The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-07
LUXURY IN A BATH HOUSE
One Way to Secure Cleanliness,
Without Which Godliness
Does Not Come.
The Russian Bath and It's Loosen
ing Effect on the
Tongue.
A Mans Opinion of Woman's Figure-Su-
premacy of the Blonde, With
Celebrated Illustrations.

The religion of cleanliness is certainly ap-
proved by the fashionable woman of o-day
if her attendance at the Russian bath may
he taken as an evidence of faith. The
smart girl gets up on Saturday morning
about $50 o'clock, says the New York Her
aid. has cup of coffee. puts on her tailor
made frock and round hat, and, accompan-
led by her maid. starts for the bath, reach
mo II a little after 8 o'clock. The duty of
her maid consists simply in the dressing
and undressing of her, for from the minute
she is attred in the artistic sheet she be-
comes the property of her fayorite rubber
usually some great. big, strong woman who
manages her as if she were little baby.
By the time she is in the steam room
bed formed of blankets has been arranged
IN one of the marble Shelves and Made
moiselle stretches herself out there, throws
aside her protecting sheet and lets the vapor
meander over her, opening the pores of her
skin and making her feel delighted with her
own flesh. She stays in this position about
twenty-five minutes the rubber coming to
her once or twice to ask herlf she wants the
steam hotter or if she would like glass of
water.
The yapor seems to have the curious effect
of loosening the tongue of the average
woman, SO Mademoiselle lies quietly on her
couch and looks and listens. She glances
at a group of English girls who have skins
like alabaster and who, looked at from the
standpoint of an artist of the nude, are
handsome to the waist, but below that are
badly shaped, their ankles being heavy,
their feet fiat and their hips too small.
Now, it is time to be scrubbed, and the
rubber lifts my young lady as if she were
a baby: she's stretched out on the marble
slab, scrubbed with soap and hot water
from her head to her heels until her skin is
tingling and glowing and she feels as if she
could challenge John L. Sullivan. A
lemon is cut in half and used in place of
soap or cloth about the neck and under the
chin where the dark furs worn in winter
may have left a mark Mademoiselle
stands under the shower, which begins to
run as hot as was the water used in scrub
hing her and gradually grows as cold MS
that which is in the tank. Flushed and
excited she is rushed into the room where
the needle spray is, and it is made to play
on her bust, neck and arms. Red as a
lobster Mademoiselle stands on the scales
and tips them at 13l pounds. and then she
is rubbed down dry, taken in and put on a
couch, after which she is given thorough
massage with alcohol.
This is the rubber's chance to talk to her,
and this is what she SAYS
II will tell you what the gentlemen think
of lady's figure You see my husband is
rubber and just got him to ask one of the
really gay men about town what he consid-
cred a beautiful figure, and this is what he
artistic. The figure that is most pleas
ing is slight but not bony; the feet, ankles
and bust must be small. the calves, thighs
and hips large, well-formed and firm; the
neck full, the head small and set we'll OF
this shoulders. while the arms must be vel
shaped and tapering to the hands, HI
asked him them which he thought gentle.
men liked best, blondes or brunettes? And
he said: Natural blondes always; blonde
is more intellectual and knows better how
to please a man; she is less affectlonate, but
she doesn't weary him to death; statistics
prove that more brunettes marry thar
blondes, but experience proves that men are
not always fondest of their wives.''
II got to thinking about that, and if yor
will remember, Miss, there are very few
noted ladies now who haven't been blondes
There's Nine. Bernhardt and Nine. Hadinl
and Ellen Terry and Mrs. Langtry, who il
really blonde, for her hair is brown. he
skin white and her eyes blue. Then there
all the ladies of history-the Russian EN-
presses and Cleopatra and the lady VIII,
used to poison her family SO, the on
named Borgia. o. no, Miss, I'm not sayin,
this because your hair is blonde, but it,
really what the gentleman told my hus
band and what thought out about it. No
don't like to tell his name because h
might be some relation of yours. Well.
you will promise not to tell him about il
What? You are engaged to be married t
him! Well. the very next time he come
here / will have my Jim tell him jus
exactly what dear little figure you are
Yes. will. What, you won't let him com
until after next week, and you are going
be married on Monday? Well, we'll, l
hope you will have happy married lif'
and YOU have got to come in again and Il
me give you last rubbing and bath as
young lady,"
In comes the maid to sit beside her mil
tress while she sleeps. At a quarter
o'clock she's awakened, has a bit of Dir
and cup of tea, and then she's dressed
start out, feeling as fresh as possible and
be just on time to meet that dear boy WI
admires blondes and 60 to the matinee wit
him. That's what Russian bath means
fashionable girl, and certainly they ougl
to be encouraged in that perfect cleanline
without which godliness doesn't como.