Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1874-09-17
Heaven without a MnM.

That bowltching onchantress, Olive liaTpor,
whose pen is a magic wand in unfolding bean
tics to tho minds eyo writes from Constantine
plo to tho Alta California hor experience in a
Turkish bath .I. am.U.l
On entering wo were conducted to o largo
room, where we must nndress and leave our
things. think thero wore nenrly fifteen women
thore in all stages of nndress, who all paused to
regard ua with curiosity while we diarobed. Mon
call pull Off their most sacred garments, toss
them in heap, and run about ~ II nothing
were aniss hut somehow felt as Eve did whom
she made the discovery that she was little too
tllinly clal foi that lime OF the yenf
A servant caught up our bathing-dresses and
left tho room, bockoning us to follow, we ran
the gauntlet OF a hundred pair OF eyes before
reaching the divau where. l was laid, laid like
derunct still no clothes on. ! raised my head
to SEQ il l could not find friendly towel, but
tho attendant dncked my head back OH the pill
low, as much MS to say, 'lie there"
was 10 sleepy that l felt like calling very
hard names when tho woman came md made mo
got mp aftor Hlie had rubbed mo down like raco-
horso with pair of very starchy gloves, which
loft tho skin III red NJ a lobster. Then, all be-
ing in tic same state, we were led into another
great vaulted, marbo-loorod room, where the
divans arc made OF marble, which is not at all
soft to lie on. This room was waImer than tho
last, the moro vapory, and the vapor more per-
fumed with sandalwood. After lying few
moments tho marble grows soft, and sense of
| tho most delicious repose comeB over you. You
fool soft languor and dreamy content, and
your eyes close, and you lie with smile OF OK
qnisite lsziness on your lips, and your imagina-
ton flies off in every possible direction when
tho roposo is again rudely broken, and yon have
again to move on.
Now indeod, opens the door of Paradise. You
arc lcd, still without other covering than nature
permits you, into long circular room, with mar-
bio pillars supporting the blue dome that lis bo-
| spangled with stars. All around tho room are
| marble dvans, md in the centre of an immense
| fountain in tho basin thero arc sixty or seventy
girls and women playing the warmedr drorfumea
| water, or lying in NIL attitudes on tho marble
odgo of tho basin. The water raos in one grand
column over fifty foot and falls back into the
upper basin while the lower ono is undistTbed,
| except by tho beautiful whito form that 1t do
| lights to receive.
| Small fountains wero placed at regular in
tervals around tho large room, and from
those tho attendants poured continually over tho
bodies of those who lay over tho diyana
| warm wator, which WAS carried of by pipes
| Ono attendant stood Mt my head holding my
gold embroidered bathing apparatus, ono latli-
cred mo with perfumed soap till began to i'm
agine myself gigantic rose. Hold this printer,
somebody.l Another attendant rubbed mo with
gloves made Of sponge, and another poured
warm water over mo necessarily, not dashed it,
nor let it trickle, but just emptied tho beautiful
chased silver ewer over mo with tho gentlest OF
motions, till it seemed like caress. Tho soal
|
other kind rlbbod in my hair then more por
fumes, flowers and sweot singing voices, a,it
forms OF heavenly beauty. Timo and tho oute
world werS lost in this delightful trance, and
desired nothing else ,,, in tn this II life to maxi
the marble and dreamily watch the glo
rious white OF tho living statues witt
long black hair and large dark oyos to so
tho soft undulating motions OF those swimming
in tho warm delicious water ; to look at tho love
fail ,tot,
and others laughing, sporting, mingled with ai
foctionate glances and resting in tho water on I'll,
marble floor, dripping from every limb th
perfumod water that glistened OH thei
, through tho jealously-guarded windows wer
I enough to scnd ono of All imagination lik
t mine OFF into realms of fancy, and make on
believe it was tho Promised Land, and caua
, the whole soul to be satisfied with tho cnchan
! ing picture, which NODDED no imagination t
| ombelish. For aftor all, what is til
0 heaven wo have boon taught to belevo i
? but q place whoro all is light, aud perfume, an
a love, and beauty whore eyory sense shall
satisfied, and every desire filled with pure MI
exquisite fullneas 1t is true that i'll this heavo
: of mine there wore not any men, but did NJ
l miss them in my supreme content, nor, thinl
r did any Of tho women who were lying sbo,
D clasped in zach others arms or laughing al
u sporting in the water, and think now, as ha,
+ before, had just rs liof have my paradise q
> exclusive ono, where no man could como.
II Just IN l arrived ut this sensitive conclnsic
), my attendant aroused me from my dreams
y perfect peace by pointing to tho fountain Al
J. signifyng that was also to get in. My 70,
n friends tllen made thoir appearance with tho SO
1t wants and our luncheon, and nobody can tell
tho comcal lookso us five, sitting round tho ba
NJ ket eating without any clothes OH. have se'
If many sights in my lifo, but wc womon arouI
those baskets, with chicken legs in our ham
n and glasses OF vino and other things, were t,
% perfectly ludcrous for anything, and laugh
ID to cover my faco think should have laid do,
in and died on the spot.