The times., 1901-05-12
AT HOME IN THE WATER.
An Expert Seyen-YearOid Girl
Swimmer mt Bath Bench.
pm the Brooklyn EagleJ


If Elaine Golding, the seven-year-Old
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Stephen G.
Golding, has rival among girls of her
age as a swimmer, diver, and general
adept in aquatics, that rival is not known
at Bath Beach, where the little miss has
acquired her almost phenomenal skill and
her never failing confidence in her own
powers. AT that watering place, and. in
fact. all along the shore in that neighbor-
hood. the GOlding family are famous as
swimmers. Mr.. and Mrs. Goiding always
have been enthusiastic surf batherS and
each of the children-Thomas, a young
man of about twenty-five; Miss Florence.
Miss Ethel, and little Elaine-have been
taught the art of swimming III all its
phases, Miss Ethel having become par
ticularly expert
But il is believed that before long Elaine
will be CrOwding her big sisters and even
her brother for their hOnGrS. for she has
already developed a degree Of skill and
endurance which is little short of marvel
Gus. The Goldings have a cottage at
Bath Beach. on Benson Avenue. at Bay
Tweuty-third Street. They are among the
earliest to arrive at the beach and the last
10 leave. and every day finds the entire
family having all kinds of fun in the
water at the foot of De BruYn lane. The
Captains Pier, as it is called. is the point
from which they do their high diving,
and it is from this point that their per-
formanceS are watched daily by many
spectators. Some of these spectators Will
remember one of the features of this daily
gambol three or four years ago This was
the appearance in the water OF Mrs. Cold
ing, with a chubby, pink-faced cheTub
hanging about her neck, pick-a-pack
fashion.
With the cherub still on her back, Mrs.
GOlding would wade out until the water
rose about shoulder high and then she
would swim, with the little one half in
the water and half on her shoulders, out
to the float Once there, the tot would
be lifted up to the float by her mother,
who would then move back little and
call out, Now jump, baby; jump, Elaine.
Whereupon the cherub would jump- OFF
the float striking the water with ire
rnendous splash. to be caught by the skill
full mother and put back on the float.
This performance would be repeated sew
eral times every afternoon, and 1t was
thus that little Elaine learned that most
important lesson of the swimmer-nOt to
be afraid Of the water.
Elaine is now stout little miss of sew
en- years, as brown as a berry I'm summer
and the picture of health the year round
as indeed, are all of the Goldings. She
has yellow hair and blue eyes, full of fun
and ready for q rOmp at all times
Elaine's romps, however, are of the kind
which few children of her age can in
dulge, much less enjoy. For il is at Bath
Beach that she has her 'mostest fun.
and il is a kind of fun that she enjoys
with all her heart. She has mastered the
overland English racing stroke, as II IS
called. a style of swimming which Is
used in races and is considered the most
effective stroke that has yet been devised. |
Lying on her side. with one little arm de
scribing arcs above her mead, as she
reaches forward. while the other iollOWS !
it. once the hand is well dipped, and the |
stroke has begun, she can plow her way |
through the water at an astonishing rate |
of speed, swimming not only rapidly, but 1
with ease and grace.
Nor is she less skillful and courageous |
in diving floating, and doing all of the !
other tricks known 70 swimmers She
likes nothing better than the plunge from |
the bathing pavilion on the Captalus
Pier. which is fully twenty feet above |
the water. and not one of the family
makes the dive more gracefully and con-
fdeutly than she. Indeed. the other men,
oers of the family have learned by expert
ance that it is not safe TO dare Elaine
to- do ANYTHING i'm the way of swimming
or diving, for il is known that she Will
not take dare"