The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-08-06
SEASIDE SIGHTS.

IN. Il. Spencer.
.
SEASIDE SIGHTS.
sPLAsllING BEAUTIES AND sCANTY TOLL
ETTES AT CAPE MAY.
Bathing in the surf here at Cape May
has become science. The bathing hour
Is the most interesting part Of the day. A
society belle, if she hasn't form to boast
or, never ventures into the water, but stands
on the beach and watches her more fortu.
nate sister and makes fua of her Cane
May is different from other watering places
along the coast. At Concy Island every
body tumbles into the surf, and there is no
particular attempt to attract attention in
the way of bathing dresses. Atlantic City
is much like Concy The place is too near
the city and the fare is too cheap, and so
at Atlantic there is always an indiscrimi
nate crowd. Here at Cape May it is diff
ierent. Here we look for style. The blue
bloods from Philadelphia are here. The
Baltimorcans swear by Cape May and r.
coSnlze no other Watering place. The
Southern people arc beginning to come
again as they did before the war. Very
few New Workers comparatively get as far
South as this, but the hotel registers show
fair sprinkling of names from Chicago
'nd Cincinnati and Pittsburg. From II
o'clock till | and even later, everybody is
upon the beach or in the water, and then
tho iuu begins. There is the greatest ri
valry between tho bellies in the way of bath
ing dresses.
There is every difference in the world
between Walnut street mansion and
Cape May hotel. At home the young girl
would think it sin to show to the vulgar
eyes even the tips Of her tiny toes. Here
her chief object is to get herself up for the
bath In manner which shall set off her
rounded ankles and limbs and her entire
form to the best advantage But, bless
you nobody thinks anything OF that. 1t
is quite the thing. Everybody expects it
and everybody looks for it, 1t is amusing
to witness the mctamorphosis which every
girl is bound to 90 through if she stays
here any length of time. At first she will
come ON to the beach in a very modest man
ncr: hurry into the surf and hurry back to
the bath house, afraid that some one will
sec her. Her bathing dress of dark blue,
tastily trimmed with white, is buttoned up
close about her pcarly neck, and the sleeves
reach to her wrists. Her blouse, buck led
ab'ut her waist, falls below her kuccs ,, while
the pantalets, or pantaloons, or whatever they
are termed fall from under the blouse away
down to her ankles, where they arc closely
tied. But this don't last long the sleeves
gradually get shorter, the pantalcts lose an
inch of their length every day, until they fall
no further than the knee Then comes
the rivalry between the girls for beautiful
and costly stockings. Bcautifully.workcd
fabrics which cling closely to the limb are
sought for. The girl now spends the entire
morning in preparing for the BATH and
when this stage is reached the mctamor-
phosis is complete. She cannot bear that
any other girl shall display more style in
the water than she can, and her life is made
miserable in consequence. The bathing
hour comes and the beautiful sea nymphs
parade up and down the beach in their
bathing attire, and of course they attract
attention, but that is just what they arc
aiming at. Their white arms glstcn in
the sun. They step into the water and
start back with MY! it's SO coldv' But
1T isn't. That is only a rusc Their first
object is gained. The incoming breaker
has mostcned the beautiful stocking until
it almost becomes part of the limb itself,
so close does it cling. Then the girl pa
rades up and down the beach with her lover
who holds Il tri,colorcd sun umbrella over
her head, and enjoys the sensation she is
making. 1t may seem immodcst away from
tho scashorc, but no one thinks it is here.
1t is nothing for girl to spend the entire
bathing hour on the beach. 1t was only
yesterday that Baltimore belle attracted
considerable attention by her beautiful dress
and fine form, which she never moistened
even with the spray. She was a blonde of
the most pronounced type. Her bathing
dress was cut low enough to display the
whitcst and roundcst of white, round neck
Her arms were bare to the elbows, and her
silk embroidered stockings set off her finely
turned ankles and lllegs. Her head was
covered with n dainty seaside hat, from be.
meath which hung her wealth of light hair
down below her dress. She was the belle
Of the beach for the moment, Tor everybody
turned and looked 1t her. How tho dear
creatures in the water cnvicd her How
the dear creatures on the beach shrugged
their shoulders and said spitcful things of
her! 1t was truly amusing, and the girls
were in misery until the fair stranger dis
appeared within the hotel Some of these
same dear creatures are expert swimmers.
but when they come out of the water they
don't always look as sweet and charming as
they did when they onto-cd. 1t is easy
enough for girl to get herself up in fine
style for tho bath, but it isn't every girl
that can retain her form when she leaves
the waves. A girl must have pretty good
shape to be able to Withstand the rayages of
tho surf of Cape May. With tho beach
fairly lined With pretty girls, do you wonder
that it is an attractive place? A thousand