Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-07-01

Gel ded to ascertain the real facts of
the matter. The result shows that
the Rucy correspondent told the
truth Ater all. The hours from nine
am. till noon are sacredly set apart
for ladies', and no male monster is al
lowed to hang around the corners and
alcoves during these divine hours.
Having selected her dressing room.
the lady disrobes, and draping her
form in snowy sheet, glides along the
richly carpeted halls to the bath
rooms. 1T she be regular bather she
pauses at the comb and brush room
Immediately outside of the bath room
for
HER scRUBBING BRUSH.
AS she is taking down her brush
from the rack on one side of the room,
the presence of the gentlemen 5
brushes arranged in racks on the OBJ
posite side need not necessarily sug-
gest the startling thought that an hour
before the room was filled with lords
of creation, and in a couple of hours
more would be filled with them again.
In some of the pigeon holes with
brushes are rubber and oil silk head
covers, which look very coquettish,
and generally have bow or piece of
red ribbon about them. Some ladies
use these to protect their hair, but as
all ladies do not grow their own hair
these tasty head covers are not in gen
eral use. Entering the bath room, an
attendant, primitively and spaIingly
arrayed in Two towels, wbisks the sheet
from the shoulders of the bather, and
lol there she stands as nature made
her, except the head dress, if she
wears one. If the bather be a novice,
she will be somewhat
STARTLED AND BEwILDERED
at her own position and the scene
around her, made up of over half
hundred other women, some plungine.
swimming and somersaulting in a
large oven shaped tank of cold water.
with silver railing around il; others
reclining or sitting in restul positions
on marble slabs, aud others moving
around like phautoms in tbs thick
steam. The ladies alresdy in the
bath usually scrutinize each newcom.
or, but not so much out Of curiosity
or for the purpose of criticism as
from kindly disposition to ascertain
ii the new bather is delicate and in
need OF assistance or advice. The
regular bathers all come to know each
other and Immediately enter into CON
versation. When a gang of girls, full
OF youth and life, get together they
play all sorts of tricks, and carry on
at a great rate, chasing each other
around the steam rooms and tumbling
over each other in the plunge bath,
while ringing pesls of laughter re,
sound all around. The needle shower
bath that pricks into the skin and
sets the muscles and nerves working
at tremendous rate is a source Of
great mirth and amusement.f The
transition from a steam temperature
of 100 degrees to a cold sho yer falling
on the head and shoulders makes the
most of them
LITERALLY soUIRM,
scream involuntarily and give express
sion to pretty and piquant exclama-
tions-not classed with the profane;
but just bordering on the spirited
After the first choking sensation ex.
perienced on entering the superheated
steam room has passed, which it gem
orally does after plunge and tum-
Die and kicking up Of heels in the
cold water tank, feeling of delicious
languor insinuates itself all over the
system, and lady gets into the sweet,
holy, beatifc mood in which she could
dream for an eternity. But they do
not do this as a general thing. The
scene is too animated, and the robust
and young tear around at such rate
that even the shy and sensitive are
inocculated with spirit Of horse
play, and this finds vent in diving,
swimming, plunging, singing, reciting
dramatic pieces, making women's |
rights harangues and dancing. The
attendants, dressed in their two tow
els, one around the loins and the other
thrown over the shoulders, move
about, directing the scientific part of |
the bath, and acting as floor managers
in the bathers' by-plays. The ladies
usually take promenade in the |
steam room as the winding up of the
lavatory luxury, md soit-skinned |
women may be seen walking arm in
arm and conversing, When the bath
is over an attendant leads the bather
into an outer room, where her fair
skin is rubbed with ointment, or on
the spots where there may be pains, |
with alcohol and glycerine. She is then
rubbed with towels, and sheet is
rolled around her. She is conducted
into an apartment where there are
rows of pallets On one Of these she
lies down, and the attendant wraps
three or four blankets over and around
her. This operation is called
PACKING THE WOMEN AWAY.
On these rows of pallets scores Of
ladies are in pack at time, and to
the bather it is one of the most sweet
ly delicious parts of the performance,
luxuriated here for some 10
or 20 minutes. the attendant
comes and takes off the blanket and
sheet, and begins to rub, pound, pat
and pinch the "subject" all over and
around, turning her over on all sides
and sections, until not a portion Of
the body is unoperated upon. The
lady then jumps up and dries her hair
on steam heater, if it be her own
crop, and consequently with her in
the bath. If she wants her hair
dressed or her corns and bunions
cleaned up, she can go into the bar
har'a ebon and Il mil he dona hv daff