The record-union., 1894-09-20
WOMEN IN TURKISH BATHS.
A Woman Sees Them Take One
Rural Cousins Scared.
Women Who Fear That They VIII Be
KiIled-Odd Characters in This
Roaring Human Farce.


tanned so many comic Situations" as
the stage folks have it, as cropped up dur
ing a recent morning in an uptown bath
house.
AT this time of the year the larger part
of the city patrons of the baths are doing
their bathing at the seashore, so nearly
all the customers nowadays are of the up
country or Western variety, who, in pay
ing their visit to Gotham, take prompt
advantage of the opportunity to indulge
in the oft read of but never before expe-
rienced luxury.
Some OF them come not so much for
the real pleasure the operations may give
them, but to satisfy their curiosity, and,
more important still, to be able to make
Mrs. Jones at home envious by relating
to her on her return the manifold and
hitherto hidden mysteries.
Out OF the dOZ3n or more women scat
tered about the big lounging room in the
bath mentioned, there were not more
than two or three who had ever been in
one before. These had come, as had,
IN the interests of health and cleanliness,
and their expressions showed that they
were simply performing a duty which
they owed to themselves and their good
looks.
The others, however, as one could tell
at glance, considered that they were
factors IN an important event, and that
no matter what happened they were 60
ing through with it to the bitter end.
one or two whom / noticed, as | stood
waiting for the attendant to unlock my
dressing-room, were making a desperate
but utterly Intellectual effort TO appear old
hands at the business, and were talking
to their ''rubbers'' in a blase way that
was palpably counterfeit.
COULDN'T MANAGE A ToGA.
When l finally came out and started
down stairs to the hot room | was ac-
costed by dumpy woman with high
cheek bones and pug nose, who in
quired anxiously if had a pin about me-
She looked terribly ashamed of herself
standing there In sheet that she didn't
seem to have the slightest confidence in,
and when l told her that / was sorry, but
that hadn't such an article about me,
she pumped down on the edge of
lounge in a detected way and remarked,
as if To herself, that she guessed she
didn't want any bath any way.'
Why, just wrap the sheet around you
like this" said L, showing her the trick of
wearing 1t like toga. which fashion 1
had found soft and effective; and when
after one or two trials she finally caught
1t, L, scenting fun, suggested that we go
down stairs together. On the way she
admitted in a shamefaced way that she
had never taken Turkish bath before,
and that although John" by whom she
meant her husband, l took it, was set
against them, she was going to have one
even though she died for it.
Two ruDberS" met us at the bottom
of the steps, and, as l knew the way, l
had just taken my seat on a steamer
chair in the hot room when the snub-
nosed woman came in the door. As the
hrst gush OF hot air struck ner she gave a
gasp, shut her eyes and started to bolt"
but the rubber was in the way, so she
merely carromed over against The marble
dado which ran around the ROOM and
which was hot enough from long baking
to fry meat on.
Wow! Take me outi Pm stiflin',"
sputtered the woman, but the attendant,
who had evidently seen such cases be-
fore, grasped her firmly by the arm and
led her over to chair near mine.
NOW just wait till | spread this sheet
over the chair" said the attendant, good
naturedly, land then you can sit down.
You'll soon get used to it, and when you
begin to sweat more freely you won't
mind the heat Bit"
TWAS TOO HOT FOR HER.
1t was about 140o then, and the poor
woman kept looking around anxiously
for window or something through
which she might get a breath of cool
air, but there being none in sight she at
instant she touched the hot wood and
cane she shot up again with a yell of
pain.
"Whawhat in goodness name was
that?" she yelled. "D'ye think / want
to be burned alive? Gimme air! Whew
Gimme air"
"Ohl III ever get out of here" she
moaned, "pu stick to a bathtub for the
rest OF my natural life."
Come, ma'am," said the attendant.
"pll give you rub. guess you've per-
spired enough"
Enough" gasped the woman. s'Well.
1 sh'd say had" And as the attendant
started of briskly toward che massage
rooms the woman got up, put her hands
on her hips and, nodding her head up and
down slowly In time with her words.
sad: w ell, IN the name of snakes,
what's she going to do to me nowv'
THEN SHE GRoANED AND KICKED.
"Oh, you'll like this" said i, also max
ing move toward the massage room.
Come, Pm going to take mine. and I'Il
look in and get you started"
When the attendant got her on the slab
with the rubber pillows under her head
and feet she looked like an overgrown
pink cherub who was in strict training
for martyrs crown. While was beiu0
rubbed next door l could hear her prunt
and groan as the attendant, who | shall
always believe was having a little fun
herself slapped and kneaded her, and at
last she could stand it no longer.
Seeing that her patron could never be
induced TO trust herself in the chair again.
the attendant went out and got her q
campstool, which she felt of carefully be-
fore sitting down.
"Well, how do you like it?" I asked.
putting down the paper l had been pre-
tending 10 read, and appearing as though
/ hadn't noticed her experience in the
chair.
Like it?" she answered disgustedly.
as she mopped her face with corner OF
the sheet. Reminds me OF the Fourth
of July l spent visitin' in Utica when the
car horses all dropped dead and | most
had sunstroke. Been 'fraid of 'em ever
since. Think rll get out"
But the attendant and / insisted that
the heat was nothing when you got used
to it, and so persuaded her to linger a
while longer, anyway.
Spurning the offer of hot tub of water
for her feet, to assist the flow of perspira-
ton, she eagerly devoured three or four
glasses of ice water, and the sweat began
to pour OF her like rain from an um brella
in storm.
s'Get me my clothes and let me 90
home I've been scrubbed so now
haven't got an inch of skin left on nv
body" heard her say.
"Just as soon as you've had your plunge
YOU may dress,' said the attendant, and
with Come on. then, and let's get
through before l go plumb crazy" the
woman dashed back into the hot room
again, close at her heels.
"Just jump right in" said the rubber.
''Ies very shallowlat this end" And with
an expression which plainly said: ANY
thing to end this agony" the snub-nosed
woman jumped.
OF course she had supposed that the
hi al ,t,o I,