The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-05-20

AY, MAY 20, IS
ing very hard names, when the wo-
man came in and made me get up af.
ter she had rubbed me down like a
race horse with pair of very scrat-
chy gloves, which left my skin as
red as lobster. Then we. all being
in the same state, were led into an.
other great, vaulted. marble foored
room, where the divans are made OF
marble, which is not at all soft to lie
on. This room was warmer than the
last, the more vapory, and the vapol
was more strongly perfumed with
saddal wood. After lying a few mo-
ments the marble grows soft, and a
sense Of the most delicious repose
comes over You. You feel a soft
languor and dreamy content, and
your eyes close, and you lay with q
smile Of exquisite laziness on your
lips, and your imagination flies off in
every possible direction, when the
sweet repose is again very rudely
broken, and you have again to
''move on"
LED INTO PARADISE.
Now. indeed, opens the door OF
paradise; you are led. still without
other covering than nature gives you,
into large circular room, with mar
BILE pillars supporting the blue dome
that is spangled with stars. All
around the room are marble divans,
and in the centre is an immense
fountain, in the basin of which are
sixty or seventy girls and women
playing in the warm, perfumed wa
ter, or lying in all attitudes on the
marble edges of the basin. The wa
ter rises in one grand column over
fifty feet, and falls back into an up
per basin, while the lower one is IN
disturbed, except by the beautiful
white forms that it most delights to
receive.
On all the divans lay women Of all
ages and compilations, even to some
negresses, who only served to make
the white bodies and polished limbs
to appear more lovely than ever
Small fountains were placed at rcgu.
lar intervals around the large room,
and from these the attendants pour.
ed continuously over the bodies OF
those who lay on the divans warm
water, which was carried off b Y
pipes.
One attendant stood at my head
holding my gold embroidered bath.
ing apparatus, one lathered me with
perfumed soap till I began to mag.
inc myself gigantic rose, and all
these beautiful beings laughing and
singing and gliding around me but
other specimens of flowers. Another
attendant rubbed with gloves made
of sponge, and another poured warm
water over me necessarily, not dash
ing it, nor letting it trickle, but just
emptying the beautifully chased sill
yer ever over me with the gentlest
motions, till it seemed like caress
Then soap of bitter almonds was
rubbed on my face, and another kind
was rubbed in my hair, all done il
that caressing way that made it :
positive ecstacy; then more perfumee
water, till / felt drowning in sea O.
all delights, in which / could distin
guish perfumes, flowers, sweet sing
ing voices, and forms of heavenly
beauty. Time and the outer worlC
were lost in this delightful trance
and desired nothing, nothing elss
in the world to make my life conten
forever.
LIVING STATUARY.
To lie there on the marble an(
dreamily watch the glorious white o
the living statues, with the Ions
black hair and the rich, dark eyes
to see the soft, undulating motions
Of those swimming in the warm, de
licious water; to look at the Lowell,
forms stretched at full length on tn
divans and on the edge Of the foun
tain; and others laughing, sporting
singing, mingling with affectionat,
glances and wrestling in the water O
upon the marble floor, dripping from
every limb the perfumed water tia
glistened on their bodies, and tn,