es circular, streets by night, when it
appears like a fairy encampment, or by daylight, when there is no
illusion. It seems to be a point of etiquette to show as much of the
interiors as possible, and one can learn something of cooking and
bed-making and mending, and the art of doing up the back hair. The
photographer revels here in pictorial opportunities. The pictures of
these bizarre cottages, with the family and friends seated in front,
show very serious groups. One of the Tabernacle--a vast iron hood or
dome erected over rows of benches that will seat two or three thousand
people--represents the building when it is packed with an audience
intent upon the preacher. Most of the faces are of a grave, severe type,
plain and good, of the sort of people ready to die for a notion. The
impression of these photographs is that these people abandon themselves
soberly to the pleasures of the sea and of this packed, gregarious life,
and get solid enjoyment out of their recreation.

Here, as elsewhere on the coast, the greater part of the population
consists of women and children, and the young ladies complain of the
absence of men--and, indeed, something is desirable in society besides
the superannuated and the boys in round-abouts.

The artist and Miss Lamont, in search of the picturesque, had the
courage, although the thermometer was in the humor to climb up to ninety
degrees, to explore the Baptist encampment. They were not rewarded by
anything new except at the landing, where, behind the bath-houses, the
bathing suits were hung out to dry, and presented a comical spectacle,
the humor of which seemed to be lost upon all except themselves. It
was such a caricature of humanity! The suits hanging upon the line and
distended by the wind presented the appearance of headless, bloated
forms, fat men and fat women kicking in the breeze, and vainly trying
to climb over the line. It was probably merely fancy, but they declared
that these images seemed larger, more bloated, and much livelier
than those displayed on the Cottage City side. When travelers can be
entertained by trifles of this kind it shows that there is an absence of
more serious amusement. And, indeed, although people were not wanting,
and music was in the air, and the bicycle and tricycle stable was well
patronized by men and women, and the noon bathing was well attended, it
was evident that the life of Cottage City was not in full swing by the
middle of July.

The m