The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12
AT HOME IN THE WATER.
An Expert Seven-Ycar-Oid Girl
Swimmer Mt Bath Beach.


II Elaine Golding, the seven-year-old
| daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. stephen c.
I 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 falling confidence in her own
powers Al that watering place, and. in
fact all along the shore in that neighbour
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 in all it's
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 hOnors, for she has
already developed a degree of skill and
endurance which is little short of marvel
Gus. The Goldings have cottage at
Bath Beach. on Benson Avenue, al Bay
Twenty-third Street. They are among the
earliest to arrive AT the beach and the last
TO leave. and every day finds the entire
family having all kinds of fun in the
water at the foot of De Bruyn's 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
ing, with a chubby, pink-faced cherub
hanging about her neck, ''pick-a-pack
fashion.
18th 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 a little and
call out, Now jump, baby; jump, Elaine.
Il. 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 it 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
las. indeed, are all of the Goldings. She
has yellow hair and blue eyes, full of fun
and ready for romp at all times.
Elaines romps. however, are of the kind
which few children of her age can in
dulge much less enjoy. For it is at Bath
Beach that she has her ''mostest fun.
and it is kind of fun that she enjoys
with all her heart. She has mastered the
overland English racing stroke, as 1t is
called. 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- !
Scrlbtng arcs above heT uettu, tS S4lc |
reaches forward. while the other follows |
it. once the hand is well dipped, and the |
stroke has begun, she can pillow her way |
through the water at an astonishing rate |
of speed swimming not only rapidly, but |
with ease and grace
Nor is she less skiIlful and courageous
in diving. floating, and doing all of the !
other tricks known to swimmers. She
likes nothing better than the plunge from
the bathing pavilion on the Captains
Pier which is fully twenty feet above
the water, and not one of the family
makes the dive more gracefully and con-
fidently than she. Indeed, the other men,
beers of the family have learned by expert
ence that it is not safe TO dare Elaine |
to do anything in the way Of swimming |
or diving, for it is known that she will
not take a dare"