The Washington times., 1894-08-12
Sports for Women;
Swimming Tourney
Written for The TINEs.l

all cases, out of pure love Of the exercise.
She is usually so constituted that all muscu-
lar performances come naturally and easily
to her. and swimming is no exception. There
may be satisfied feeling in her heart that
she has a fair immunity from death by drown
ing, but that security is certainly not the mo-
tive power OF her aquatic prowess. We OF
the rural districts OF the continent, especially
of those bordering upon the great lakes-for
since the waters of the ocean are colder, the
sea-bathing is more OF the dip and plunge order
are the envy OF the urban young ladies who
| descend upon US in the summer months They
| come from the North South. East, and
| West, with dainty clothing and dainty COM
plexions, with the glory of Solomon in
| bathing suits, and the creations Of Paris In
parasols and novels; with languid airs
and blood freely coursing through their veins.
They return in the autumn with garments
and pink cheeks alike ruined, with sadly
| dimmed glory OF the Partisan effects, but
| with n world of beauty and strength spark
| ling in their eyes and animating every move
ment of their well-browned hands and feet.
| The sort of atmosphere they have been
| breathing is not one in which Dodo and A
| Yellow Aster and freedom can flourish.
| They have inhaled the mysterious perfumes
| of the forest, and have lived on the shores OF
mighty waters. They have glided on soft
moonlight nights in and out of the pale
rocky islands and by day, they have sailed in
| brisk wind and high sea, scudding over
vast stretches OF the blue and white waves.
| But, best Of ALL day out and day in. they have
| been swimming in the cool, clear depth of
| waters, where are mirrored drifting snow
| clouds and tall pine trees. or playing on their
| white beaches when the great waves are toss
| ing their feathery burdens over the shoulders
of maidens and the bare, little legs of the
| babies.
JUST TO SWIM.
Here is the greatest Of earth's physical
pleasures-to swim. To feel the buoyant
water about, beneath. above you; to move
| yourself swiftly through the waves, the water
curling and eddying and moving aside to let
| you pass; to breast the tide and know the in
| toxicating sense Of power over the waves; to
| ride securely on their surface. while the great
| cruel force beneath lies defeated and harm
| less. Oh, the joy of it all, and the fun OF it,
| OF course, it is useful and good thing to
know. but my experience of the summer girl
| is that the utility of anything she undertakes
| in the line OF exercise Is the last thing that
| occurs to her. She has mind intent on
| pleasure. Consequently her aquatic dispoil-
| ing comes under the head of her summer fun.
| Swimming. not being presented to her
| in the line OF work or anything i'm
proving, SetS Her extensive attention.
| The regular summer girl knows a few things
| about swimming. She has been busy learn
| ing them from babyhood. All of her sum-
| mers have been spent near the water and
| she does not remember when she learned to
| swim any more than when she learned to
walk. 1t is probable that. in many cases, the
two efforts were simultaneous | know sew
eral girls who are now famous swimmers
whose early beginnings were of the period
OF farinaceous food and primitive monosy-
tables. Often, an enterprising father or elder
brother will tie rope about the little one,
and drop her into deep water, telling her 10
kick like the froggies.''
l don't remember that the mothers are ever
active, or otherwise participants in these in
iatory exercises. But the results are highly
successful. and this is why our lake watering
places abound in capital girl-swimmers.
THINGS TO REMEMBER.
Quite early in the summer the training for
the August tournament begins, and the girl
who has an eye on the various trophies re-
members several things. That she must take
her swimming regularly. and increase her
speed and distance but slightly each day.
That she owes her good stroke to expert
teaching, and that self-taught often waste
much strength and get poor results
That colds result from gradually getting
wet, and that, therefore, the plunge must be
immediate.
That ii is suicidal to keep head and should
ers above the water.
That an alteration OF breast swimming
floating, the side-stroke, and back swimming
exhausts less than one continuous motion.
That the best hour of the day for her swim
is at II a. m. This being the regulation two
or three hours after meal. and leaving
plenty of time for the more or less elaborate
hair-curling, dressing, and lounging before
lunch.
That her breathing must always be done
through the nose, and the air expelled while
making the stroke.
That good swimming is done very quietly:
the less force expended on splashing and
change of motion the more she has for the
stroke.
That slow but steady. and with regular.
deep breathing, is her motto.
That the buoyancy of salt water makes it
desirable that beginners should start at the
ocean; an incidental benefit being that the
bitter taste of the water makes them keep
their mouths shut, and thereby breathe
through the nostrils.
That the one thing to be desired is conf
dence. and the one thing to be avoided is
recklessness.
ALL ABOUT SUITS.
As rule, the home of the gorgeous bath
ing-suit is further South. We are all too poor
in the North, and too much in hurry to get
all the fun we can out of bathing to clothe our
selves in the raiment and colors and furbe-
lows of the Newport girl. Our swimmers
wear dark blue flannel, for the most part and
II simple, braid trimming of white or red
is its main adornment; the rubber cap to pro-
tect the thick head of hair which does not dry
easily; thin silk or Isle thread stockings
firmly fastened on to the blouse: the combina-
ton of drawers ana blouse high neckod and
no sleeved; short skant skirt-this is her COS
tune. Many girls prefer to swim without
stockings or skirt-there can be no question
as to the practical advantage of this-and, to
this end, do their swimming at those hours of
the day, when the race of man is absent or
smoking out OF sight.
The swimming tourney. or aquatic sports
OF the Northern lakes, is the event of the sum-
merl Thereto our lassies sew the torn braid
on their suits; thereto they fasten the bright
knot at their throat and the new tiny cap on
their curls. Thereto new cloaks, in which to
hide their glories from waiting world until
the preliminary dive is taken. are purchased
or sent from the city. Thereto great prepar-
atoms of invitations and programmes are
made. Then the great day comes. and SWIM
ming and diving races and trials OF all sorts
commence. A small bay or river or lagoon is
chosen, where there is calm water, and
around which, or in boats. the admiring
spectators may gather.
Oh. the splashing and kicking and gay
laughter, the music of girls voices and the
clapping of dozens Of hands, The river is