The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-15
SUNDAY AT MARGATE.
The SOIemnity of an English Seaside
Resort.

The SoIemnity of an English Seaside
Resort.
Julian Ralph, in London Mail.
The Margate influence extended about two
miles into the country, in the form OF love
stricken couples on benches beside the
roads. Here a couple there couple-al-
ways a couple to a bench. she niue
younger than she ought to have been, sit
ting bolt upright, listening with sparkling
eyes and parted lips, radiantly happy. he
talking bent over, looking at the dirt, which
he scratched with his stick. Here a couple,
there a. couple, until the solid brick town
and the cramped streets forbade any more.
The town was intensely dun ana quiet,
and nothing in 1t suggested tnat ii was
watering place. Suddenly the houses ended
in a series of joys at the promenade, ana
there lay the sea, sparkling in the sun be-
yond a quiet beach that was edged with
sail boats evidently on shore leave, between
tides, for they reeled this way and that
like drunken things. Behind them myriad
rowing boats, resembling huge brown rats
arrested in full flight. Behind these still
were the ranks of white bathing machines,
which in their turn because each had
pair of shafts appraised like claws, SuS-
gested a regiment of giant shell fishes.
Leading TO all these things were steps, Pc
side which [ read, Bathing ground for
ladies and gentlemen, cd each, or 5S per
Dozen" which seemed TO me suggestive or
the sale of radishes at so much bunch.
All along the sea wall were the people
in a variegated swarm. A gale was blow
ing-one well worth the fare down from
London. 1t made the summer skirts mold
themselves to their WearerS front and whip
and snap like flags, behind; it knocked off
straw hats, bellied out all unputtoned coats
and blew the cries of irritable babies back
into their threats. 1t hurled along heavy
sand like hail. and snapped off the heads
of the waves at sea, million every min
ute.
Just where / joined the crowd there was
a. public performance, but 1t was inherent
from anything ever saw at a gay resort
1t was by a mission band, with a house or
gan and repertory of eXhortation and
hymn singing The, thousands who mad
rushed to the seaside 10 nave a chans ee
and rest from serious things contributed
a handful to this entertainment. When
the preaching began the handful thinned
out, but as the hymns were set TO llght
ard music-hallish tunes the crowds joined
down the walk till the wind blew them out.
Fancying that the Segregated crowd must
have some frivolous purpose in view, hur-
ried ahead The crowd was made up of
couples. IN the London streets you absorb
the idea that each individual English Imam
stands COR rushes about alone, but at Mar
gate everybody had chosen some one else
to tie to. There were sWeethe arting cou-
pies Cumming couples of both sexes hus-
bands and wives and fathers and sons
with now and then q baby TO jar the ar
rangement. Only the policemen were SOL
The crowd came to an iron pier and
turned in till it reached a turnstile and a
tax of I'd. Here, l thought, l shall at last
see the fat woman the four-headed calr,
the roundabouts, the band and the dancing
platform. But once again there was only
the crowd to see and it had only itself TO
enjoy / think now that perhaps some OF
the people paid that %. to see the others
off on the steamers that were forever load
ing up and splashing away. If so, ! missed
this most exciting sport of the day, for
| paid no heed TO the crowds that We're es-
Gaping. 9
photographs, sweets and fruits, and one in
which surgical appliances were advertised
but they were all closed. OF all the queer
fads and tastes | have seen developed at
watering places this for surgical appliances
is the queerest. 1t could not be that the
merchant kept these implements on the
slender chance of having to set and band
age up a broken day of rest, for never was
the dav more safe than at Margate, where
the praying band made the only departure
from the general calm and decorum. left
what | had expected to describe as the
frivolous crowd the pier and joined
what / had supposed would be the merry
/ throng on the promenade. AT the circus,
/ the dance nail, the theater and the switch
/ back railway I asked. Is the place OPEN
| and always got the same reply, No. The
! restaurants. fruit shops, cigar shops and
/ the pubs with their signs out. Open
! for travellers only''-were the only things
except the fresh air, that were doing bust
( ness though a policeman said that the cor
noratioE band would succumb 70 the con
! tagion of suppressed hilarity at o'clock
! and would play sacred music in the park
/ for an hour. AT one place there was q
great broadening of the sands. and here