, 1889-09-12
A BEAUTY IN THE SURF.
The Costume OF Ex-Secretary Belk-
nap's wife.

The Costume OF Ex-Secretary Belk-
maps wife.
Mrs. Belknap, says the Brooklyn
Eagle, while her husband was sqrretary
of war, was tall, striking lrunette,
with q superb presence, handsome
face and dashing manner. 1t was said
that her bath dresses were startling
decolette, and some of the ladies OF the
| capital who did not possess Mrs. Belk-
maps special charms of figure talked so
much about her gowns that the Wash.
ington correspondents took the matter
self much talked of woman. Notwith'
standing. all this Mrs. Bclkuap was
popular in society and her receptions
were largely attended. She also had the
reputation of having the most beautiful
foot of any woman In Washington.
| After her husbands political eclipse
Mrs. Belknap retired with her daughter
into private life on the continent and re-
remained in Europe ten years educating
her children. Last March 1T the in
auguration of President Harrison, Mrs.
| Belknup and her daughter, who Is II
blonde of some eighteen summers, oc-
cupied rooms at the Arlington hotel and
were to be seen every night III the dining
room, arrayed In evening dress. Old
I lll'INlS VI '''ntIui itEuiN'u NliN
pair with conrideral interest and they re-
marked with pleasure that time had
dealt kindly with the elder lady. and
| that, with the exception OF an added
stoutness, which was not unbecoming,
Mrs. Belknap was as handsome as ever.
On the 10Th of July the sleepy clerk
at the Oriental hotel Concy Island, was
of his two-carat diamond shirt pin by
the news that upon the evenings train
| from New York Mrs, Belknap, daughter
and maid would arrive and that the best
rooms in lie house We're to be placed at
at their disposal. From that day to this
| Mrs. Belknap has been summering ut
| the Oriental and has held her own place.
| No sooner does she leave her room for
| the bathing pavilion between the Orien-
| tai and Manhattan Beach hotels than
! there is quiYer of excitement about the
I place. The male guests of both hotels
| betake themselves in body to the beach,
and even the ladies, although they will
not own it are interested. 1t Is not 50
much the way that Mrs Belknap bath.s
| that interest these idler's of u summers
day, but it is the clothes. or rather the
| lack of clothes, that she bathes IN, I'M
til saturday last the wife of the cX-seore-
tary has worn at the bath u startling cos
tune of white and red. II was striped
affair, showing her perfect form in all
its graceful curves-n little low necked,
sleeveless bodice, and u very short
of. The ladY's lower limbs were
incased in silk tights. The effect
was startling as she dashed through the
waves throwing herself upon the crests
with all the wild abandon ora water
nymph. Tho bald headed old gentle
man in the surf almost chuckled with
delight, and tough weather beaton, John
aN.. Il d. ~ Ia.
Manhattan bathing pavilion for several
years could hardly believe his eyes. lie
took oil his glasses, rubbed the sea fog
off them, looked at the fair bather again,
and theh acknowledge that lac had never
seen any thing to equal her before
10 an Eagle reported Mr.. keogan
said; You may talk about your Fer
Rockaway or Cape May bathing costums,
but | will uct that there n not one in the
Country tina, can match the one worn by
Mrs. Bclknap. 1t would not take more
than one and one-quurier OF of yard of
/ goods to make the whole affair
The ladies who saw Mrs Belknap dis
porting herself in the waves did not,
however, seem TO admire her costume
as much as the men. The latter said
that the women were jealous of her.
/ However this may be, The talk about
the Oriental hotel was started, and it
has been getting more Und more crti-
cal. The male visitors all took the part
of Mrs. Bclknup; the women We're all
against her Bcinga woman Of energy
and courage, Mrs. Belknup has contin-
ued to bathe in her wonderful striped
costume, with the abbreviated sleeves
and the still more abbreviated skirt.
She made up her mind that she would
not let the gossips gain q victory over
her and almost won the ligut but Mrs.
Belknap's daughter, who is q very bcauti-
full and accomplished girl, did not relish
the notoriety which her mother was at
tanning, and persuaded her to throw aside
the objcctional bathing suit and wear
one less conspicuous Tho naughty Blue
Grass beauty did not like to give in, but
sho ut last consented to Weld to hei
daughters wish, and this morning the
bald-headod old men who paid 10 cents
each for the privilege OF seeing Mrs.
Belknap battle were reduced almost 10 u
state of desperation. She appeared on
the beach in II dark blue costume of the
usual seaside style. The women whC
found fault with Mrs. Belknaps striped
suit were smiling and happy when an
Eagle reporter visited the bathing pavl.
ion at Manhutten Beach. This morning
one slight and delicately built girl oi
about forty summers, and heaven knows
how many hard winters, said to com
panion in the hearing of the scribe;
"Oh, you Just ought To have seen hei
other dress; it was too horrible for any
I l.t