The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-08-17
a BATHING SCENE.
How Ladies' Learn to SWIM in
Rrsnce-And How They Nay
Learn IN Cincinnati.

The sun played hide-snd-seek behind
the light gray-edged. many-shaped
clouds that always in that climate,
ou DAYS even the brightest. soften the
blue OF the sky. and take Oft the
glare Of midsummer days.
Along the sandy beach that received
the whitened column of advancing
waves. the little cabins Of the
bathers stretched away almost to the
shadow Of the cliff ut one end Of tive
beach, shutting out the view If the
otherwise low landscape. and in their
white peakedness suggested not Il
little the playhouse that children
place rather totteringly on the floor.
On the higher ground above them,
some handsome summer residences Of
the rich lookout upon the English
Channel. whose green waters that
dav stretched languidly of to where.
with u strong glass, could be traced
the darkened line on the horizon that
indicated that country 80 widely
separated from France by more than
channel.
| Back Of these handsome houses an
old Normandie village. in all the
quaintness Of massive church towers,
low, shaded houses and winding.
crooked streets, whose worn stones
still resouuded with the wooden
sabots of the simple peasants. was
inclosed IN a green, green country,
that ut last in one direction broke,
in its smiling, into the laugh of some
low hills.
I.anguid was the day, and languid
likewise the scene on the beach.
Seated within the cabin doors or out
in the shade they cast ON the sand
itself, all the people at the resort were
collected for in France at the seaside
they not only dress and undress in
the little cabins they rent for the
season, but stay in them or near
them the livelong day. The women
and girls were working and talking.
or more properly speaking. talking
and working, for with them talking
was the business, and crochetiug or
Embroidery the pastime. The gentle
men were smoking and chatting with
that deliberati,n that renders French
smoking rs mild u sort of occupation
as French tobacco itself.
The rules inc xOrable that regulated
the hour for entering the surf gave
vet half an hour 81 more before the
cries Of My suit. madame. my suit.
would make the beach lively with
the running To aud fro Of small
children, carrying short bathing suits,
and then with presence Of the cos
tuned bathers themselves. Snd,iehly
the door ot the largest and best ap,
p,inted cabins IS thrown open. and
there came forth troop Of girls that,
for French. Were pretty they pass
from the cabin d,or to the waters
edge like fash Of light. and with
one Joyous bound dash into the surf,
and go apparently floating away ON
the waves ~ though horne thither
without any efiort Of their own. Who
are those pretty girls, and how did
they learn tn swim 80 well ? we nearly
I'LL at the same time inquire. We find
they are Parisians. and that they have
learned tn swim ut the swimming
baths in Paris.
Our curiosity about these swimming
baths thus aroused. We, one day on
our return tn Paris, descend the steps
If the great stone quay and, crossing
a woo,ien bridge, found ourselves with.
in one Of the boats anchored in the
Seine.
II was one where women only were
taught to swim. but men As well a
women were in attendance. The boat
being opened over the water, the
river covered the oval center. and al
the sides only what on a passenger
boat would be state-roOms were the
dressing rooms. From the sides steps
led into the river to sloping plank
that extended half across the water.
There handsome parterrie Of flowers
was the pretty signal Of danger that
warned bathers that beyond, and tax
ing in half Of the inclosure. the river
was its natural depth. Ropes traversed
the open space at right angles, and
Auating planks held out their inviting
protection to timid beginners. True
to French surroundings, little room
at the end Of the boat was the ever
present restaurant, at which place
most Of the bathers take coffee before
leaving the bath house.
Paris keeps up several Of these
bathing schools. either exclusively for
women, or those devoting a number
Of hours every week for them. 1t is
considered something unheard Of for
French girls well brought up not to
know how to swim. 1t is an accom-.
plishment ON q par with aud almost
as universal As dancing. 1t is little
curious that nation the least mar
thine Of those most civilized should
be the one to set the almost universal
fashion Of teaching women to swim.
but from early in Nay until in
August. when the fAshionables start
for the seaside. these swimming baths
are crowded With toe most elegant and
fashionable people Of Paris.
Swimming ia not only an accom-
plishment, q most delightful exercise.
but in view Of the recent sound and
river steamboat disasters. whose nc
counts have lately filled columns Of
our papers. it looks as though it were
becoming q necessary precsution for
the travelling public As we'll.
Now. a. women form q part of the
travelling public. it is just Is we'll for
them as for men to learn to swim. In
the recent disaster before referred to,
the proportiouate loss Of life among
women and children was something
yoa .f,,I ~ II tha,a nou~ou I'D