Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-02
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
Scenes at the Seaside-Theatrical Matters
The Hardships Of Chiid-Iife-The Gay
World, etc.
Special Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR.
NEW YORK, Sept. /, 1852

"Reddy give me a bonnet"
sYes'm.-
The newcomer was plump woman with broad
shoulders and contracted waist. She wore an
eSthetc dreSS-green lizards on yellow back
ground, and a summer hat, the brim OF which
aened the sun. Her hair was yellow, and worn IN
great coil at the back Of her head. What was
she? We concluded from the way she carried her.
Seif ana her free manner OF speaking that she
was an actress Reddy was a red-haired freckied
faced youth in attendance at little shed where
jamaica Bay. row or bathing houses stretch
along the edge OF the water at some distance,
superlntend ed and kept in order by "Tom," a
grSly Long Islander
When our golden-ha,red friend emerged from
the little whitewashed. bath-house she created
sensation in the groups Of spectators and the
bathers sporting in the water.
"Lordln exclaimed Tom making gesture with
broom he held In his hand, "who would have
But 1t wasn't because she was so big, for there
was woman In the water with a waist as big as
it was because there was 50 much Of her plump
body that was not covered up Her cos
tune was Of blue WOODEN serge, and ek-
as a Jersey and was without sleeves 1t
was cut as low in the neck as the dresses some
times worn by society women in the ball room.
The trousers scarcely reached her knees, and were
fringed with narrow strip Of lace. There was
no skirt Our friend Toms remark was justified
In measure by the fact that her form from her
shoulders to her waist instead of being shaped
IKE the letter v, ran straight down In simple
the narrow strip Of sand for admiration her white
arms and shoulders cleaning in the sun. 1 will
say nothing OF her legs. They suddenly swelled
TO TOO great proportions to be lkened to those OF
goddess. Then she ran boldly into the water, one
OF the spectators remarkfng that she was SWIM
mer. as no woman would go, In like that IL she
were not She was swimmer She appeared to
be as much at home in the water as Prof. Blbero,
| the man-fsh, and was proud OF her accomplish
ment. There was so much strength in her arms
that she carried her shoulders well out OF water
Now and then her feet flashed In her wake like the
shining tail or a fish, When a great steamboat
came up and discharged its passengers she swan
to some boats moored TO the pier and clambered
into them, where she raised her great knees to her
chin and folded her arms around them. From
front view there seemed little LETT OF her bathing
suit but the hat that was tied under her chin.
Her next feat was to swim to the end OF the pier
climb upon IL and walk its whole length with a
crowd OF young men from the city at her heels,
who had just landed from the boat-a quite un-
necessary performance as she made around to the
edge OF the water and waded in again. But she
was unhappy, and said, when she came out, to a
companion, that she would not battle in Jamaica
pay any more; there were only women and chill
dren around.
"Lord! there's me and you," said grizzled Tom,
Winking one eye.
GAY BATHING COSTUMES.
A red-faced woman came down from the Sea
View Hotel in long linen wrapper She was very
Straight-waiSted She ought to have been purs-
Ing up her mouth and smiling. She whispered to
some acquaintance that the wrapper was all she
had on; she would dress when she went back to
Jne MOTEL. HOW many queer things must come to
The knowledge OF Tom and Reddy!
Meanwhile there was a show going on at the
beach where the surf was tumbling in The surf
at Rockaway is much stronger than it Is at Coney
Island, and at high tide all you do is to bangle
from rope. You are swept OFF your feet every
time the waves rush In at you. The beach was
mile and hundreds OF bathers were
| in the breakers. Young women with scant
other up, as Unconscious OF their surroundings as
the children Wading In the spent surf with their
dresses tied up under their arms. Coney Island
even West Brighton) would have been shocked at
| the effrontery OF these young women; Rockaway
! didn't think anything about It.
