Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-06
CAPE MAY GIRLS.
The Bronzed Beauties that Disport
Themselves on the Famous Beach.
lFroln the Won YORK syn.


as proud sun worshipers as the men, but
they have all summer before them and de-
vote themselves as scientifically ana
gently TO the task of coloring their arms
as ever fond smoker lent himself TO the
project OF coloring a costly meeTschaum.
Their faces catch the glare more or less
and yield TO II whether they VIII or no. so
that the result is new race oil girls as
brown as so many Italians and looking,
in the water, for all the world ike the
maidens who In the early days OF whaling
used TO swim out from the green cOyes of
the islands in the Pacific, bearing baskets
of fruit or shells to the chance ships that
anchored in the Ofiings tor fresh meat and
water. They have the advantage OF being
pretty in the first place. There is not
such an overwhelming preponderance OF
beauties here as at Narragansett, but
there are more pretty girls at Cape May
twice over than at Atlantic CITY, Long
Branch or Coney Island. Then again, the
Narragansett girls are more risky and
supple ana mischieyous and froltcsome,
coming as thew do from the newer civil
ization OF the West, while these Cape May
girls have more of the southern stiffness,
born OF ancient traditions of wealth and
superiority and Of present regard for an
cestry. A young girl here is like young
girl anywhere-apt TO take good deal
Tor granted, but a Cape May mamma is
very likely TO inquire about young mans
father and as to whether he has eXpecta-
tons or rich uncles. But the girls here
are Of a melting style, just touched with
the languor OF the South, and their big
black eyes Cor deep blue ones here and
there) are such wondering, innocent,
liquid orbs that healthy young man
would give his boots to have them turned
upon him as he sees them turned upon
those they love and admire.
But to a close observer it seems a great
wonder that the girls should not tan their
legs rather than their arms, for then the
undress at the beach would not conflict
with the full dress in the ball rooms, as at
present. one young woman was heard 10
say that she had brought down 5000 ball
dress and could not wear ii. Because"
she said, "my arms are black and my
neck is white, and look ike an exhibit
at dime museum in my low-cut Dress"
Sne missed good deal in not displaying
her pretty gown, for slow neck" is all the
rage here al the best hotels, and good
many OF the deeply Drowned madens pre-
sent strange sights with their dark
Threats and white chests. This accounts
for the very general custom OF appearing
in lace OVerdress, a notable feature at
gowns of white MORE are fitted over
dresses of white or black lace, usually
with sleeves to the wrists. Something
like three women in five, married and sim
gle, wear these overdresses. Some wear
them cut out Ia front, so as to be used
for full decollete, or, by folding nec6eT-
chief so that the ends reach below the
corsage, only partial display OF a pretty
white throat is accomplished. Girls wear
full dress here at more tender ages than
anywhere further up the coast-some of
them at such an age as to rob the pretty
custom of its chief charm.
A singular usage here Is the habit the
women have of going to the oath houses
in wrappers. At breakfast at the Stock
ton ali the ladies' are in full costume,
usually in white flannel or cOlOred cash
meres. Thus attired they embellish the
great piazza, reading their novels and
listening to the band that plays almost
constantly there. By half-past IL O'Clock
they disappear in their rooms and pres
emily come flutterlDg down in loose and
breezy wrappers OF calico, all decKed
with ribbons and bows.
AS soon as tae ladies at other places
read of this novel costume it will be gen.
orally adopted, it has so many advan-
tages TO recommend 1t. In the first place
ii affords an excuse for an extra change
OF attire; next, great many ladies look
very pretty in wrappers, and wrappers
show pretty forms of very well. Last of
all and least of all, putting on wrapper
to facilitate the toilet in a bath house
after the bath is very sensible thing
to do.
The young woman who has hired her
suit aud towels enters her little house and
finds its interior 10 be a pretty room of
vanished pine. She hangs her wrapper
on one of the pegs overhead and puts her
collar, Guns and corsets on broad shelf
over tie sea-, on which she may rest
comfortably while removing her shoes
and stockings. A large mirror near the
door will especially delight her. When
she finds herself in the condition of the
lady from Richmond, who called out from
her room to her husband yesterday that
her suit was too small and what could
che do, ''standng here in nothing but my
hat and stockings" the fair batber may
turn 30 the suit she has hired.
Ii she Is Narragansett Pier girl she
Will be sorely disappointed, Tor the suit is
certain TO be pretty long In the legs, the
skirts and the sleeves. But If she balls
from anywhere else she will be content,
for it Will prove TO be the regulation blue
flannel affair that is as uniform in cut
and length all up and down the coast out
years ago had ordered that one garb for
all VINO seek the cooling edges OF his 40
man. Cape May is especially conserva-
tive In that respect. There are many
pretty private suits to be sure but they
only diner from the public ones IN being
a little shorter in the skirts, in having
white yokes let into the blue flannel from
the neck 10 the Rose Elizabeth bust line,
IN having the sleeves cut very short, and
quite often in having scolloped edges TO
the trousers and the bottom of the skirts
the scollOps being trimmed with white
braid. The prettiest and most novel suits
seen here are complete outfits of black
shirt, skirt, stocking and head kerchiefs
all being alike. Jersey waists are used
for these, and the trousers are cut TO tit
as nearly Ike paint upon the wall as pos
sible.
1t would be very pertinent FOR some
one 10 inquire how this knowledge about
the - Of the trousers is acquired. The
fact rs, then, that not even at Narragau-
sett Pier is there SO much freedom of be-
havior on the beach as at Cape May. 1t
is perfectly innocent aud natural, and
perhaps that il why IT seems so eXtraor-
binary, for one does not catch women
being natural at every place, by a long
sbot. The pretty girls on this beach
think nothing at all Of exhibiting their
trousers. They come out OF the water
by the dozen at a time with their skirts
crumpled mp in their little brown hands
while they are wrlnging the water out Of
them, and thus engaged they walk up
and down the sand with their escorts.
Id sN.g