Delta chief., 1885-08-12
Fantastic Bathers.


Long Branch Corresp ondence Philadelphia Press.
Don't You bathe, Gabrielle?" asked
the pretty Chicago glrl who sits at my
gazed at the sea.
daughter of New York man who made
fortune out of New York chop
house, and is now working like bea-
yer 10 get his family into society.
"Bathe! my dear; and right before those
horrid men! No, indeed. How could !
be so bold?"
"But you used to do it, love-
"Yes, dear. But then it was the
fashion"
"And isn't it the fashion now?"
mo. 1t is almost equivalent to being
fast"
Fast, dear? Then l shall do it. l
am determined to be fast"
"Love, you shock me-"
80! that's nothing. Just wait till
you behold my bathing-suit. | will
knock out anything you see there on
the beach"
Notwithstanding Gabrielle's, depre-
cation, bathing is more generally the go
this season than it has been for three or
four summers, and the girls who in
dulge in it are not fast, either, though
they are bright and hearty. AT one Of
the hotels half dozen young ladies
from a Philadelphia seminary have
formed a swimming club. They wear
a costume, or rather uniform, of sea-
green flannel, edged with lace. Their
stockings are of silk, sea-green, too,
and riped with black. A big black
star Is embroidered on each bosom.
They do not wear slippers. Altogether
the costume is very neat, quiet, and be-
coming. The young ladies are COM
pletely at home in the sea.
One of them, charming brunette,
with big. black, melting eyes, creates q
sensation now and again by swimming
way out beyond the breakers. The
bathing master accompanies her on q
new sort Of rowing machine tha. looks
like two big cigars Joined together by
plank. She amuscs herself occasional
ly by climbing up on one Of these ci-
gars and taking a 'header" into the
deep sea. The feat was accompanied
by so much violence the other day that
the cigars careened and the bathing
master WIS tumbled INTO the water.
The crowd that the girls Material exhi-
bi,ions always gather had double sem
saiion for a moment. But the cigars
righted themselves and the young man
climbed back into his seat. The girl
climbed up, too, and sat beside him,
and she laughed at the show he made in
his dripping clothes until he was moved
to tilt her. head over heels. into the
waves again. She bobbed up all right,
beautiful AS a mermaid, and dashed
him with sprsy while she nonchalantly
dreaded" water. OF course she is the
star of the club. But all the girls are
expert swimmers. They wouldn't run
from wave as big as n ship, and they
don't shrek like Choctaw Indian
when little bit of foam runs over
their dainty toes. They belong 10 the
anti csthctic set. They are sworn foes
of nerves, Mysteries, and cosmetics.
Their eyes are clear and bright with
high health. and their round cheeks.
innocent Of rouge and powder, are as
brown rs the sea-wet sands. Yesterday
Princeton College nan, a brother OF
one of the girls, came down. He did mt
have much faith in the clubs grit.
fancy. He is great athlete and SWIM
mer himself and rather vain Of his ac
complishments. Presuming on his re-
lationship he undertook to guy" the
club. Led by his own sister, the club
sailed for him en- masse. and the maui
ing and ducking that Princeton youth
got will be likely to serve him as a
memory for many summer.