AT one part OF the beach saw some Of the most
unconventional bathing costumes that ever met
with In all my seaside wanderingS. The waist
was or calico-Just as If this part or calico gown
| had been taken AS for the rest OF the costume a
faithful description requires it to be said that 1t
consisted OF that uncomfortable under-garment
| OF white cotton or linen worn by women In these
cohesive and transparent garments several young
women dangied from the ropes and were bufeted
by the waves and seemed happy. The freedom
and lack OF conventIonality OF RockaWay is its
charm. 1t must be admitted that there is no such
thing as understanding women they are queer
creatures In water and out Of it.
PLAYS AND PLAYERS.
There are to be two openings on Saturday
night-"A Daughter of the Nile," at the Standard
Theater, with the authoress, Laura Don, in the
title role; and ELISA" at the Park Theater, in
which Maggie Mitchell will reappear. AS Miss
Don Is a talented and accomplished woman, great
expectations are entertained OF her play, which is
the first from her pen. The piece In which Maggie
Mitchell is to appear, "ElSa," Is by Charles T.
Dazey, the scenes OF which are laid In the Tyrol
MI. Dazey Is young man. He is the author of
San American King" The new piece to be played
at Wallack's, "Taken from Life" is in rehearsal
but the date for its production has been put for
ward to september g. Rose COehlan will play the
part OF Kate Denby. John Gilbert has not suffi
GENTLY recovered from his recent illness to take
part, ana fears are entertained that he viii be
forced to retire from the stage. II Old John Gil
bert does not act any more, the theater-going
| public will sustain great loss. He is the most
| popular comedian in the metropolis, and perhaps
in the whole country, In his line of parts We are
told that there is less clap-trap in "Taken from
Lite" than there is In "Iouth."" That is good
p0llcemen'S clu bS on horseback, which Is Incl
| dent that can almost be said to be sensational.
steele Mackaye the actor and playwright. Is al
| Square theater, which was his idea, he has been
unhappy, but busy. He is said to have invented a
patent theater chair that disappears from sight
when the play is over, and hit on some new idea
1 1 a railroad Now he Is going to build another
theater IN what has come to be the theater district
between oath and 42d streets The theater will be
original In its construction and embody many OF
Mr.. Mackaye's newest ideas On the balcony floor
| spectators can resort between the acts There
will be picture gallery, in which the esthetc can
stray before or after the play: hotel Will adIoa
the theater, Which. suppose Will become rival
! to the Morton house. AS Mr.. Mackaye has been
silent for some time it has surprised nobody to see
him break out in this manner. II he builds the
alter 1t will likely be succesS-that Is II he has
some one to manage 1t for him. He could no more
manage theater himself than could Harold
Skimpole. -
CHILDREN AND THEIR WOES
The most exciting event OF the week has been
! the Brooklyn Kidnapping case. Children are more
carefully guarded than they have been since the
disappearance of Charley Ross, which is a
blessing to the poor little dears in short clothes
A woman In black, prowling around in search of
unguarded children to carry of with her might
find her opportunity any day In this city, for the
children OF the rich are usually entrusted to nurse
girls and nurse girls are proverbially careless and
densely stupid. The career OF children here born
in the lap OF luxury-strange as it may SCENTS
an unhappy one, as know from observation and
on good authority; for, is there not much more In
child-life than fine clothes and dolls!
TO begin with, children are not usually wanted
In Fifth avenue; and 1t is not natural to lavish af-
lection on what Is so unwelcome. Fashionable
mothers then cons1gn their babies to nurses and
as the children grow older nearly all OF their asSO-
Citations are with servants They dressed in the
morning by servant and put to bed at night by
| the same hands Mama, by the time the children
are up, has gone out for ride, with her pet Doc
ole reposing In her lap I'm fine enjoyment he dear
little doggy OF the morning sun and the fresh air
| l have known OF children OF well-to-do and even
wealthy parents actually suffering for lack of
proper nourishment Mama being out, as have
said, they are compelled to eat cold breakfast
skimp at that, for the cook and servants have