Bent County register., 1888-04-07
n Turk ish Bath.
me EXPERIENCE OF LADY CORES
foNDENr GRAPHICALLY DISCUSSED.

foNbENf GRAPHICALLY DISCUSSED.
:, Inc lady correspondent of the Cincinnati
1AGh'rer mas taken Turk hsh bath. Sine
sysi went straightway to one of the
several large establishments during the
nours when 1t was sacred TO my own sex.
Not a man was to be seen about the place.
woman took my Sl.5O in an outer office
and let me into the next room. which look
ed like thecabin of a Hudson River steam
boat 1t WAS long aud low, with a soft car
PEI on the hoor and row of doors at the
sides, opening into little dressing-roons. 1
was told TO 20 in one of them and disrobe.
Must take Oft everything ~ / asked.
,Everythingr o, yes, said she; but you
VIII nhd sheet To wrap yourself in
Just then ghostly figure, wound in
sneet emerged rom room and disappear
H through another door at the further end
oi the cabin: She was tail, thin woman,
with bloodless face, and her black hair
hung loose. wouldn't have liked to meet
her IN graveyard on dark night. But
she was completely enveloped, and that
gave me comfort, for had felt
BLusHIsGLY sauEAMIsH.
might have been seen ten minutes aiter-
ward coming sheeted out of my room, and
.linking toward the entrance of the bath.
pushed open the door, and had scarcely
seen that was in a mere ante-room, when
whisk went the sheet, and was in the
condition of my grandma Eve before she
took to aprons. An attendant had grabbed
of the covering.
Here said, huddling myself together,
i want that"
20, poue of the ladies ever wear anv
thing was the response in an expostula-
tory tone
Well, it wouldn't do to kick ngainst the
hlshion, and allowed myself to be pushed
into the bathroom. What u sight met nv
'.stonished eyes! About one hundred and
my utterly nude women were in that big
room, louuging in willow chairs and sofas,
walking about, chatting with acquaintan-
eessr and perspiring like squeezed sponges
The temperature WAS 100, the dry heat
pouring in from registers on all sides.
Was awfully ashamed ut first, but the un-
concern of great majority gradually re-
assured me, aud at length ven,ured out
Of the corner in which had taken refuge.
The scene would have disenchanted,
VOW, the most ardent ndniircr of my sex
There were many comely bathers to be
sure, with fine forms and smooth, white
skins, but the revelation OF hollow -chested
maids and Habby matrons, of spindle
,hanks and hairy arms, of corns and bum
ions, and OF various unshapcliness, WAS
something beyond my power or desire of
description. An old walrus of woman
waddled her rcd three hundred pounds
around with lank. rib-displaying wearer
OF eyeglasses | SAW several persons whom
/ had seen before, and bless me, how alter
81 they looked without clothesl One of
these was the popular actress of the,tri-
al company, and knew hei by sight, be-
cause of having seen her half undressed on
the stage Somebody called me by name,
md i, with considerably greater difficulty,
the face OF an acquaintance
Perhaps that assemblage WIS not fairly
but, taking il as stand
,rd, not more than one in ten of us i3 rea-
,onably good in tinery, and not one In NIFTY
would do for statuary. The best hEure IN
the lot WAS that of n woman VINO could not
have been less than 45 years old, and 1t
was perfection itself in every curve end
hut, as n rule, the women OF
a5 TO 80 excelied in form, the younger ones
being scrawpy, and the older one9 either
gaunt or habby. As for the cute little
aprons, sishes, and rudiment:,ry skirts
which had expected to see land whleh
have since been told are worn, though rare
ly, by parties of swell women when they
hire the whole establishment ioH tHeh "a
elusive selves not a shred was to be seen.
The only wearers of anything were the
dozen attendants, all slender, sprlghtly
Young women. Each had towel wrapped
around her body from waist to hips, an
other over one shoulder and across the
breast to the opposite armpit, and third
wound turban-like around the head. They
looked iaunty and agreeable. 1t was their
task to show bathers how to use the cold
water douches, pools and showers, and 10
scrub them with brushes as they lay on
marble tables. / liked the bath well
enough; but am sorry / saw the naked
women, for they rather disenchanted me.