The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-26
BATHS THAT SWEDES A K
YOUNG WOMEN ATTENDANTS WEI
COME am COMERS.
A Bashfui American Man who Petit Cos
strsined 90 Lesd III- Attendant FROM The
Room Before Accepting Her Invi,n,,on
60 Plunge In-iIis Final Yielding.

Room Before Accounting Her lnvitation
20 Plunge tn uis Final Yielding.
N0m The Brootivn standard. linton.
Another institution peculiar TO Sweden In
the bath. To speak Of II Turkish or a Russlan
bath brings visions Of hot rooms and clouds OF
rapor, with a marble slab TO lie upon, ns in the
morguo. and a cold plunge Mt the end. The
mention of the Swedish bath brings Visions
shall I say it2-of fair women. True, not all
OF the attendants ut the Swedish baths would
win rizos ut a beauty show, still a large MAORI.
tyot them are young and buxom. and many Of
them, dressed and promonading the Drottnins.
gaten. would DO not unattractive Representa-
tives OF their sex. In all the considerable towns
of Sweden, also Of Finland-which ia Swedish
IN character, although now an aJpanaRe OF
Russia there are well appointed public baths.
and the attendants MT all Of them are women.
When l was first told this I thought IL a hoax
OF the ole Olesen" type, and I "winked the
other oye" at my Informant, but I soon found
II was true. l was in one OF the flrst-claas ho-
tells In stockholm, but when I asked for a bath
l was directed TO a house several blocks away.
and thither | went. AT tie entrance TO the
bathing apartments sat q row OF hcalthy-look-
ing young women, all neatly dressed in gowns
but sleeveless, their white arms giving evf.
de1ce OF the identifying effects Of much soap
ward to receive my ticket, and led the way to
herself with the preparations for my bath. and
sat down 70 wait until she had finished. She
have been Lucy, but che fingered long. 1 was
stu skeptical as to what I had been told.
Young woman az an attach6 Of the establish-
n menf must ,Sf have 2 judicieus limita ion. and so,
deliberatoly-yery ,deliberately. removed my
ooat, vest. ana trousers. Then sat down
s sSS dres Sine T yosm In the the tub sn room m. and ! was in
theTmometer into the water and hold It up to
TeSd tne record. Thg9 sne looked at me IN .
world are you waiting fori" and motioned me
to Come on, adding some words in her ma
said, but she beckoned in English, and the
tone of her speech suggested both persuasion
while I coyly held back was rather a reversal
tri1 the nc , order Of nature, but my native modesty
an end.
To be pointed to the door" will usually mako
an impression. upon the least sensitive bit Of
gray matter. but in this case It seemed only to
suggest to the damsel the mental query whether
ii,ciencies. Nor did she appear TO comprehend
a aEs s an% iaG be wh ogt Of I fi maj took q,hd her by the
the door behind her. Then / heard a chatter
ing among the magpies outside. pulctuated by
eXclainntlcns of surprise and ending In n peal
OF laughter; No doubt my buxoin attendant
was telling her companio ns of the monstrosity
N No. -" that insisted upon washing itself
When passed out | had to run the gauntlet Of
oil these girls, and the baby hippobotamus
amused wonder.
My next bath was in another town. walked
to It with a Swedish gentleman who spoke
good English. and | asker him to explain to the
Keeper OF the bath that | was from America,
where women do not battle men, and that | did
% %Ss " SHa s aPi "Ss! 5sas vAi Sh' m "Saasa ay es:
l understand"
A piece of drapery hung at the opening in
place or a door. and as the drapery could not
be locked or bolted | had to trus. the keepers
word. was In q hurry. and had taken my
bath, and stood. in the middle of the room,
naked rs n jay birds foot. and tiourishirg a
coarse towel. when the drapery parted and in
came n young woman, scrubbing brush In hand,
prepared to give me n bath. Imagine a Phila-
delphia housemaid coming down at . O'Clock
n the morning with soap and sand to scour
the front steps, only to find that some one had
dohe ms service FOR her, and you may see the
ex prcssion on the attendants face as she stood
she slInliied by pantomime that she did NOT
believe that | had had "A proper bath. I recalled
The proverb about Rome, and climbed back into
Thcnceforth / was n Swede in all that water,
implies; mat is. water "a n means of ablutiOn.
The Swedes have unbounded faith In water
as a cleansing element. an agricultural stimu-
liant: and for, quenching fire.
After | had been secured. first with u hard
brush and then with IA handful OF tow. and
had been given IA cold douche. my second ablu-
was over. and the maid threw around me
4 huge. warm towel. and dried me by pressing
her hand over the towel. having first handed
me n small towel for my own use. This small
towel is the only sop thrown to pruderv In the
whole course Of II Swedish bath. Then I was
until a singing sensation was produced,
warm fc!t %sIippers were put upon my feet. and
WAS left to rcc'ine a while upon the couch or
10 dress. The Swedish bath is a national insti-
.uilGn' and goes as a matter Of course. No
way. l am assured that the usage Is not
II any degree. inimical to morals. II may 10
80. but II is to be hoped thai the knowledge Of
! will not materially increase the tourist traf-
ic of the Baltic Sea.