Smyrna times., 1874-08-19
Sermonizing in the Surf.

Rev. Dr. Talmage has been taking dip in
the sea, and here's the way he describes the
sensation of surf bathing in the Christian at
Work
The sensation of sea-bathing is about the
same everywhere First you have the work OF
putting on the appropriate dress, sometimes
wet and chill from the previous bathing. Ou !
get into the garments cautiously, touching
them at as few points as possible; your face
askew, and with swift draft of breath through
your front teeth, punctuating the final lOdg |
ment Of each sleeve and fold with spasmOdic
"Oh!" Then, having placed your watch |
where no vlllanous stragger may be induced to
examine it to see whether he can get to the
depot in time for the next train, you issue forth
ingorlOusy, your head down, in consciousness
that you are cutting a sorry figure before the
world Barefoot as mendcant, your hair
disheveled in the wind, the stripes on your
clothes strongly suggestive OF the penltentlary,
your appearance caricature OF human kind,
you wander up aud down the beach, creature
that the land is evidently trying to shake off
and the sea is unwilling to take. But you are
consoed by the fact that all the rest are as
mean and as fOrlorn looking as yourself; and
so you wade in, over toot-tOp, unto the knee,
and waist deep. The water is cold, so that
your teeth chatter and your frame quakes,
until you make bold dive; and, in a moment,
you and the sea are good friends, and you are
not certain whether you have surrendered to
the ocean or the ocean has surrendered to you.
| At this point begin the raptures OF bathing.
You have left the world on the beach, and are
caught up in the arms of experiences that you
never feel on land. If you are far enough out,
the breaking wave curves over you like roof
inlaid and prismatic, bending down on the
other side of you in layers of chalk and drifts Of
snow, and the lightning flash of the foam ends
in the thunder of the falling waves. You fling
aside from your arms, as worthless, amethyst
and emerald and chrosOprase. our ears are
filed with the halloo Of sporting elements, and
your eyes with all the tints and tlnges and
double-dyes and liquid emblazOnment. You
leap and shout and clap your hands, and tell
the billOws to come on; and IN excess OF gee
greet persons whom you never saw before and
never will again and never want to, and act so
wildly that others would think you demented,
but that they are also as fully let loose so that
if there be one imbecie, there are whole
asylum of lunatics
1t is astonishing how many sounds mingle in
the water: The faint squall OF the attnghted
child, the shrill shrek of the lady just intro
duced to the uprOarlOus hlIarlues, the carouSe
of the diver, the snort of the halt-stranglcd, the
clear giggle of maidens, the hoarse below OF
swamped obesity, the whine of the GONZALES
cent invalid, the yell of unmixed delight, the
te he and squeak Of the city exquisite learning
how to laugh out loud, the splash OF the brine,
the cachnation of band OF harmless savages,
the stun of the surge on your right ear, the hiss
of the surf, the saturnaa of the elements
while overpowering all other sounds are the
orchestral harmonies of the sea, which rol
; on through the ages, all shells, all winds, al
caverns, all pillows, heard in the "OratOrlo o
the Creation.
| Il Il. IL: h. 1,,J, mill oft
break through the grand. Swept hither anC
thither, you find, moving in reel and cOtillion
, saraband, and rigadoOn, and hOrnpipe, Qua
kers and Presbyterians who are down on tn,
dance Your sparse clothing feels the stress o
> the waves, and you think what an awful thins
: it would be if the girdle should burst or a but
ton break, and you should have, out of respec
to the feelings of others, to 60 up the beacl
q side-wise or backward, on your hands ant
. knees. Close beside you. in the surf, is Judg
q of the Court of Appeals, with garment OIL
i that looks like his grandmOthers night-gowl
: Just lifted from the washtub aud not yet wrun
i out. On the other side is a maiden with
4 twenty FIVE cent straw hat on head that ord
a | nariy sports hundred dollars worth of mill
;. merry. Yonder is Doctor of Divinity, with hi
, head in the sand and his feet beating the all
y travelling heavcnward, while his right hah
d clutches his wife's foot, as much as to say
If " My feet are useless In this emergency CIV
me the benefit of yours.
Now a stronger wave, for which none ar
ready, dashes in, and with it tumble ashore, i
4 one great wreck of humanity, small craft an
d large stout hulk and swift clipper, helm frs
r. topsail down, forestry sail in tatters, keel up
of everything gone to pieces in the swash of tn
surges. Oh the glee of sea bathing!
): rouses the apathetic. 1t upsets the supercil
DC Gus and pragmatical 1t is balsamic for mer
10 tai wounds 1t is a tonic for those who nee
o, strength, an anodyne for those who requir
y soothing, and febrifuge for those who wal
r, their blood cooled; a filling up for mind
S pumped dry, breviary for .le superstitious
~ with endless mathis and vespers, and to th
Christian an apocalyptic vision when the morI
lg ing sun gids the waters, and there is sprea
le3 before him sea of glass mingled with fire.
"a "a Thy way, o God, is in the sea, and Thy pat
OF in the great waters II