'm
follower of one OF The muses.. af-
feet gymnastics-and they, Incidental
ly. affect mel or course, gymnastics
in themselves are not my aim-rather.
they we're not. once could see myself
spinning around on one toe, rushing
gracefully across the floor with out
stretched arms as though TO catch a
streak Of lightning, suddenly halting
and spinning like top; then vigorous
ly repeating tie performance with vari-
ations.
You know, ! really saw a flesh and
blood girl do such things. And she
said it was easyl
4 talked with her about II and. oh.
shp WAS so graaaf,,l a. .oo....a - -
feet even her tonguel While she talked
she moved around me like fairy, and
nearly fell over myself in awkward
attempts to get out OF her way every
time she came near me! But she
talked right on. and never noticed any
thing She was so well-possessed, as
d result of her dancing.
so ! grew more and more interest
ed. She told me what she had studied.
and how long she'd been at it-just
two years and what il cost for a
course and. above all. how much fun
it vast
Il felt the need of something of the
sort. When I'm out in company / sit
still and envy every one, most of the
time! II seems that I'm the only per-
son on earth who hasn't a single ac-
complishment! And after talking with
the girl who knew gymnastic dancing
] could see myself calmly smiling at
all my new hosts of friends while they
begged me to dance for them. ! could
see myself, after much coaxing. rising
languidly and. amid a breethless hush,
pirouetting into wonderful dance!
Il could see club women begging
me, as favor, to help them entertain!
| could see myself doing innumerabe
dances with wonderful men escorting
me, throughout all the rest of my lifel
Well, Of course, | couldn't start
right in pirouetting IN graceful mazes.
| had to begin with the groundwork
That girl had to. too. when she be-
gan. It sounded all right. | thought
| could hastily brush over the neces-
sary foundations, and hasten onward
to the heights.
I'm still Fastening, but the heights
nave gone up so high in the meantime
that I've given up even wanting to get
there! Do you know. in order to
dance, you have to be able to swing
Indian clubs to music. just as fast as
you can go-ifhether your head cts IL.
the way or not makes no difference
until it's just as simple to you as
swinging your arra over a boat.
Thus far can manage to grasp
the club firmly and put it back of my
head every other count without mur-
dering my neighbor-and l consider
that this degree of dexterity is quite
an achievement
Then you have to be able to bend
forward, with your knees straight, and
touch your hands TO the floor. Now,
the tips of my fingers come almost
within a foot of the floor when I'm
bent double that way, and I'm most ap-
Dreciative of the early martyrs who
had their muscles drawn out as far as
possible Unless crack. fear my
hands will never touch the floor!
Then you have 10 stand facing
front, and at a signal turn so that just
tho half of you from your waist up is
facing back! | know 1t sounds i'm.
/ lOofAbic, Dut IL feQufeu anu lndl
al there is to it. You just have to-
It isn't the only absolutely impossible
thing that I'm forced to do
But, anyway. I've paid my tuition
and they say it's beautifying. so I'm
making it my ambition now to grow
beautiful
'Oh, yes-I didn't tell you that. The
reason I've relinquished the dream OF
dancing is that | discovered that my
graceful adviser studied every day
OF her two years, all day long! ! have
been trying to learn in one hour a
week. at nightl l suppose now, if
fail to grow graceful. I'll find that it's
because | should have begun trying as
an infant, before my bones hardened
But as long as they keep the bitter
truth from me. shall continue to
hope."
You asked me a little while ago,
said the bookkeeper, ''if noticed diff
/ ference in you. had noticed il before