Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-09
Bathing al Sunset

TT is curious that the routine of human
life often causes men to turn their backs
on nature just when she is at her loveliest.
Take the seashore in September, for in
stance. After Labor Day you will find few
people along the sand, and yet the sea is
then at its warmest and best.
Particularly at sunset, when every one
is at supper. To cross those wide fields of
wiry grass that stretch down to the sand,
is an amaZement to the eye. Ahead of you
the sea CLEANS purple as an Easter violet.
The fields are kind of rich palette on
which every tint of pink, russct and bronze
are laid in glowing variation. The softly
wavering breeze, moving among the coarse
stalks, gives the view ripple and simmer
of color like shot silk. A naturalist could
find hundreds of species of flowers and
grasses on those sandy meadows. There are
great clumpS of some bushy herb that has
already turned a vivid copper color, and
catches the decl0ing sunlight like FURNISHED
metal. There are 1ecks of yellow, pink
and lavender. A cool, strong odor rises from
the harsh, knife edged grasses-a curiously
dry, brittle scent, familiar to all who have
pokcd about sand dunes.
TNIIE beach itself, colored in the last flush
L of the level sun, is still family warm
to the naked foot, after the long shining
of the day. but it cools rapidly. The tide
is coming in, with long, secthing ridges of
foam. each flake and cot of crumbled water
tinged with n rose petal pink by the red
sunset. All this glory of color, of move
ment. of unspeakable exhilaration and
serenity, is utterly lonely. The long curve
of the beach stretches away northward
where a solitary orange -colored dory is lying
on the sand. The air is full of plaintive
piping of sea birds. 4 gull flashes along the
beach, with pink glow on its snowy under
plumage.
AT THAT hour the water is likely to be
"A warmer than the air. 1t may be only
the curiously magical effect of the horizontal
light, but it seems more foamy, more full
of suds than earlier in the day. Over the
green ton of the waves, laced and marbled
with froth, slides layer of iridescent bub-
BILE wash that seems quite different sub
stance from the water itsclf-like the
meringue on top of a lemon pie. One can
SCOOP it up and see it winking in points of
sparkling light.
The waves come marching in. 1t is n
calm sea, one would have said looking down
from the dunes but to the swimmer, ell
bowing his way under their leaning holows,
their stature seems tremendous. The sun
light strikes into the hills of moving water
filling them with blush spange and tremor
of brightness. 1t is worth while to duck
underneath apd look up at the sun from
under the surface, to see how the light seems
TO spread and clot and split in the water like
sour cream poured into a cup of tea The
sun. which is so ruddy in the evening air,
is a pale milky white when seen from under
water.
KIND of madness of pleasure fills the
A.heart of tine solitary sunset swimmer To
splash and riot in that miraculous color and
| tumult of breaking water seems an effective
| answer to all the grievances of earth. To
| float, feeling the poise and encirclng sup
| mort of those lapsing pillows of liquid, is
mirth beyond words. To swim just beyond
| the line of the big breakers, dropping q foot
now and then to feel that bottom is not too
| far away-to sprawl inward with a smashing
| comber while the froth boils about his
| sboulders-to watch the light and color
prismed in the curl and slant of every wave,
and the quick vanishing of brightness and
glory once the sun is off the sea-alI this
| is the matter of poems that no one can write.
| UHE sun drops over tie fiat glitter of the
l. inland lagooas the violet and silver and
| rose flushed foam are gone from the ocean !:
| the sand is gray and damp and chilly. Down
| the,line of the shore comes an airplans roar
| ing through the upper regions of dazzling