Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-14

-
Four Of us went, tSaetBer with two SER
wants, WHO carried our towels, bathing
dresses and lunch. 1t is an all days job,
and the ladies all take lunch with them.
l had number of very handsome and Gu
rious things given me at the exposition by
the Egyptian and Turkish Coinfiissions,
and among them were large bathing towels
with borders of gold woven in; also
bathing dress similarly decorated. My
friends insisted on my taking them. and
they made of nae while in tho Bath per-
sen Of 40 ordinary importance, for as it
happens, no one but royal ladies are per-
United to wear such in public baths; how
ever, nobody interfered with my right TO
wear them, only admired me, not always
from a distance.
THE Fttlsf eHAMBfsR.
On emitting we were conducted to large
room, where we must undress and leave
our things. think there were fifty women
there in all stages of undress, who all
paused to regard us with curiosity while
we disrobed. Men can pull off their most
sacred garments, toss them in heap, and
run about as If nothing were amiss, but
somehow l felt as Eve did when she ihade
the disU5tetS that she was a little too thinly
clad for that time of the year.
A servant girl caught up our bathing
dresses and left the room, reckoning us to
follow. We ran the gauntlet of hundred
pair of eyes before we reached the, divan
where was laid; like q defunct, still with
no clothes ON. raised my head to see if
could not find friendly towel or anything,
but the attendant ducked my head back on
the pillow agBin, as much as to say. "lio
there" L did, but rolled nay eyes arcnnd
a little. and saw that there were at least
Twenty more women lying around i'll spots
like myself; but they all seemed to take it
very easily.
The room was very warm and grew
warmer perceptibly, though how [ don't
know, until hesan to feel as if l should
sutiocate. Until my heart beat painfully and
grew very faint, when one of the #oTnett
gave me some leri1Hnade, of which drank
two glasses. Then, all of asudden, began
to perspire, and looked like a pumpkin
that had lain out all night in heavy dew.
l felt as if was disSolving, and waited pa
tiently till the end should come. and
should be but the TRANSPARENT essence of
what wns once very substantial body; but
that time had not come. / was so sleepy
that l. felt like caIIihg very hard names,
when the WOMAN came in and made me
get up after she had rubbed me down
like a race horse with pair of very scratehy
gloves, which left my skin as red as a
lobster. Then we, all being in the same
state, were led into another great. vaultet,
marblehOoned room, where the diyans are
made Of marble, which is not Ct ali soft to
lie on: THE room was warmer than the
Lass. Il.
more strongly perfumed with sandal wood.
After lying a few moments the marble
grows soft, and sense Of the most deli
eiuus repOse comes over Won: You feel a
soft langour and a dreamy CONTEXT, and
YOUR eyes close, and you lay with a smile
OF exquisite laziness on your lips, and your
Imagination flies off in every possible di-
rection, when the sweet REESE is again
rlileiy broken, and you have again TO
'-mOye on"
LED INTO PARADISE.
Now, indeed, opens the door of paradise;
you are led. still witi,rut bther covering
than natur6 gives you, into a large circular
loom, with marble 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 water, or lying in all attitudes on
the marble edges of the basin. The water
rises in one grand column over fifty feet,
and falls back into an upper basin, while
the lower one is undisturbed. 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 mate the white bodies
and polished limbs to appear more lovely
than ever. Small fountains were placed at
regular intervals around the large room.
and from these the attendants poured con-
tinuously over the. bodies of those who Law
on the divans warm water, which was
carried off by pipes.
One attendant stood at my head, holding
my gold.embroidered bathing apparatus,
one lathered me with perfumed soap till |
began to imagine myself gigantic rose,
and all these beautiful beings laughing and
singing and gliding around me but other
specimens of flowers. Another attendant
rubbed me with gloves made Of sponge
and another poured warm water over me
necessarily, not dashing it, nor letting il
"a iNhAN' OAb JtASN NiiC DCaAlllAu
chased silver ever over me with the gent
lest motions, till il seemed like caress
Then soap of bitter almonds was rubbed
on my face, and another kind was rubbed
in my hail. all done that careSsing way thai
made it positive ecstacy; then more per-
fumed water till felt drowning in a sea
of all delights, in which l could distin-
guish perfumes, flowers, sweet singing
Nd &c
Time and the outer world were lost in this
delightful trance, and l desired nothing
nothing else in the world to make my life
content forever.
LIVING sTATUARY.
To lie there on the marble and dreamily
watch the glorious white of the living
statues, with the long black hair and the
rich, dark eyes; TO see the soft, undulatins
motions of those swimming in the warm
delicious water; to look at the lovely form:
stretched at full length on the divans anC
on the edge of the fountain; and Others
laughing, sporting, singing, mingling witt
affectfOnate glances and wrestling in tht
water or upon the marble floor, drippin.
from every limb the perfumed water thai
glistened on their bodies, and the tricklin,
Of the fountains, and the rosy, subdueC
| light that stole in through the jealously
guarded windows, were enough to SEM
one of an Imagination like min,
off into the realms of fancy, and make on
believe it the promised land, and cause tn,
whole soul to be satisfied with the enchant
ing picture, which needed no imagination
to embellish. For after all what is the
heaven we have been taught to believe il
but place where all is light and perfum,
and love and beauty; where every sense
shall be satisfied, and every desire filled will
pure and exquisite fullneSS? 1t is tru,
that in this heaven of mine there were no
any men, but did not miss them in mi
| supreme content, nor, think, did any O
the women who were lying about claspeC
| lovingly in each others arms, or laughin.
and sporting in the water, and think now
as | have before, had just as lief have m,
! paradise one where no Men could come.
Just as | arrived at this very sensible
conclusion my attendant aroused me from
my dreams of perfect peace by pointing t.
the fountain and signifying that was alsC
TO get in. My four friends then made
| their appearance with the servants and oul
| luncheon and Doho1y CON fali Of tho eor,,