St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-17
Our New York Letter.

L shall not be able to write you any
letter this week, and as such an irregu-
larity demands an explanation, l will
make clean breast of it and apologize
briefly for my short-cOming. The fact
is | don't know what has been going on
here, for during most of the time since
my last, have been by, in and under
''the sad sea waves" whose glorious
roar has filled my ears to the utter eX-
cluson of the city's clatter. 1 had
about made up my mind to stay in the
traces through this summer, in a staid
and business-like manner, but the facts
were against me. The weather was
warm here and l knew it. "Our set"
wrote up from the sea-shOre of bracing
days and refreshing nights, such as
make a man Il terror at the board
ing-house table, and white-topped
breakers that wash headache and
the "hypos" out of body and mind.
This put strain on my fortitude which
the urgent proposition of a friend, that
we should ''shake the shop" and seek
this inviting spot finally broke down
and surrendered at discretion. Once
out of the path of duty, our downward
course was fearfully rapid; so much so
that by the time we were fairly seated
in the cars and whirling along the
length of Long Island, | really do not
believe that the news that New York
was burning up or had been suddenly
swallowed up by an earthquake would
seriously disturbed our serenity, or so
much as suggested an interference with
our plans.
don't propose to tell where we went,
any further than that it was OH the
outer shore of the island, where the
long rollers in endless procession, break
slowly and heavily as though wearied
by their unbroken journey across the
Atlantic, and where miles of hard,
white beach offer attractions to wearied
humanity, to which, as it seemed to me
the combined allurements of inland re-
sorts should form no serious cOmpeti-
ton. Neither do | intend to give you
IL record of our stay there, except as
far as it may seem proper to amplify
this apology, and show you the sort of
things which prevented me from doing
my duty to your readers this week.
Without particularizing them, think
it proper to state that the surf occu-
pied most of our attention, and it was
well worthy of it. The scene on the
beach every morning from ten to twelve
was jolly one. Some hundred or two
of other New Workers than ourselves
had found out the quiet little place, and
at the hour first above named, most of
them would come trOOping down from
the town which lies nearly two miles
from the ocean, pressing into the trans
pOrtation service every sort of vehicle
which it has entered into the heart of
man to construct-buggies, carriages,
carts, spring Wagons, farm wagons,
and what not, in rafting procession,
each Il banquet of humanity, with men
for the green portions, and charming
girls for the roses, fuchsias, heliotropes
and other sweet blossoms dd Ebitunl.
Come to look over my botanical smile
here, | find it somehow doesn't read
very fiatteringly to my own sex, but as
| haven't time to stop and fix it now |
will let it go merely requesting your
fair readers to give me proper credit
for the comparison. Well as [ was say
ing, a fun-lOving crowd soon accumu
lated on the sand, and at once proceed
ed to the various business of the day.
The older folks spread their shawls and
sun umbrellas, the children got out
their miniature pals and shOvels and
Hl,n., oh.
a ridiculous similarity to chignOn be
hind them, rush shoeless and stocking
less for the wet sand, and then and
there perform such complicated feats of
civil engineering in the way of mounds
trenches and Notifications as would
greatly astOnish West Pointer. The
residue and larger part of the company
make for the line of pine bathing shan
ties, in the background and are lost to
view. Their absence is brief, but,
shades of our ancestors what trans
formation does it suffice to produce, es-
pecially among the fair creatures
Nary an artificial charm now. Nary a
a fiOunce or furbilO, or bit of lace, or
neat boot, or pretty hat to intensity the
attractions that exist or supply the
place of those that nature has withheld.
Only Tapping bag of blue flannel,
topped with an oil silk bag for the hair
unless, indeed the greater part of the
latter is left in the bathing house-deck
the form which so lately bewitched the
observer. But there is one advantage.
All look about alike and nobody cares
for looks anyway; especially, when,
after the necessary amount of trying
the water with many retreats and deli
cate little screams, all hands are fairly
in old Neptune's embrace, and have
all they want to do to attend to his ca
resses.
But right here l desire to pervert a
possible misrepresentation. You may
think from my remarks upon the ap-
pearance of the young ladies when
rObed for the sea, that l myself looked
real pretty in my bathing clothes. But
| did not. l make this statement with
some confidence because my conclusion
in the matter is not based on my own
unsupported opinion. l got a good
deal of volunteer testimony on the sub
ject from my friends, and it was all so
direct and uniform in affirming my re-
semblance to a scarecrOw in the rain,
that see no ground to doubt its cor
rectness. But however that may be,
the Atlantic did not appear to mind my
costume, but as soon as l got within its
reach, picked me up, turned me over,
tumbled me down on the sand and
roared its "HOw are you 2" with hear
ty but somewhat displaced cordiality