Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1895-07-12
TALE OF A BA1HTuB.
In American Students Ways Source Of
Wonder to Landladies In Germany.


IN American Students Ways a Source Of
Wonder to Landladies In Germany.
The story in the Sun the other day
about the infrequency of bathing in
Germany" said a man who spent two
years In German university, IRE.
minded me of my own experience.
went to a town in south Germany, and
not a house In 1t, except perhaps the
brand-new palace which had been built
in the hope of enticing the emperor
there on visit once year, boosted of
stationary tub. l bought tin bath
tub as soon as l arrived and set out
from my hotel to find lodgings where I
could get fresh water enough to make
it available. was prepared, as Amer.
leans who go to Germany to live must
be, to pay more than the other stu.
dents, and for running water l was
willing to give even more. But it was
not to be had in any of the lodgings /
saw, and when explained that want
ed q bath much surprise was always
expressed when we were not satisfied
with the statement that the bad ans.
ialt' was only short distance away,
and would, moreover, send a bathtub
to me once week. The suggestion
that the servant bring up water
enough each morning to fill the tub
always cooled down the landlady's en-,
thusiasm to secure me as tenant.
and my companion finally found in
one house room which rejoiced in
the possession of thin rubber tube in
the wall, and through this, under
favorable circumstances, it was pos,
sible to procure hesitating, uncertain
stream of water. 1t was water, though,
so we took the rooms and sent around
the two tubs which, owing to their
capacity to waste every morning as
much water as the family used in
week, were regarded with horror Ivy
our landlady.
II used to 60 every afternoon to a
tutor for a lesson in German, and, as it
came after the lectures in the univer.
sity, | was apt to be pretty Hcll played
out. This tutor, who was also a privat
decent in the university had bath.
tub and keg of hot water sent round
to him from the public bath once a
week. There were number of stu
dents and teachers living in the house
with him, and they all took their bath
on the same day, SO that the wagon
on which the tub and hot water were
carried mad to stand for some time in
front of the door. The tub always be-
gan to do its work on the first floor,
and when 1t was finished there
a head and shoulders covered with a
towel appeared at the window and
beckoned to the man. Then the latter
carried the tub up stairs to the next
man. In the intervals between the
visits of the bathtub very diminutive
china pitcher aud bowl did what they
could toward filing it's place. Often
after our lesson the tutor and / would
take supper together. He had been
hard at work all day, and so had l, but
his preparations for supper always had
much better results than mine. He
, poured little water into the bowl and
sprinkled it chiefly over his hair, put a
fresh celluloid collar on his gray fan
i. mel shirt, and covered up the shirt with
: large black plastron scarf. After
! brushing his hair carefully and twirl.
, ing his mustache until the ends stood
up furiously, he would throw back his
. shoulders and prove perfectly irresisti'
, BILE to the kellnerin that waited on US
2 The arrival of the bathtub might yet
, be several days off, but this mar
looked as spick as though he had just
4 stepped out of bandbox. People who
I can look so we'll without washing
e might almost be excused TO, hiring g
g bathtub for half an hour oncJ a week
when we went to Berlin from South
Germany the bathtubs came along, tt
remain a wonder and dismay to land
ladies. A stationary tub and running
water are as rare almost in Berlin a.
they are in the small towns. The pub
lie baths are everywhere abundant
cheap and clean. Steam baths are tt
y be had even in the small towns, ant
the Turkish and Russian baths, al
though more numerous in Berlin thar
), in New York and cheaper, are mucl
less elaborate. Anything like tn,
y scrubbing or massage one has in first
= class place here is unknown there