The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-19
If You Want to Have Your Ancient Faith
 in Mern1aids Restored Go to See the
 "Wdter Lilies do Their Diving Stunts
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

XXI CHOOSE the one in red" 'Ill
 take the burnt orange lady" Thus two young swains at the Lyric yesterday afternoon, the six lovely
 water lilies made their pretty little
 bow the to big audience, and the blue
 green liquid in the great tank gurgled
 and gurgled and swirled and twirled as ii
 to say, Come in, girls; the waters fine
 ct might have added. and powerful cold" For ''whatter day it was" Icicles
 hanging from the tr/e tops, snow on the
 ground, the air like thin blades of solid
 ice and everybody huddled up over warm
 fires and shivering like a brand new leaf in an Alaskan blizzard.
 But you'd never have known that all
 this was going on outside as you gaZed on the scantily clad lilies" in their div ing costumes-'Annette kellermans,
 you know. They also wear tight, little, fringed caps and high boots; that's the latest thing, by the way, in swimming circles; ''boots"-guess it's because their
 er-er dresses are so short
 So see these six slim, graceful girls, not one of them over 20 I was told, do their clever diving stunts is to feel deep-rooted envy for such physical per
 lection.
 They are all slender and round with that roundness that swimming gives woman; their skin is pink and their eyes are bright; they glow and radiate with health and energy. But pretty as they are out of the water, I wasn't prepared to see any such diving exhibition they gave; they do wonderful things, as the clever young manager stands at the right of the stage and announces each turn"
 They dive just plain, so; then they dive backward; they fetch" under water. and after they've been under the water for a few seconds. something bobs up-a little spot of red green or yellow-way off wonder in a remote part of the tank, where you are least expecting to see them Then they do the 'jack-knife'' dive forward and backward; they are the incornations of grace and expertness in the water, and they laugh while they work; laugh with the abandon of chill 1 dren at play, as they glance at each other and then at the manager" for approval, ! while he seems highly diverted by their l antics.
 The ''baid-headed" TOW, l may say en passant is there with a vengeance with 1 mouths agape before such living, breath | ing, sinuous, mermaids, and quite as much at home as in the front row at a l musical comedy as they settle themselves | to see these sprighty ere atlres do one ''roll-over" after another, l each one bringing forth a bigger gasp" 1 than the one before,
 Finally, the high dive" is announced, | and everybody is on the qui vive; pres entlY you see high up swung between {! here and nowhere. it seems, a trim little 1 figure poised in mid-air. dripping young ! Venus stands ready for the last plunge l she sways and swirls and balances her ! self on the high springboard, and motions and laughs and then there is a sudden jump forward that makes your heart stand still as she whirls like boneless thing into space and comes "kerfiop'' right down into the middle of the tank, 1 and even the bald-headed rows admira- ton is lost in the mighty gasp "Ough-h-h.. from everybody present. | Right here they get what's coming to thenl-the bald-headed row, I mean-for as the mermaiden plunges every last one of them gets a nice little spraying on their laughing faces and funny red pates, while the diving girls themselves i out of the water and are lowing and smiling their thanks to the audi ence.
 If you want your ancient faith in 1 mermaids restored just drop in and i! glance at the "Water Lilies"
 These ballet-looking ladies have been l in the same company under the direc- 1 ton of MT. Edward B. Townsend (the | nice young man who makes the speech, | you know), for three years.
 As they wrapped themselves up in big blankets yesterday afternoon after the 1 matinee performance, and got ready for l 3 rub down. I had little 'heart to l heart with them; close range also | the manager"
 These six girls" MT. Townsend said, |
 represent six different nationalities; l the girl in red is German; the one in l purple, Jap; the one in green, Irish (of the one in black. English; tha one in orange, Spanish, and the one in baby blue is a Dane'
 You mean the giggler?" I suggested facetiously. T like her; she's a grand giggler."
 I'm the splath," said this pretty brown eyed young person with blowy