Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-07-17
LETTER FROM SANTA MONICA.
Bathing and Bathing suits - Jolly
Times--Tntercepted GaIlantry - he
Careful How YOu Taik-DrOwned
Rats.
Break, break, break,
On thy cold grey sands, oh! Sea;
1 would that my pen could picture
l he sights that ariSn hainre me.n


But it don't begin to do it; to be ap-
preciated it must be seen; yet for you
poor mortals who, having eyes, see not,
and ears, hear not, will endeavor to
describe the scene. The sea breeze is
blowing my paper about, vainly try
ing to defeat the undertaking, and old
Father Neptune is shedding whole
gallons of briny tears over the affair.
THE BATHING SUIT
AS am sure every one will admit, is
one of the most becoming and pictur-
esque dresses that ever graced the hl
man fJrm-mind 1 don't say woman's
form, for it is equally becoming to
both sexes. Tt has one advantage over
every other; the homeliest, awkward
est, most uncomely looking person,
looks just as bad if not worse when ar
rayed in this costume.
The most of the suits are made out
of gray or navy-blue flannel, cut to
suit the fancy of the wearer. Those
that are the most noticeable are made
Of light brown or buff linen. l have
no doubt the wearers congratulate
themselves upon the prominent eXhi-
bition of their fine forms; the state of
nudity would answer quite as well, be-
sides not being so expensive, if they
could be satisfied with the scanty
apparel. When you come to the sea-
shore my friends, do not wear light,
thin suits; not that we care at all for
our bushes, only we are afraid you
might have the influenza, which some
times terminates in the consumption,
for such suits cling very closely after
Father Neptune's embraces.
The feminine portion of the bathers
remind one very much of
A FLOCK OF CHINAwoMEN,
AS they stand just at the edge of the
surf, they step one foot in, and then
jump back screaming, ooh O-it is
so cold" This is repeated two or
three times, until at last they take
courage and wade in, and then the
amount of yelling that is done is
enough to frighten all the mermaids
out of the sea. Strange that women
can never do anything without
screaming about it.
Just take birds-eye view of the
bathers. That tall, gaunt locking
bean-pole reminds one of a sandhill
crane stalking through the water; out
among the breakers the old maid is
diving around like q gOod-siZed frog,
which might well agitate the heart of
Frenchman. Madam Gossip is whis-
pering that she has already agitated
one masculine heart. Near the beach
stands fihe-lo0king woman, holding
a little boy in her arms. The urchin
is calling Justify to De held high above
the water while he takes his bath.
Quite number of young ladies and
gentlemen are trying to dance in the
water They declare the bathing is
splendid, and shall never doubt their
word again after the amount of en-
bracing done under the excuse of the
water or rather the fear of the break
ers. Gentlemen who do not like the
exercise have no business to offer their
assistance. Handsome beauX are in d,
mand, for "pm told the darlings like
it, if they have q handsome beau"
Hello! There couple down, after a
good deal of fighting, gasping and
sputtering; they are up again. Why
in the world wouldn't they lie still
and drown? Here we have been sit
ting ready for the last three minutes
10 write an exciting article for the
paper. Well, out they come. 1t is a
pity to spoil the nice little idea they
have got that they look like mermaids,
but truly, if we were called upon to
give o simile, we should say
DROWNED RATS.
Last Friday evening a jolly party
from Los Angeles came down here to
spend the Fourth, and took possession
of that identical house the spirits
moved so unceremoniously and
the sounds that issued from it
about l o'clock Saturday morning
were very suggestive of the irrepressi-
bile spirits that refused to be confined
in beer keg. How much of the pre-
cious article was allowed to wander
around on terra firma, we are not
found it's way down the @sophegus; at
least we judge so from the way their
vocal organs were exercised.
4 friend of ours went up to town to
attend the celebration, and brought
us back the very consoling news that
our dear five hundred friends (?) were
feeling great deal of sympathy for
us poor martyrs, condemned to be out
of the world; or rather out of town on
such an occasion, thereby losing all
the fun. The sympathy we consider
entirely uncalled-for, as fun is quite
plenty down here.
AN AMUSING INCIDENT
Occurred the other day. 1t was this: