The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-05-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our regular Correspondent

ceptions, hops, palctl before its black aSphalt
floor, roller skates, music, and gallery crowded
with the bon toi. of the Capitol and few I'M
happy diplomats banishcd from European cen
tres to this frontier. But the skating rink has
had ITS day The weather is too warm for en-
ertion, and the swimming school has usurped
It's place. The objection To all swimming
schools except the surf, is that they are not So
clal Here the ladies sport about in the I'M
mepse tank until II NJ. when they vacatc for
the gentlemen, who take the water during the
afternoon and evening. Your correspondent
occasionally goes to the swimming school but
never officially, and, Of course, never in the
forenoon Little suspecting that he was talk
ing TO one of the profession, whose business is
to give veracious account in writing of all
he hears, the swimming teacher said to me;
n reporter of one of the city papers came in
YESTERDAY to ret the names of the ladies who
patronize the school, but ! would not give him
their names. The ladies who come here would
not like such publicity. Oh, yes. many of
them can swim, but they do not swim rs men
for one reason, because they wear such heavy
bathing dresses. Come into this room and |
will show you some of them. Here is the
swimming habit Of the wife of the proprietor
of the - Hotel. Although she is Il very
stout lady, she swms very well. This pink
costume belongs to the daughter Of Senator
-. She learned TO swim only last sum
mer, but now she can swim entirely around
the basin, and she floats very well, too. Wo-
men as a rule float better than men; it is be
cause their bones are lighter, their flesh mas
less solidiiy and they are more buoyant. Here
is the habit Of Mrs. ---; feel the weight of
it; you could not swim much with that on.
Let me see how Is it? 1t seems to he wrong
side out and mp side down All now | have
it; this is the way il gOeS on. You see itcon-
sists of waist, sleeves skirt and pantaloOns all
in one garment. When the ladies first came
here they had long sleeves to tbclr bathing
dresses bat most OF them have cut them ~,
close up to the shoulder, which gives them II
much treer use of their arms They make
great deal Of noise when they get in the
water, spashing each other laughing and
screaming; four women Will make more noise
than a dozen men" But since great French
man has said that to dine with perfection the
presence of women is inadmissable," | will
parody him by saying that for women to swim
with perfection, the presence of man Is mad
MISSILE, and we will turn to II subject oDyoDos
of dining.
Some ladies Of Washington have been re-
Gently thrown into Il SIMMER and stew OF eX-
citemcnt by the advent Of Il lecturer, who dem
onstrates from the Stage with bdttcrjc& de- cuts-
iHe--thc most useful of all sciences Before
the bright vision has passed away of neat teach
ers and sweet girl graduates" learning to
make coffee, mix omclettes. compound and
bake puddings, it may be worth while to in
qulre into the necessity of this great fuss about
grid-irons, stew-pans, lectures and Harding pins.
It has been the custom of French artists of the
kitchen to deny to Americans the commoncst
acquaintance with culinary rules. OF late
years we nave certainly struggles to east off
some OF our ignorance. Cookery was once an
occult mystery to all but the inmates Of the
kitchen, and well-bred young ladies scorned
acquaintance with the commonest duties of
the cook, but the art of dining in official and
political life has acquired serious proportions.
and there arc matrons in Washington whose
husbands are known by name at least, in both
hcmispheres, who take a keen interest IN their
table, and who do not on state or any prandial
occasion leave everything TO the chet. If that
French gourmand had Il little experience din.
ing in Washington he would learn to say that
:" to dine in perfection the supervisors Of a wo.
man is indispensable" These dcmonstrative
lectures will do much good If they succeed in
teaching us that the basis OF all good cookery
Is cleanliness.
There Is !; wonderful contrast between the
average dowdy American cook, with her dirty
apron and apology for a cap and surrounded
by black saucepanS and greasy dishes, persplr.
ing hugely over an enormous fire. and the nim-
ble-fingered immaculate skirtcd French artistic.
wearing her large snowy hcad.dress, the glis-
tcnlng copper sauccpans of her profession
ranged Systematically over Il compact charcoal
or gas stove. The one is queen in her sphere,
the monarch of all she surveys The other
when she is not too much absorbed III Senti.
mental revcrieS to ignore altogether the fact
that upon her, more than upon all the medi-
cal faculty, depends the health OF "the nation"
or The representative republic of sovereign
states" is engaged in barbarous warfare with
her tools red in the face and as smoky as the
dishes she concOcts, She lays about her heavy
handed and furious with the best intentions,
but her productions are very unsatisfactory
c. A. :.
L. 5 Senator DAVID Davis, Of this state, in
reply to the resolution Of the Democratic Leg
islative caucus approving his speech and vote
on the army bill, sends the following manly
letter:
I-,-,r,.,, ..... ,,.-.. ,,.. II .