The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-08-26


Correspondence OF the Boston Post.
Dress. after all, Is the great distinguishing
mark Of sepnblican aLissocTacTt ano -
--or bathing dress which l. Tue same tning
us tile great leyeler. The pretty girl vino
comes down in a pony carriage dressed II
the regulation. caInbrle morning suit Viii
hnderskirts, ovefskfrfs, ruthless SASH, ana ne
multitude Of other adornments 10 which 1
do not dare afEix names. steps into her Da-
thing house. and with the grit OF her atIle
high-hee4ed boots upon the sandy b0arus
you have the last Of her for the next nour:
For after a suitable time of disrebing ana
rehabilitation. she energies, d ehrysal1s from
4 butterfly. You do net recognize the blonde
locks under the Oil-silk cap. which conhaes
them from the assaults of the enFlous waves.
The trim form which seemed created 10
sway to the ARREST Of Strauss walfzes IS en-
shrouded in dark flannel. The thin hoops
are replaced By still Simmer garments In
which you see the panfaloons for which
Miss Anthony signs. The neat ankle Il no
longer there, only n huge mapping rune,
which overshadoWs the high curved instep.
and reaches almost to the eoncealment OF
the little pinched toes which curl 50 dainti-
ly as they touch the wet sand From
neighboring box comes another, similar ex-
cept that her pantalU0ns are loose, and SHOW
beneath their lower edge the round, shapeiy
ankle. Then approaches the sven nroaneI.
seat A manly form. indeed. hardly more
easily recognized than that of the lady. but
whose appearance is an immediate proof Of
| the skill Of his tailor by contrast. You nov
see the slightly stopped shoulders, the weak
HOOKING back. the meagre deltoid and biceps
which were hidden under the disguise of the
promenade and ballroom. but now display
ed by thedhonest surf suit of flannel. They
clasp haids-and ii the ladies are careful OF
appearances they don't run.
| In going into the surf ii Is queer TO see
/ 9th hat din natlGrS
| at first step over each roller as It. foams,
spent. under their feet. Then, with the
water at their ankles. dip their bands anu
| battle their brows-danger Of q rush OF
| blood to the head, you know. Then. gath
| ing boIdness, they step, hand in hand, lit
tie scream here and a timorous shrlnking
| there in the waves, until the water reaches
| the knee. The first plump now. a breaker
comes cursing and Kissing at them a nasty
grasp of the nose by each of the little band !;
a hurried. scared STOPPING, with half
| glance at the approaching terror. and lt Is
over and they are left crouching on the
sand. Now the fear is passed and rollers
are welcomed, the only care being least the
hair should be soaked, or that some of the
beautiful. but nauseating flood find Its way
into the little mouth.
The athletics of bathing cannot be better
studied than in the crosses. The dresses
may be set down as never becoming, but at
| ter what | have seen this morning L must
! a comparative term. The orthodox bathing
| dress [ have described. 1t looks well upon
| a young woman; but costume OF that sort.
neatly and tightly belted about the waist OF
| massive mother of three daughters is rel
atively ridiculous. Those ladies who re-
auire a 200 pound balance when ascertain
| ing their weight should adopt q modified
sea toilette, or be prepared TO efface the sub
lime impression produced by the elegance
of their full dress appearance. Yet this is
e. h, fof ho U f nf
attire in which the more plebian NATIONS
disport amid the waves. 1t is convenient
for the student of anatomy, and let uShope
il is pleasant to the wearers. 1t is offensive
to the sight, / distinctly catalogued six
teen different STYLES of ankles-let me use
that ~yord in its most elevated sense-and
general contour of form displayed by the
wearers of these mOckeries of clothing this
forenoon. As they descend. the long beach,
the sDortive breeze catches up the flowing
garment, watts and twists it about spreads
and contracts it, until, with a desperate
clutchs the victim plunges into the edge of
the waves aud vets them. As she advances
it grows worse. After the first souse the
| sacred gown clings to her limbs and form
with the tenacity of a poor-man's plaster
| developing each angle and swelling, defn-
| ing each depression each protuberance,un until
| the human form, generally by no means di-
| vine, stands covered but not concealed
| Then a breaker catches it with puff of
| loon is presented. Then it is washed and
| flirted about. and as she steps out again up
| on the sand, It'll caught by the swift follow
ing wave and thrown in one spiteful dash
under her feet.
| This is one extreme of the fashion of ba-
| thing dresses. The other was shown this
morning on the persons of a couple of little
| ladies, who complied with the letter. but
har ly the spirit of the law, by chasing the
breakers in a costume identical with that of
"Mazeppa," as performed by the late la
mented Menken. 1t is an ineontrovertibe
fact that they were much more attractive in
appearance than their less distinguished
neighbors. | noticed reverend gentleman,
who wore his spectacles into the surf. mild
ly demonstrating with them. and once his
hand went where his eoat-tail pocket might
have been, and knew he would have given
them tract but for the absence of that re-
ceptacle.
Neitherdo oil-silk eapes cover every head.
The scrupulously careful use these articles.
but the prevailing style is to allow the long
back-hair to float free and unconfined, the
sport OF the wind and wave and the admira-
tion of the occupants OF the carriages and
benches which line the beach. 1t is ineon-
testably pretty, and it seems that one need
not get her hair wet even in this way; for
the hair dressers who attend the hotels and
cottages have their ''bathing tresses," which
each morning they a1fix to the heads of their
fair patrons for use and ornament in the
bath. Its done ingeniously and effectively.
and upon the return the braids which have
been so much admired on the beach are
handed over to the maid to be hung up to
dry, and others are assumed.
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