The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-08-14

would stand under the swing, give It
q start into the air, and as you swung
back within their reach, with a long
push would run under the swing,
clear 1t and back again in time to
shove again so that the swings mo-
ton might not be stopped.
The cat must never be let die, eth
er, but, as the swing slowly ceased its.
motion, before 1t actually stopped you
must jump out of II to the ground.
II the cat died" then some dire ca
lamity would befall you.
Some people did not find the sensa-
ton of swinging altogether desirable,
and would often be seized with a Sc
we're spell of sea sickness, and at the
cry "stop the swing" would vacate
1t as suddenly as they had entered it.
was never the proud possessor of
garden swing, though the anticipa-
ton of having one gave me the keen
est pleasure. When I was quite a
small tot much loved cousin of mine
gave me piece of wire rope-said to
be the strongest and best for swing
and promised me that at some time
in the near future he would hang this
rope for me. How doteo on the pos
session of this rope, and venture to
say every child or grown up in the
neighborhood knew Of my possession.
But 1t never did me any real good, as
1t was never hung. / always suspi-
cioned that my parents were RESPONSE
BILE for the failure OF this cousin to
fulfill his promise, as they were afraid
some of their small children might
sustain broken leg or arm or even
neck. Their excuse was that there
was no tree high enough or strong
enough on our place to accommodate
the rope and that the use of swim.
would wear of the grass from our
pretty lawn. l believe right now If
visit were paid to a certain out
house that this adored wire rope
would be found reposing on the
beams of this building where it has
lain for years forgotten. In this one
case at least anticipation was certain
ly more than half the pleasure.
Sometimes think these crude af-
fairs which afforded us pleasure in
childhood, such as the swing, the see
saw made of board placed atop of a
barrel or stump Of tree, were more
enjoyed than the rolly coaster, shoot
the shoots, ferris wheels and various
4 other dangerous affairs fashioned for
the entertainment of humanity today.
| Isn't it funny how we get so much
pleasure out of things that are really
dangerous? We will seat ourselves
in ferris wheel, calmly settle our
selves in a car which will convey us
up an incline railway to high alti-
tude or even get into an airship when
the breaking of piece of machinery
er the swapping of cable would pre-
cipitate us perhaps into eternity. I
heard ia young man the other day
who was always known for his adYen-
turous spirit and who was not afraid
of anything and who somehow or 9TH
er always came out of his adventures,
sometimes almost miraculously, with
out s,rntch or a broken bone, who
very much desired to make an ascent
in an aeroplane, and when one hap
pened to be making trial trip where
he was living he begged and pleaded
with the pilot until permission was
given for the trip. When quite dis
lance in the air something happened
to the mechanism OF the airship and
1t was precipitated into the river.
Here as before the young man escap-
ed without injhry. and strange to re
late was just as keen for another trip
as he had been for the first.
A lot of us live on excitement and
the things that are attendant with the
most excitement are the things that
have the strongest appeal for us. /
have known people to keep up under
great excitement and to accomplish
things which under different circum-
stances they would be physically I'M
able to do, and then when the excite
ment and its attendant stiulus was
removed to collapse and be utterly no
good.