The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-08-14
American Loneliness in the Surf.

American loneliness in the Surf.
Olive Logan writes from Long Branch:
eft seems strange that the irrepressible
coquetry of the American woman should
not have niched itself Ito use Nine. de
Sevigne's expression) in her bathing
costume. Women of the most marked
elegance in drawing-rooms obey the law
of our land and make the vilest scare
crows of themselves to go into the surf.
More bathing dresses are let out il Long
Branch in q single week than are so dis
posed in a whole season at all the French
resorts corabined. Every French lady
frequenting les bains de na,tr pays spe-
cial attention to providing herself with
,sia costume de balm. And this outfit is
as carefully selected in regard to its be-
comingness in colcr and cut; its fit
must be az perfect, its freshness as I'M
doubted rs any dress that madam wears.
Some of these costumes are really
charming, and when donned enhance the
quite as much SIS any other. A delicate
rose flannel, with knife. plotting of white,
hat trimmed in accordance, pink hose,
and straw shoes, navy blue serge with
stripes of yellow, green ard brown me-
rinos-these are some of the combina-
tions which dwell in my memory from
last season. Many ladies have several
such costumes extravaganza scarcely
worth mentioning, as the materials from
which such dresses are made are very
cheap. But whatever a French 1ady's
sea bathing costume may be-her own
and three or four of them in the season,
or hired from day to day from la bdig-
neur-one accessory is absolutely indis-
pensable. 1mean the long flannel cloak,
which it would be to offend the plainest
proprlety not to wear from the moment
the bather leaves her cabin until she is
ready to plunge into the sea then the
cloak is thrown off, to be Immediately
donned again on leaving the water.
Sometimes the beach is literally strewn
with these cloaks. Each claims her
OVID, and never heard of a misappro-
priation. To dispense with these cloaks
warm and dry after leaving the sea-
and to run along this sands exposed to
the wind in dripping bath-dress would
be considered piece of imprudence in
hygienic sense, and to dress and go
away without having first equalized the
circulation by the use of the hot foot
bath would be looked upon as sheer
madness only worthy the barbarity of
attendants keep all buttons, strings,
etc., in perfect order upon the bathers'
costumes, and it is considered necessary
to thoroughly wash away in fresh water
every trace of the sea for the proper
preservation of bathing costumes. It is
true that many American ladies here at
the Branch have their own bathing cos
tunes, but these are almost invariably
made of dark flannel, and no effort at
coquetry is attempted.
Learning to Swim in a French Bath.
ing-house.
The baigneur of the gala dress, hold
ing lad on the end of cord, is wordy
and severe in his instructions, consist
ing of a running something after the
following fashion:
"Listen we'll, young man. Cut the
water with your closed hands straight
before you, then separate them swiftly;
draw up your legs, heel to heel sepa-
rate and strike out are you ready 1t is
well, let us begin. Now, then one, two;
one, two one, two"
The baigneur, counting for each
movement as he walks along the plat
form, and occasionally holding a pole
before the swimmer to give him conr-
age, resumes:
"Ah, Monsieur, that is not the way
to do it =; let us begin again. Now for
it, courage. Strike out ; one, two," and
so on, the lad making strenuous efforts
to grasp the receding pole, for the pos
SCISSOR only let's him catch it when he
shows disposition 10 sink, which he is
never allowed to d. completely, as be-
ing too demoralizing. An occasional
gulp of water and the continual ha-
rangue from overhead, are discour-
aging, and the boy is dazed half the
time and does not know what he is about;
then the master asks him where his
courage is, and ventures the opinion that
he is q wet hen, this being the equiva-
lent of our muff The father of tie lad
often stands by and watches this opera
ton with tender solicitude, and when
thu Offspring comes out of the water
chances are that the father and son EN-.
brace each other with effusion. 70 an
American who has been learned on the
end of board, or been thrown into
deep water, yet untaught, and allowed
to get out as best he can, this system of
ropes, belts and professorship is
singular.-4l6ert RhOdes in Scribner.
Honors to the Departed Statesman.
An order has been issued by Commo-
dore Ammon, acting secretary of the
navy, directing, in pursuance of the pres
ident's order announcing the death of
ex-President johnson, that the ensign
at each naval station and of each vessel
of the United States navy in commission
be hoisted at half mast from sunrise to
sunset, and that guns be fired at inter
walls OF half an hour from sunrise to
sunset at each naval station, and on
board of flag ships and of vessels acting
sinplY on day of funeral, where this