The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-08-31

BATHING IN THE SURF-THE LADIES DRESSED
AND UNDREssED-FROLICS IN THE OCEAN
CONGRESS HALL, LoNG BRANcH,(
.J,1v % 1870

Jul I'd, lo0S.
have always been an ardent lover of
sea-bathing. A plunge into the salt waters
ever sends delightful thrill through my
vcins-a swim upon the swelling wave or a
struggle with the dashing breaker ever raises
my spirit to joyousnoss that scarcely
knows moderation. Yet believe that even
did not fully appreciate the attractions of
the bath of the ocean, until beheld the Ia
dy of the present day willingly lay aside
her crinoline and appear publicly in bath
ing dress for the sake of enjoying dip in
the surf; l underratcd its pleasures, until
found that they were sufficiently irresis-
tible to induce the fashionable dame to un-
pad herself in the bathing house and un-
paint herself in the briny water, and &C.
tually appear before the eye Of inquisitive,
ccnsorious men in the shape which Nature
made her, and with the complexion which
Nature bestowed upon her. ...
There are probably very few of our read
ers who have ever seen sea-beathing as
practiced at our watering places. 1t is Ger
tainly sight worth studying. At the ap-
pointed hour, the bather, CT master of the
ceremonics'-if indeed that can be called a
ceremony at which all ceremony is dis
pcnsed with-appears upon his way to the
beach, and the guests of the house flock
after him like swarm of bees after their
leader The most sensible Of the lady
bathers prepare themselves for the bath be-
fore they leave the hotel, throwing over
their bathing dress their skirts and loose
wrapper, which they wear on their return
from the beach. This in a measure obvi-
ates the difficulty of disrobing in little
box scarcely large enough to contain the
fullest sized crinolines of the present age
Indeed, it Is a curious speculation with
many of the male sex, and especially with
those whose condition in life renders them
unacquainted with the mysteries of female
apparel, how the voluptuously moulded
danes can manage to operate" in these
modern modes of the ancient watch box
The wonder ceases, however, when the fair
occupants of the bathing houses emerge
therefrom in their bathing dresses.
The beach at such times presents sim
gular appearance. Picture to yourself two
or three hundred ship-wreckcd mariners re-
duced to shirt and pair of pants, dancing
a sort Of Shaker "brake-down'' with the
same number of attenunated boomers, de-
prived of all garments save those which are
visible to the sight-thc pantaloon and skirt
y
that meets the eye at bathing hour at Long
Branch. The dandy of the dinner table,
whose shirt collar calls up painful recollec-
tions of the iron "garrote' of Spain, whose
nicely arranged hair falls in exact position
upon his brow, and whose shirt and vest
are as spotless as the driven snow, is now
arrayed in suit Of blue cotton or dingy
red flannel, at which respectable Jack
Tar would turn up his nose in disdain. The
proud beauty who sweeps by you in par
lor or the ballroom with the air OF a Queen
scattering the astonished males as she pass.
es along, even as a street watering cart in
full play scatters the unfortunate foot pas.
sengers, energies from the bathing house in
q dark colored frGck aud pants which cling
city. Alas, that nature should thus de
stroy the illusions of art The imaginary
pillows of snow which excite such singular
emotions as we behold them rising and fall.
ing beneath the wickedly deceptive lace O,
the provoking barege, are now hanging on
pegs! The graceful swelling hips, &C.,
whose ample and rounded proportions have
but recently claimed the admiration of the
most artistic taste, are now lying in an in.
animate circle on the door of the bathing
house! The whole person has undergone
wonderful, and to a bachelor, an appalling
change.
The fair bather, rs if aware Of the I'm.
favorable character Of the transmogrifca.
ton, hurrics at brisk trot across the sands,
and quickly hides her natural proportions
in the friendly veil of the wave. But, alas
the water only causes the dress to cling
more closely to her form, making yet more
painfully evident 'those things which were
and are not p The real fun of the surf
bath now commences. The shrll shrieks
of the timid, and ringing laughter of the
fearless, tine mirth Of the experienced bath.
er, the ''oh don'tr' of the fair one who is
seized upon for ducking by her male com.
panion, the struggling, jumping, dashing
and splashing, make up scene that for ex-
citement can not well be surpassed. Some
times hundred bathers are on one rope at
the same time, and each wave, as it breaks
in foam over their heads, heaps them up
together in a very democratic and uncere.
mOniOus manner. A few are sufficiently
fearless to dispense with the rope, and ia
dash at the breakers as they roll in to the
shore, with an independence almost equal
to that of the wave itself But they occa-
sionally pay for their tcmerity by blow
from the dap of a breaker that stretches
them on the sand, and makes them willing
enough to return to the safe anchorage Of
the rope.
Now and then. a lady is very desirous to
take a lesson in swimming. it is certainly
a useful accomplishment, and one of which
all persons, male and female, should cndee.
vor to make themselves masters. But 70,
my own part, must confess that the task
Of instrncting fair bather under such cir.
cunstances appears delicate one. She re.
quires support and that support must ne
cessarily be given by her instructors arms
placed beneath and in front of her own.--
When the peculiar character Of the bathing
dress is considered, it is strange that thu
mind Of the teacher should be little toe
unsettled to be able to afford cool and sci.
entific instruction in the art? And is il
singular if the fair girl, thus buoyed up by
the strong arm of one Of the opposite sex
should devote more thought to the man than
to the buoy? Those who are conversant
with humane nature, and whose hearts art
not icicles, will know what answer to give
There is sort of democratic abandon in
the water that is highly delightful. There
every person is on a level-stands, literally
on the same bottom. The beauty who is
reserved in the parlor and so naughty in
the ballroom, is prepared to cling to any
strong form for support in the dashing foam
of the breakers. All are alike in the
waves, and all are animated by the same
spirit Of fun and enjoyment. The idea O
an "aristocracy" in the ocean is m absurd
ity not to be dreamed of.
! Tho English style of bathing at watering
places is very different to our own. There
the sexes bathe separately, and a female
bather attends to those in her own SEX
The women wear loose gown only in the
water. The men take to the sea n. puri,
natUroli6Ms. The bathing houses are on
wheels, and are taken out into the sea by