The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-04
HER B4THrNG-sUIT.

The Sort of Thing in Which Fashionable
Women Are to Disgrace Themselves.
New York Letter in Cincinnati Enquirer
For instance, there is my friend Mrs Bronson
Jones who, as CIothide NJ used to be one of
the sweetest, and dantiest and modestest OF
young girls. / called her in the Bronson
Jones mansion, In Forty second street, ard took
luncheon with her AS we sat together in her
sewing-room late in the day, asked her what
the seamstress was making for her.
"A bathing dress, said she.
"A bathing-whatle exclaimed, thinking she
might have meant to say towel. waist, or any
other little thing connected with the bath.
"Dress-a bathing dress for this summer at
Narragansett Pier, she said. in an awfully mat
ter-of-fact way, can assure you.
''Oh. yes, see" said /: Sits for child"
How cutely cutting you are" said Clothilde.
archly; shut you shant moralizeo over me in that
fashion. This is bathing dress that am 60
ing TO wear, and very pretty 1t is, in my opin-,
ion" Then she held it up, and | saw through
it. OF course, / don't mean that it was thin or
transparent enough to see through but saw the
scheme of it, the idea on which it was based 1t
looked like an abbreviation of the famous chemi-
loon that the reformers are always trying to intro
duce, only there was almost no "chemif to it and
precious little loon.' The neckband was meant
to cross the body at the shoulders, but was mazda
with heavy sag toward the middle so that it
almost reached to the waistband, which in turn
was go high as to come just below the arm-pits.
loon" part. 1t was made of navy-blue flannel,
with pretty little light blue bow-knots at the
arm holes and the apertures for the legs 1t
buttoned at the back and a band of light blue
elastic ran in and out of little slashes at the
waistband
"Clothilde!' said I, sternly do you realize
that you five feet two inches high and that
that thing is not two feet long; that your arms
md neck age not to be covered at all IL you
wear It, and your limbs will hardly be any bet
ter OFF,
''Why, my dear Clara, how stupid you are"
my friend exclaimed This dress will be all
right where mean to wear it. shall be as
fully draped as any one on the beach, and that's
the most select beach in this country"
was cross. "Humph!" saiG l. ''Clouhilde,
is fashionable wedlock connected with the black
art that it can change modest girl, such as you
were, into what you will be when you get that
thing on2"
Then Clothilds got cross. too. and said /
was little too--too-boo- hoo-and she wept;
and then the sunshine of her merry nature
chased away the clouds upon her brow and rain,
drops IN her dancing eyes. She tried to prove
to me that she had not been hurt by marrying
by showing me what she called the appendages
of the suit" These consisted of heavy pair of
ribbed navy-blue stockings, reaching above the
knee to point in CON- junction with the legs Of
the tiny bathing suit pair of rubber soled
canvas slippers and a sort Of lace chemisette
to connect the neck with the altitudinous waist
band of the bathing-sult.
There" she said. ''every inch of me except
my arms will be covered you goose"
'All right" said /, I'm old-fashioned, and
belong away off in the back numbers of this
day and generation; but let me tell you that
il you should ever be photographed in that
suit, and cigar dealer should put your por-
trait in his window, Anthony Comstock
would march the poor shop-keeper off to Black
wells Island before you could say JACK Robin
son. And repeat, said, "that either matri-
mony, or fashion, or the times are sadly out of
joint, for two years ago you would have died be-
fore you would have even sought the privacy of
your couch at home in any such attire"
CLARA BELLE.