Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-09-08

BATHING At ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is
unique to the marrow. II looks more like
foreign than an American town. The houses
are shinglsd on the sides and ends as well
the roof Then sll the principal residences have
a walk on the extreme apex come six TO ten feet
long, protected By railing. Here, in the paimy
days OF the island. the owners were won't 10 ascend
to watch the arrival Of whslers; and as almost
everybody had stake in some ship or other, the
number of these look-outs is legion The Man.
tucketers have the funniest vehicles enc ever laid
eyes on. They are called Tips; have two wheels,
a box some Elk feet long, and no seats. They
will hold some half a dozen people, every one
Standing and holding on TO rope attached to
the side Of the box The beach is at least a mile
from the hotels. and many Of the guests are
forced TO use this droll conveyance. | can't say
much for its comfort, but it hiss the merit Of
novelty, and the ladies rather enjoy 1t. Imagine
a string of these vehicles filing down the road,
filed with women and children, dressed in the
bizarre costume of the sea, innocent Of etiquette,
obliyious of social distinctions, caring not ~
how they look or how much fun their pedestrian
male companions make of them Twenty min
utes ride over a road with sand knee-deep brings
us to the beach.
There is but one clearinghouse with less than
n dozea dressing-rooms: yet there are at least
fifty people waiting. We approach the grim d.
vinity of the place. mahogany-complexioned
vii gin of ffty-execute q bit Of strategy, have
the promise ofthe first empty room, grab our bun
die of clothes aud watch our chances. Ii may be
+ ten minutes; il msy be three quarters Of an hour;
but we secure a berth at last, put on our bathing
livery and sally forth. Twenty ungainly figures
are laundering in the water. The ladies' with
monstrous straw hats on, tied close the head,
look, if possible, more grOtesaue than the gen.
tlemen. The beach is lined with motley crowd
dressed in every possible sfyle-with CARDS that
reflect all the colors Of the rainbow. A few are
provided with regular costumes made for the
purpose; but the great majority extemporize their
rig out of such shreds and patches OF garments
as come handy. One lady mskes her appear
ance in what seems TO be n cross between a night
gown and neal bag. Another astonIshes the
crowd by fguringin the simple bloomer costume.
Another puts prudery 10 the blush By donning
what might be mistaken for the pertaining cos
tune Of q tight-rbpe man. o One very fat and
decidedly hcme1y woman rejcicesin tght-htting
basque, which showed her embonpoint TO dIsa-
greesbie sdsantAee.c BY way of relief, and to
show that there are those, even in Nantucket,
who know what style is, young and rather
pretty girl de6sutly makes her appearance 10 q
blue silk morning gown trimmed with white
cashmere, and wearing white kids and q water
fall, She 10 the daughter of a respectable dress
maker Of Providence, and comes for the express
purpose Of making sensation. Which she does.
A. to the gentlemen, probably the least said
about their appearance the better. Hogarth
never conceived any thing haifso ludicrous The
makeup" of worlds convention Of profess
ional rag mufins would have been tame in CON-
parison. There were every hue and size and
pattern under the sun. There were a. black
spirits and white - a. blue tpirIts and grey
creatures looking frightfully angular and crea-
lures like chaos, without form and void" Some
were iounderng 10 illftting garments, andsome
had mere shreds and Suggestions of costumes.
80 But the Bath is a great leveler.-Cor
-1H6ny Jour.