Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1887 — ELLA WHEELER ON BATHING. [ARTICLE]

ELLA WHEELER ON BATHING.

Views of the Poetess Upon the Improprieties <Tf the Beach. M. Y. World.. . \ Fashion has decreed that ocean bathing is no longer “the thing’’ to do. Yet eo healthful and invigorating a custom will be long in wholly dying out. Here at Shelter Island, where two hundred cottages and two large hote's people thia little paradise with at least eight hundred souls during the “season,” the beach is well crowded with merry bathers every forenoon. Sitting in the pavilion and watching them sport in the briny way, I could not help wondering why Mrs. Grundy, who is so particularly critical in some things.shduld have so long ignored the vulgarities of the ocean bath. Here men and women, young girls and youths, half nude and with the covered portions of their bodies plainly outlined by their clinging wet Tobes, mix and mingle and indulge in familiarities which would not 'be tolerated bn land. A pretty young lady swam from the beach out to the diving pavilion yesterday. Then she clambered up on the pavilion with ten or twelve others of both sexes. Here, in full sight of all the spectators on shore and all her companions, she lifted her short skirts a trifle and adjusted the elastic of her long stocking,which had become loosend with the effort of swimming. She did this with the utmost monchalance; yet just imagine the sensation it would cause ’if she should peform this same harmless little toilet act on the verandajthe inpreaence of the same audience! She would be cut dead by every woman, and quite likely requested to leave the hotel. Yet I doubt if any one beside myseif noticed or commented on the little performance —it is such an every-day occurrence. I do not wish to seem hypercritical, and I believe I have never been called overparticular or prudish, but I can’t help wondering why the same a«t is deemed proper in one place and vulgar in another. (Only last week I heard a young miss, declaring she would not dance with any man unless he were a relative or very near friend. “I don’t like and won’t tolerate any man in such close proximity to me,” she said, “unless he is a relative.” Yesterday I saw her swim to the sholre with a male escort who was not a relative, and it seemed to me the situation held a good deal more of unpleasant familiarity than any waltz ever contained. She sat down in the sand and her escort leaned on his elbow close beside her. He wore a single very thin garment,which exposed hisbrawny arms and bony neck and unlovelj- ankles and feet. The single garment clung to

his body, and displayed his entire anatomy with unblushing distinctness. Her own pretty arms were bare to the shoulder, and, as she sat curled up in the sand, one could gain a very pleasing outline of her graceful limbs and rounded shape. But again I fell to making “Suppose,” I said, mentally, “that young lady should meet that young gentleman in the halls of the hotel arrayed precisely as he is now —she would run screaming to her room, indignant and alarmed. If he should approach her in that attire on the lawn and attempt to sit down beside her, she would cal la policeman to arre st' him. Queer, is it not?”

Some of the young ladies who have heard that bathing is not as fashionable as it used to be—unwilling to be independent, yet more unwilling to abandon the delight of a daily swim—choose- an afternoon hour w’hen other people are napping and paddle about in pretty costumes, with no male spectators, or at least only an accidental one'. These were the young ladies whodeclared they would not be introduced to or dance with any strangers at the hop given in honor of a yachting club recently. This led a happily married matron to discuss the proprieties with me. “I like to see girls prudent,” she said, “but it seems to me young people do not have quite as good times as they used

to at these resorts. No matter how well recommededa young man may be,some of these very particular girls declare they will not dance with' any one save an intimate friend. “It is commendable, no doubt and yet,” she added, with an arch laugh, “why, I shouldn’t have been John’s wife to-day if I had been so careful; I danced with him the first night I met him, and we found we kept step so nicely we concluded to glide together through life. I am sure young folks had a better time in those years than they do now, and I really don’t think any itnore misfortunes befell them in these conventional days.” Last evening the children were dancing, and I overheard an amusing conversation between a trio at the parlor door. A tiny young gallant in long stockings was begging two small belles, not over ten years of age, to let him introduce a friend of his”, a nine-year-old boy, who had arrived that day with his parents. ..... Y.;... “Oh, but we couldn’t think of dancingwith him,” said the two haughty young misses. ““We don’t—we don’t know him at all, you flee!" —i “08, pshaw, now —I say come—let’s make up a set and have a. good if me,” pleaded the boy. “He’s a good dancer and he wants to get acquainted, you know. Let me introduce him.” “Well—but really we cannot dance

with such a stranger,” the giris insisted, and I went to my room to ponder over the wonderful prudence and decorum •f the growing generation. Ella Wbulbr Wilcox. ludtan TrvaMa*. A telegram from Meeker says there has been no fighting since. Thursday. It is reported that 600 Indians are camped within a few miles of Meeker, and they are said to be ready for a fight. Colorow is credited with blood-thirsty utterances, but there is no proof that he has made them. There are fully as many people who think the so called war is a put-up job as there are who believe there is any danger from the Indians. Colorow has, it is skid by many, acted throughout on the defensive. It is pretty ceriain that he did not begin the recent hostilities, but fired after being attacked. The view taken of thtf, affair by the ■United States military authories is that the whites are too willing to have a fight; If the cowboys and militia would retire, it is'fielievcd that Col->ro’.v would gladly return to the reservation peacefully, and he could then be dealt with according to legal methods. The latest statement of casualties by the late battle is that five whites were killed and four wounded; seven Indians and two squaws killed and five wounded.