Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-08-07
sUMlIERING AT NEWPORT.
Modern Mermaids on the Beach.
Ecorrespondsnce of the New York Time.

Correspondence of the New York Times1
If you who are baking in the oven
like atmosphere of the city could cool
yourselves by thoughts of the brisk
breezes which the Atlantic sends us
here, what temptation it would be
to grow eloquent over our meteorolo-
gical conditions. l should expatiate
on the fact that blankets still hold
place in our domestic economy; that
stout coat is yet a comfortable arti
Gle for morning and evening wear;
that at all times of the day one can
walk briskly without Inconvenience;
that sun stroke is as likely to follow
such exposure as the black plague,
and no more; and that to day at noon
the thermometer hanging in the main
hall way of the hotel showed a tenn
perature at only - degrees, while a
stiff breeze vas blowing which made
one desire to move with extreme live
illness. This is a condition of atmos-
pheric affairs which could not very
we'll be changed for the better. 1t is
true the day closed with a gloomy,
leady sky overhanging dull, leaden
sea, and the wind came damp and
chilly. But the morning was glorious.
The sun shOne out bright and cheer
ful, and the crested waves came leap
ing in on the long sandy beach with a
joyful, ceaseless motion which never
tired. Though the season, as [ have
said: has not fairly commenced yet.
the beach was enlivened by numbers
of bathefs, mostly ladies and chill
dren, by the numerous pretty equip
ages in which they drove down, and
by groups of visitors who looked on.
but did not tempt the waves, or had
already taken their morning dip
Here came a neat little basket 2hae-
ton, with a couple of pretty girls
driving; next family carriage, from
which burst out a crowd of young
ones, who straightway made tracks
for the long line of bathing houses;
now wagonette, with a party of
ladies'; then an English dog cart, the
very stylish individual who drives
having come down to the beach to be
seen, and possibly to see others. Next
would come down a couple of unpre
tending buggies then a rather loudly
fitted brougham, with snowy horses
another ladies pHaeton, &c. The oc
cupants ofthese vehicles generally leave
them few minutes after arrival-iust
time for preliminary SURVEYOR the
bathing houses, from which they short
ly emerged so transformed that their
own mothers would not have known
them, unless they had happened to
see them in the costume before. The
haf fIlintr Sc e.
show-a~ lady cannot be said to in
crease her personal attractions by
adopting it. Yet sometimes feminine
ingenuity will at least prevent too
much loss of them. Two or three very
prettily made dresses, the material be-
ing of a light striped pattern, instead
of the usual mud brown, were to be
seen and in each case the wearer was
one who, when deporting himself in
the waves, remained one of the tradi
tional beauty of the mermaid. Like
nermaids they were, many of them,
in their evident famility with the sea
the mites of youngsters hoped about
in the shadows like frogs One OF
these came out of small hole he had
been Topping about in to meet his
two sisters, who were just entering the
water. He suspected nothing; but
they seized him by the neck ard waist
band Of his sGit-it was REQ, and gave
him the look of boiled shrimp-and
doused him under the waves in the
most business like manner There
upon arose little shrek, and two
legs, as thin as matches, were kicked
violently above the surface of the sea;
but the mernaids paid no attention to
these matters. The picked up the
young norman, and carrying him fur
ther out, in the same business like
style as before, initiated him into the
delights of riding on the rollers.
After bath on Easton's Beach, one
feels ready for anything There is
none better, | should think, in the
world. 1t is deep, in sheltered bay,
into which, however, the Atlantic can
roll some good sized waves. The
broad stretch Of sand is smooth and
hard to the tread, and the water is
shallow enough to make it safe for the
youngest little mite to paddle about
in. Health and vigor come borne on
the wings of the sea breeze and in the
leaping waves. But if ladies desire to
preserve their compilations Though a
little healthy tanning would be no
small attraction to some they had
better provide some protection from
the too ardent attentions of Holus
Ii the skin is at all sensitive, the eff
feet of only one days exposure on it
is something marvellous.