The Washington times., 1936-06-30
NOW
Beach Gloomy
In the Rain
OFF SEASON
BY HELEN ESSARY
)ear Helen ESsary:

SkGLCn Oh GLAp w GAAC oCooAAOAN
out of season.
We packed our best summer
clothes in suit cases and hat
boxes-my sister and happily
and excitedly. We were going to
the beach the following morn.
ing. Getting away from the dull
city for two bliSSful days OF salt
air and dips in the ocean.
AS we folded away new bathing
suits, beach pajamas and our
most becoming frockS, we thought
back to our vacation at the sea-
shore the year before. The long
walks up the beach with only the
sky and the sand and the sea,
the maps in the sun or warm
sands, the mint juleps slipped on
cool front porches while chatting
with pleasant people. 1t was
wonderful to be going there
again.
When we left early the next
day it was cold and drizzling. We
wished we could have stayed in
our warm beds few hours
longer. But we weren't dis
couraged. We knew that the sun
Rhone all the time at the beach.
However, the drizzle soon
changed to a cloudburst. Strug-
Cling to see through the cloudy
windshield, we drove for six
hours through pouring rain to
our favorite resort. We arrived
wet, hungry and chilled and very
tired. The town was not as we
had remembered it.
We rode up and down unpaved
muddy streets and looked at de-
serted little cottages. T h e y
seemed definitely unfamiliar. No
one was on the front porcheS,
swinging in the hammocks, chat
ting gayly and drinking mint
juleps.
We went to the beach and gazed
at the wet sand, the gray sky and
sea. We saw no striped umbrellas,
no happy sunburned people in gay
" colored bathing suits.
The hotel was not yet open. We
found a boarding house and a
plump cheerful landlady who vel
coined us. She said she got pretty
lonely living there alone.
She took us to our room--con-
sisting mostly of two ugly white
iron beds and sloping unfinished
walls lined with coat hangers on
nails. There was no hot water at
present for us to battle in but we
could wash in the morning, we
were told. She fed us hearty
meal Of steak and boiled potatoes
Fortified by hot food and bun
died up in coats and sweaters we
strolled up the boardwalk after
dinner. The rain had stopped but
no moon or stars appeared.
We looked in the door Of the
taproom-the gay rendezvous Of
summer residents. One lone man
sat there drinking Scotch and
soda and gazing gloomily off into
space.
We walked on past the shops
and amusement stalls. They were
boarded up. Signs nailed on the
front announced that they would
open July /.
Stopping at the drug store we
talked with the proprietor about
the weather and drank chilly coca
colas. And decided to walk fur
ther and warm up.
Two mileG on at the end Of the
boardwalk we sat down to rest,
Our muscles were sore from un'
accustomed exercise. And our feet
hurt. We had forgotten our low
heeled shoeS-we had only beach
sandals and spike heels.
Watching the turbulent ocean
was not cheering. It made us feel
lonely 1l4d unimportant. So we
turned back.
We paused in front of the NOV
ing picture theater. But we didn't
go in as we had seen the film
twice before.
AS it began to rain again we
ran back to the board house. IN
dressed and crawled shiveringly
into bed. It was just 9 o'clock sc
we tossed and turned far into the
night on rocky beds and thought
longingly of our box springs at
home.
The following day was sunny
and warm. We lay for hours in the
hot sand and forgot the weather
of tine preceding day. A few brown
youngsters appeared on the beach
but no old friends.
Late that afternoon our white
skin turned a dangerous shade Of
pink. By evening we were def
nitely scarlet. Covered with Skin
lotion that brought no relief anC
scanty clothing, we retired early
and read three-month-old maya
zines by dim light hanging from
the ceiling.
We awoke next morning to pour
ing rain and near-freezing temper
allure. We packed our damp, un
worn summer clothes back into
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