Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-09-21
Marie Jansen's Bathing Suit.

The tuw:i OF Newtou is one of the oldest
seaport, aioog The New Z gland Coast. 1t
used 20 be prosperous whaling station, but
many years sgo it fell into decay,snd now it is
verlable Sleepy Hollow. This ssmi-com.
atose community was thrown into state
of vast excitement by the arrival OF the ia
NOUS soubrette, who travelled incognito as
Miss Harriet M. Johnson. 1t was rumored
thsl she a. Cuban heiress, but this false
rumor was corrected by the Newton Weekly
Palladium, whose editor bad once Visited
New York on a free railway pass, The
desn which The fascinating soubrette cut
among the man folk Of the community was
Simply awful Her beauty and the splendor
of her attire simply paralyzad the town.
Ezra Hubbard, q wealthy old bachelor, who
cad heen one of the selectmen of the town
for going On IS years, was one of the first to
capituiate TO the charms of the Bloc eyed
opera bouffist, end the young fellows
sWarmed around her like bees In clover
patch.
jansen enjoyed the fuo immensely, but
the summit of her delight was reached one
not Augusi morning when, sttired 10 new
bathing suit, she ssuntered down The beach
and rolled aronnd 10 the surf like young
porpoise. The bathing suit was of black
,iIk, abridged TO an alarming degree, and
made upon 81 economical a pattern az to lit
he wesfer's rolund person most snugly.
ut is delightfully."- Indecent" wrote Mies
Jansen TO her manager in New York.
A. the fame of this remarkable bath
ing costume was waited abroad pilgrims
begsa to arrive in Newton from sve-
ry point along the coast, and even
tbe inland towns sent delegates. Ii is only
| fair to say that most of these delegates were
of the male persuasion. The woman folk
of Newton arose ss one mau and declared
that never in all their born days had they
seen or heard or dreamed of anything 80
awful aud to show the audacious visitor
that they did not approve of her, none
would invite her to occupy our pew with
| US on Sunday"
Those good but indignant danes to the
contrary notwithstanding, the men folk of
,he village insisted that the soubrette was
oaly beautiful, but good, and their vel
dlct was endorsed by the multitude attract
ed by the fame of the black silk bathing
suit The situation became 40 alarming
that the minister of the Congregational
church made up his mind to preach ser
mon about the bathing suit and of the dan
| ger in il, and warning the men folk-youpg,
| midaie aged, old and seDile-Who stood,
| individually and collectively, as the ecce-
sia sticsi phrase has it, at the point of peril.
! But early ems morning the fair Jansen took
her fl gbt- bag, baggage, ecrip, scrippage,
black six snlt and elI-and like Lord Ulln
CampbelI'5 poem, the yoemen ofNewton,
| Mass, were left lamentiug. That night the
fascinating soubrette fl .shed before the foot.
lights of go ungodly play yhouse in New
York, and regaled the brainless dudes With
meaningless ditty entitled "Be Good"
That night did peace brood once more
among the feminine gender of Newton
| Mass. only the men were miserable, and,
when Ezra Hubbard cuts his corn in the fall
be will go to New York to sell it.-Cticago
f! Npirs