Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-24
OCEAN GROVE.
kPicturesque Study Of Life in Community
Full Of Religion, &c.

Gui VI nchSlVHt W.
OCEAN GROVE, Saturday, July o.
II is perhaps as well that Ocean Grove
maintains the integrity Of its bylaws.
They furnish at least distinction, and
there is always class of people who
take q certain comfort in restraints, al
though unhappily these are rarely Of
the class that needs them. No people
could be more innocuous in appearance
than the inhabitants of this place; for
the most part they touch on no side these
IRON bound restrictions. They do not
know how to dance, and have not the
slightest disposition to play cards even
in the closest privacy. They have no
thirst that requires quenching with
beer, nor are they of the type that is
fond enough of salt water to battle on
Sunday or during church. The religious
exercises have still vitality sufficient to
bring them annually together, and the
little town has now large proportion
Ofpermanent summer inhabitants re-
tanning their cottages or their tents.
The architecture is much less smart
and knowing than that of Asbury Park.
The houses are smaller and for the
most part vary little from the print
tive meeting house type, Ornamented
with bristling spiky Porches; although
this years additions reflect Queen Anne
as seen at Long Branch and Elberon.
They are disagreeably close together,
and as large proportion take bOarderS
the neighbOring frying-pans blend their
orders a great part of the time.
Tent life, although much lessened,
still prevails, and rival smartness is
seen in all their appointments. Never
were there more wOndrousty gotten up
pillow-shams and tides than the
parted curtains reveal japanese deeora-
lions, decalcomanie pictures and doubly
dyed paper sunflOwers plaster the inter
ions. The tents hug the Tabernacle
and deep within sound of the preachers
voice. In a way this tent life-withOut
wishing to be irreyerent-iS prolonged
religious lark. 1t allows for a certain
abandon both in dress and in action; it
is a shirt-sleeved sort Of life. There is
nothing which rubs the edges of the
decalogue in man taking off his coat
when he grows too warm dancing, but it
discovers hilarious and reckless frame
of mind. There is not so much differ
ence, after all, in the emotions indie
pendent of the causes from which
they arise At Ocean Grove the sing
ing Ofthe gospel hymns in swinging
accOrd-and the congregational singing
is especially good and inspiring-the
feryOr of the loud amens, and the play
of the breeze among the pines on every
side can set the pulses to as lively throb
rs three fliddles. Nothing could be
more harmless than the play of spirits
let loose. 1t results only in undispriva-
cied antics, if one may beg the use of
Mr.. LOwell's polysyllable-interesting
because unusual in public. An unctuous
deacon was on the beach last evening
accompanied by half dozen females
of his house, where they checked the
untiring prOmenaders with their sports.
This consisted of dragging the weaker
females singly and holding them within
/ reach of the waves until they got their
| feet wet, while the remnant belabored
( his back, and the air was rent by
/ threats strengthened by the salt air.
This playful wrestling often left the
/ feminine division prone on the the
/ beach, an indiscriminate medley of
/ costumes and boots, which got itself to-
( gether In time with the utmost good
/ humOr. And when breathless and
wearied, he walked up and down, his
arm wound round one and another of
| the party-his wife, sister or aunt, in all
probability.
The Saturday night train brings
I here, as everywhere, loads Of men. The
evening walk on the beach that even
| ing is in consequence unprecedent
1 hG hal in no
| wOntedly brilliant. The beach then by
no means illustrates the characteristic
feature Of life at Ocean Grove. The
prssing crowds are then much more
like any other decoroQs, contended and
somewhat commonplace throng, and
/ the moral influence Of the place, like
well-trained police, clears the beach by
| 1870. On Sunday morning, however,
it presents singular appearance. The
older people have filled the Tabernacle;
the children, too young to resist, have
laid down there pals and shoyels and
with shining faces and red noses have
been led thitherward. But the younger
/ people, old enough TO assert themselves,
are not at church. At regular inter-
walls the sand has been thrown up,
leaving gentle hollows in the beach
and making sort of entrenchment.
On such intrenchments is spread cou-
pie of handkerchief; on the summit q
parasol stands like a flag-mast. AL
though the sun is in the east, the para
sol inelines to the west and landward,
and beyond its discreet protection is
seen from the beach two pairs of feet of
assorted sizes, while possibly hutters out
sideways bit of drapery. These sand
mounds and their decorations are so
] regular and numerous that the casual
| promender unenticed to meeting can
only stop in the blazing morning sun
and examine these peculiarities and the
habits Of their occupants, who are US
ually found with elasped hands or en-
gagged in tender quarrels. There is pro-
baby no other place along the beach
where such Notifications Of sand AT such
tlmeare to be found. Even beyond the pa
| vulon which marks the entrance to As
bury Park they cease. Although the two
places In many respects share the same
traits, the young people in the park are
nrtlng In the shade on the piazzas or
singing hymns at the piano. But such
Is the atmosphere of Ocean Grove, and
the limitations which hedge the in
haoitants in some directions and their
compensation in others.
On Sunday evening there Is held
what Is called surf meeting at s
o'clock. The surf meeting is the occas-
son OF the gayest promenade on the
peach walk The most strict observer
ofSunday viii 60 to the surf meeting
and take all the children. The nucleus
OF people gathered about the preacher il
comparatively small, but the good peo-
pie on the outskirts cut short their con-
veHatlon and Join in the hymns and
thus Keep on to the eoat-tail of the
services and satisfy their copsciences
The sight Is stil in q way impressiye
IL the imagination 10 LEFT alone and tha
senses refuse TO take note of the pro-
rsssional ear-marks of the breaches.
Inc idea Is In itself poetieal, and that in
Ss 1uaSy " way: a sort OF liturgy is pre-
began with the twenty-third Psalm the
leader and the audience reading Alter