Richland beacon., 1873-10-04
French Bathing.

A French gentleman who really in
tends to wash himself prepares for so
grave and unusual an act with precau-
ton. AS he generally lives, when home
in Paris, in a sort OF sugar-plum box,
which he calls an appartemcnt, but
which could not be used for ablutionary
purposes without great harm and loss,
he does not know what effect water APP
piled to any other part of his person
than his face and hands might have
upon his health and prospects in life.
His doctor, whom he naturally consults
on the subject, combines the resources
of science with the resources of his own
imagination, and recommends him to
stand bolt upright on the sea-shore, in
becoming costume, and wait for the
waves. When the waves have hit the
French gentleman, he is of course bound
in honor to return the blow, and does
so with his head down and his mouth
full of salt water. Determined also
conscientiously to follow the advice of
his medical man, he begins to Jump,
dance and dispOrt himself after the
manner of seal. Having had enough
of this, he puts his feet in hot water,
provided in a tub in his bathing ma
chine, drinks glass of rhum and fam
cies himself a sea wolf for the rest of
the day. Some of the ladies' dresses
are outrageously fine when they go pub
licly into salt water. A yard of false
hair, long parasol, double eyeglass,
a pair of sky-blue trousers, fishing
net and opera glass, feather, a poodle
dog, two young gentlemen, an illus
trated newspaper of fashions, a pair of
lilac boots, lighted cigarette, a camp
stool, a nosegay and nightcap make
up this simple and interesting costume.
The sea is a big place, and French
lady may want all these things before
she gets to the bottom Of it. The best
part of her bathiag is, as might be snip
posed, to walk o. the sands and keep
her costume dr. There must be a
large crowd to to pit her to wet it but
if she once resO res on doing so, she
calls upon all mankind (tOut le mOnde)
to witness her courage. Then she COM
mits herself to a iroad-shouldered fish
erman, who takes her in his arms and
goes through SORT of war dance with
her, while all tte gentlemen of the
neighborhOod are looking on admirinely
through telescopes and opera glasses.
When she comes out, the proper thing
is to ask her ".S ellie hcnuco,tp peche, "
| to which question she answers, refiec-
tiv' ly, "Maurais snJet." At Trouviile
and some other places, it is considered
good, lady-like taste to smoke a cigar
cite, perched on a camp-stool, immedia-
tely after the war dance above men,
tioned.-COr. N. y. Herald.
SHOPPING IN Two IaNGUAGEs.-Iti is
great fun to barter with a French or
Italian shopkeeper, after you are quite
sure he does not understand word OF
English, if you can keep your counte-
nance and make it utter one thing while
| your voice says another. Anxious to
oblige. anxious to sell, and not under
standing your words, he watches
cadence and expression, and frames his
replies from that. I approached one in
Turin, and affecting to greatly admir-
scarlet neck scarf, said to him with a
gesture of appreciation and tone which
indicated delight: "This scarf is,
suppose, wretched, ill-made, shoddy
| affair ?" soul, monsieur" "And the
price you ask-six francs-is, perhaps,
| double what would demand of me if I
were not a stranger with finger and
thumb in my right vest pocket, as if in
the act of producing the money to pur-
chase it, "You are doubtless great
scoundrel in most of the relations of
life ?" Oui, naOnsieure" with en-
phasis,) Certainenent." Permit me
to tie the miserable thing about the
weak-eyed, gaping, shriveled, honey
combed, weather-beaten face of ma
dame-ah! does not this enhance her
natural and acquired ugliness?" "Oui,
oM"-a pause, a glance at the enraged
countenance of the learned person, a
dim suspicion of hoax, and the SEN
tence ended with an indescribable
shrug.-Letter from, Europe.