The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-07-21
CLAD IN NATIVE moDEsTY I.
UnresiraiRed Abandon OF Ladies' st
Turkish Baths.
New YORK slarcury.l

? New York Msrcury.l
The statement of Clara Bell, the
Rev York correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Enquirer, that ladies in this
city were in the habit Of bathing in
company at the Russian baths clad
only IN native modesty having raised
storm of denials, the Mercury, IN
the interest Of It's fair readers, pro
ceeded to ascertain the real facts OF
; tie matter. The result shows that
the saucy correspondent told the truth
after all. The hours froa 8 am. I'll
noon are sacredly set apart for ladies,
and no male monster is allowed to
hang around the corners and alooves
during these divine houss. Having
selected her dressing-room, the lady
disrobes, and drapihg her form in a
snowy sheet, glides along the richly
carpeted ball TO the bathrooms. Ii
she be a regular bather she pauses at
the comb and brush room, immediate
| ly outside Of the bathrooms, for her
scrubbing-brush. As she is taking
down her brush from the rack on one
side Of the room, the presence of the
gentiemen's brushes arranged in racks
on the opposite side need not neces-
sarily suggest tie startling thought
that an hour before the room was
filled with the lords Of creation, and
in a couple OF hours mora would be
filed with them again. Ia some Of
| the pigaon-holea with brushes are rub
| ber and oil-silk head covers, which
look very coquettish and generally
have p bow or piece Of red ribbon
about them. Snme ladies use those 70
protect their hair, bat as all Indies do
not grow their own hair, these tasty
head covers are not in general use
Entering the bathroom, an attendant,
Primitively and sparingly arrayed in
two towels, Whisks the sheet from the
shoulders Of the bather, and lol there
she stands os nature made her, ex-
cept the head dress, if she wears one.
If the bather be a novice, she viii be
somewhat startled and bewilderod at
her own position and the scene around
her, made up Of over half hundred
! other women, some plUnging, swim
ming and playing in u large oven
shaped tank Of cold water, with q
silver railing around ii; others reclin-
ing or sitting in restful positions en-
marble slabs, and others moving
around like pFuntoms in the thick
steam. The ladies already in the bath
usually serutinize each newcomer, but
not 50 much out Of curiosity OF for the
! purpose Of criticism as from a kindly
disposition to ascertain if the new
bather Is delicate and IN need Of as
sistanee or advice. Tbe regular bath
ers all come to know each other, and
Immediately enter into conversation.
/ When a gang Of girls, full Of youth
and life, get together they play all
sorts Of tricks, and carry on at q great
rate, chasing each other around the
steam rooms and tumbling over each
other in tho plunge-b&th, while ringing
peals Of laughter resound all around.
The needle shower bath that pricks
the skin and sets the muscles and
nerves working at a tremendous rate
| is a source Of great mirth and amuse-
ment. The transition from q steam
temperature Of 1902 to a cold shower
falling on the head and shoulders
makes the most Of them literally
squirm, scream involuntarily and give
expression to pretty and piquant excla-
matiOns-not classed with the profane,
but just bordering on the spirited.
After the first choking sensation expo
rienced on entering the super-heated
rooms has passed, which it generally
docs after a plunge and q tumble and
a kicking up Of heels in the cold water
tank, & feeling of delicious languor in
sinuate5 itself all over the system, and
a lady gets into the sweet, holy, beatiic
mood in which she could dream for an
eternity. But they do not DO this az
general thing. The scene Is too ami
mated, and the robust and young tear
around at such q rate that even the
shy and sensitive are inoculated with
spirit Of horse-play, and this finds
vent in diving, swimming, Plunging,
singing, reciting dramatic pieces, max
ing women's rights harengues, and
dancing. The attendants, dressed in
their two towels, oac tied around the
loins and the other thrown over their
shoulders, move about, directing the
scientific part Of the bath, aud acting
as Aoor managers in the bathers by.
/ plays. The ladies usually take a prom
enade IL the steam-room as the wind
ing up Of the layatory luxury, aud
solt-skiaEed women may be seen walk
ing 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 aud glycerine. She Is