The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05
DECORUM AT THE SEASIDE.
ENGLAND ENGAGED IN 4 DEBATE
ABoUT BATHING CUSTOMS.

ABOUT BdIhLN" OOoAO"S.
.--.r,,,,r Features or bathing at Some Sea-
IA. Resor . In En~Einnd-True and Fniso
woae.t,-An Anecdoto or the Qucen-ns
prerd tho stan or Llrei Asks MIR. O'Connor
1oxpoS. Aug. 27.-False modesty, dis
,,,.sd In detail, is apt to prove q broad subject
In more senses than one. 1t is the topic which
has h,en selected, nevertheless, for tho annual
,rmmer debate in the correspondence columns
~ the London journal that always makes q
sentiment feature Of 80. called silly season dis
~, NON The text was furnished q fortnight
AGO by n regulation issued by the Harbor Com
coi.sioners OF Broadstairs, forbidding bathing
from tents on the beach at that favorite resort
The average American visitor at the seaside
uould be utterly at a loss TO discover the rdtson
Sytrs for such an edict, and 1t requires some
refereuce TO Mrs. Grundy s antecedents to ex-
Main Il, The practicc thus forbidden. DO 1t
understood. is simply the use OF a tent on the
beach for a dressing room. from which the
bsther emerges in ample bathing costume, and
N which he returns after his plunge. 1t Is this
outrage upon English 'modesty" which Is no
longer 10 be tolerated at Broadstairs.
n IA only within very recent years that this
and similar innovations, all included within
Tho term mixed bathing" used to describe tho
oyil. have been permitted at any respectable
seaside resort in England. Sea bathing has
been permitted only from properly constructed
bathing machines, and then only with the sexes
widely separated. The bathing machine is .
ANAL cupboard or dressing room mounted upon
hirh wheels. The victim, or bather. enters the
continuance, which is then pushed or pulled
into the water to a depth OF about two feet The
occupant, when properly clad in bathing cos
-. - lAor ,vhs,h foNoa vro rI and
plunses into the water. He or she must on no
account come nearer shore than the door Of tho
machine. That would be scandalous. The
bath finished, he re-enters the little box and
shouts for tho attendant to come with his
horse and drag the thing to dry land.
Such Is the sad way in which English men
and women have enjoyed this form Of pleasure
until the influence Of American and Continen-
tai example has como in to corrupt their NOR
ais. The local authorities at many places with
IN q few years have weakly permitted such
gross intrusions upon the high decorum es-
tablished by Mrs. Grundy as that mentioned
at Broadstairs to go unrebuked. II the thing
had been allowed to go on unchecked, it might
even have come to pass that bathers Of both
sexes would promenade together on the sand
Is they do at Newport and Long Branch. That
monstrous offence against the proprieties has
been averted for the present season at all events.
But the discussion which has grown out Of
the agitation of the subject has developed
some curious and even startling features. Who
would have believed, for instance, that there
existed In Strait-laced, Puritan England, q spot
where such o custom obtf ms as that described
IN Q letter TO which the Daily Telegraph gives
prominence to-dayi The following descrip-
do: has left the average Londoner almost
breathless after its perusal:
let me take you to a place, q lovely water
ing place in Great Britain. l had better not
dive the name, lest your readers should rush
q and utterly swamp the commissariat Gro
te season were over. 1t is a glorious little
naside town. half girdled by the blue waters
4 four bays, each in close proximity, and over.
looked BY the houses and terraces above. 1t Is
The REGULAR resort Of many thousands Of re-
spsctable people, and I have known 'fashiona-
be families to make it their home for five and
Ex consecutive summer vacations. They ara
quite u decent and respectable q people as fro
quent Broadstairs, perhaps more so, but oh,
shade Of the Pier and Harbor COMMISSIONER
there 10 not even the wheel of a bathing ma
chine In the place, and of Town Councillors
there are none, one genial policeman controls
the lot Yet in this place, from year to year.
Tho bathing goes on in the most delightful
fashion. sans peur ct sans reproche.' Ono
beach Is, by common consent, set apart for
tents and family bathing; men and women.
boys and girls, babies and nurses, all joining in
The fun in costumes Of course. But / never
nav males and females dressing or undressing
n the tents together, and l and my family
Usre there for seven or eight weeks. Men in
ne other bay dress or undress as it pleases
them, and swim about naked and not ashamed.
Or eostumed in the latest style.
Now, as 10 the bay reserved for female bath
ss only-s bay in full view of the town. Your
taders may hardly believe 1t, and some, per.
hAps, had better not read further, but what fol.
lows Is true, and every one of the Thousands
VINO 60 there will recognize the truth, and wish
mat some Of your correspondents might &c
usre, too. and learn o lesson Of common sense
and modesty. There are no machines, nc
entS no costumes. no indecency, no bluAhes, nc
pfades, no opera glasses. hundreds of women
On the beach, dozens already in the water, bu,
% piles Of sand.soiled clothes. Watch them
q ring Of q dozen stout and matronly women
aafe and there, standing close together facing
onward Ia British circle, not q British square
while inside u blue and white and pink futter
ing Tor . lew moments. then the ring. with feel
eioee to the tapping wavelets, opens seward
Ana out runs. in absolute nudity. a young yenui
anything from Ia to 25 summers. A dream
VI beauty in the flashing sunshine. O few steps
gasp, and a splash, and the white foam clasp
asf In It's arms. There she is. up to her armpiti
IN tho merry sea. disporting herself with othe,
friends already there.
nave seen this hundreds Of times with
ufil OF admiration, respect, and pleasure, AM
nave never heard Of q hint at indecency, sug
seSted or felt, by actors or spectators. Mar
seo women and others Of more stately proper
uohA' 90 through the same living bathing ma
enihe' only TO emerge clad in some homel,
so"h OF blue or white or other color. Whel
.'Aay 70 leave the water the Same ring is agai-
.9rned. and out they trip. one by one. TO dr.
Aemseives' standing or sitting on towel
"Nnh The ring. while willing hands offe
I'm' one oy one. their articles OF clothing. KEEP
seAh and dry meanwhile, sans sand Tn
wuf ana twenty eyes Of the living ring are, lik
muse IN the wheels Of Ezekiel'n vision, alway
turned outwar', and | do not think there is a
maeceht Fellow living who would dare to fac
I0n indignant gaze, let alone the chance of
sucA'hs' fully costumed.' by venturing will
ah intoierable distance"
~ Will hardly be- denied that this narratiy
yuA d rather severe strain upon the motto c
No Ihsllsh royal family, "Honi soft qui NAL
pehse. But the Queen herseIf n should ha mo,