The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-07
HOW A GREAT MAN BATHES.
New York's Shapely ex-senator al
the Mercy of Briny Breakers.
philadelphia Press. ]

beach q few days ago one OF the
most remarkable and beautiful spec
tacles afforded by modern civiliza-
ton. Shall be forgiven for report
ing it? Say, rather, should | be for
given for not reporting it? MIR.
Conkling has been for several weeks
a guest at the Oriental hotel. lie
spends the day in town hard at work
over the papers that come TO him as
one of the rising corporation law
yers of the New York bar Then he
runs and catches the crowded 4:l0
boat for Bay Ridge and the beach.
He sits on a stool in the bow of the
steamboat and removes his hat, al
lowing the breeZes of the bay to toy
with his chestnut and silver curls.
One evening last week, half an hour
before the sun went down, there
was a movement OF people toward
the place where the Oriental bathCrs
enter the water. The stir was so
unusual, and the spectators so EVIL
IDENTIFY interested in some object
upon the sands, thai L lett a COM
Portable seat and made my way to the
palings. The eyes of all spectators
were directed, not to the water, but
to a solitary fig''re that had just en-
erged from the oathiug pavilion and
was standing at the edge of the
ocean in the attitude of a Greek god.
Shall describe his bathing suit?
He wore Close fitting tunic of
diagonally stri ped blue and white
material, cut rather decOllete, and
with short arms that left exposed
fully one-half of the biceps. Breech-
es of the same striped material came
just below the knees ; his calves glis-
tened in the slanting sunlight; his
pink feet patred the warm sand one
after the Other-shapely feet, which
might well have made the Rev, DIR.
Deems falter in his belief that the
feet of the late Commodore Wander
bilt were the most beautiful ever
seen. In the case of the Oriental
bather, perhaps, the heels were
trifie long for the requirements of
the severely classic standards; but
they were not excessively long, and
as he stood erect upon the sand they
seemed to lend additional stability
TO his pose, guaranteeing to the eye,
as it were, that he should not tumble
backward, A ridiculous straw bon
net covered his head, partially con-
cealing the features from view. This
useless and disfguring appendage,
however, was soon discarded. An
involuntary murmur of admiration
ran through the crowd when the
straw hat was flung aside, and
wealth of chestnut and silver locks
were abandoned to the amorous
south-south-east wind.
We now saw the figure advance
into the water with superb march
like that up-and-down motion of the
fore legs of housekeeping steed,
which the French called p1qfer. He
paused when the cold water struck
his ankles, and for an instant seemed
disposed to draw back. The spec
tators waited breathless. The faces
of the bathers at the ropes were all
turned toward the newcomer.
What would his decision be? Would
he retreat, resign, abandon the en-.
terprise, or would he display a ply
steal courage equal to his physical
beauty and push right on, up to his
knees, up to his hips, up TO his chin,
up to his curl if need be? Suspense
was not OF long duration. AT that
moment the sun flashed out from be-
hind fleecy cloud that had tempo
rarily obscured it; Gilmore's band,
some hundred yards away, struck up
lively march; a Combing wave
swept in and caught the hesitating
Apollo to its bosom, rolling with
him over and over ON the sand leav-
ing him surprised, but not discomfit-
ed, stranded in two feet of water, his
features set now with the determine
ton to venture all, his curl dank,
but not demoralized. Then, fol-
lowed by the partially suppressed
applause of the increasing crowd of
spectators, be slowly rose to his
hands and knees and finally to his
feet, and with a movement quite as
stately and little more cautious
than before, pushed his way toward
the nearest rope. 1t was a magnifi-
cent exhibition of intrepedity -
physical manhood in action, battling
with the element. Slowly and more
slowly he proceeded, as he got in
deeper and deeper. Every incoming
wave he confronted with a WELL
squared breast, pausing and care
fully balancing himself for the en-
counter. His legs were out of sight
now, and the proportions of his torso
were not fully distinguishable but
even when nothing was visible but
his head and shoulders, the dignity
of his carriage was still apparent.
The graces OF his entire person
seemed TO have assembled in that
part of him which was still above
water.
When he reached the rope he laid
hold of it with both hands, the bath
ers in possession respectfully making
way for him. After awhile the bold
est of them approached and seemed
to be giving him advice of some sort,
probably ill regard to bobbing. He
heard them courteously, but without
encouraging further familiarity, and
persisted in his own management of
the case. His method was to bob
while the crest of the wave
was still some yards away, and
thus he tncountered the force otthe
water under disadvantageous con-
ditions. In fact, he brought up
with kick, splash, and a splutter
every time. Before long it seemed
to strike him he was probably in too
deep. A little further to the east
and a little nearer the thickest
throng of spectators (many ladies
had by this time pressed their way
to the brink of the bulkhead, at the
risk of thorough wetting) there
was another rope wholly unoccupi-
ed. To gain this it was necessary to
venture across at least dozen yards
of foaming brine, where the depth
was fully two feet and a-half; and
the wind, which had hauled off
point to the eastward, was blowing
with increased freshness. Never
theless, the passage from one rope to
the other was courageously under
taken. The drum major of the twen-
ty-second regiment could not have
waded along in front of the specta.
tors more majestically or with more
perfect selfpossession under the
embarrassing gaze of SO many eyes.
He had discoyered by this time
what he must do to preserve his
balance when the waves struck his
legs. The passage, no doubt,
would have been accomplished
in a triumphantly. successful
manner had not the no.
tice of the adventurer been attract
ed by the well meant but untimely
salute of an acquaintance ON shore.
He paused to smile and to wave bis
hand. and in fnlfillinv this sociaI oh