Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-04-29
A BATH IN FINLAND.
AN IMPORTANT AFFAIR THAT TAKES
PLACE ONCE A MONTH.

Turns ON the Steam, and the whole
Village Population Is Cleaned = Then
Comes n Siesta In the Cold Air.
II you lived in as cold and uncomfort-
able a country as Finland, it is highly
probable that you would never take
bath. Therefore you will appreciate this
remarkable story, which proves the great
virtue and bravery of the Firms. There
are Firms no doubt who battle every day;
but, like the most of the real heroes OF
this world, they live and die in obscur-
ity, unhonored and unsung.
There are, on the other hand, no
Firms who do not take at least one bath
q month. And this is pretty high aver
age when you consider that for all
France the average is one bath year
for every Frenchman, and in Germany
the average is seven-tenths of a bath
year for every German, and in England
the average is one-half bath year for
every Englishman. These are thin and
Door averages when compared with the
Finnish average Of 10 baths year
person.
But it is not the number of baths that
is 80 interesting as the Finlander's meth
cd of taking those baths. Of course,
even in such centers Of civilization as
Keitele, the people have long ceased to
be quaint. But take village like Tras-
borg, which is tucked away in an OBJ
scure corner of the banks of Ulea Trask,
and you find the ancient and honorable
Finnish bathing custom in full force.
On the banks of the lake about
quarter of mile from the huddle OF
huts called Trasborg you will see
small log house with no windows and
apparently with no door. All around
the outside Of this queer hut runs a
bench, the back of which is the wall of
the hut and the seat single board sup
ported by uprights.
There is no chimney. There is box
like sentry shelter at little distance
from the hut, and it is from this box
that an underground passage leads to
the interior of the cabin.
On certain day you will see huge
fire blazing near this cabin, and after
it has been going for several hours you
will observe that the old woman who
has been watching the fire will reach
into it with huge pair Of tongs and
lift out bowlder The bowlder is red
hot.
She will drag this into the box and
SO through the underground passage.
She will lay it finally in the Gel ar Of
the earthen floor of the cabin, and SO
she will go on, dragging redhot bowl
ders out of the fire and piling them up
in mound in the center Of the cabin
floor. When she has brought the last
bowlder, she has a large mound, and
the cabin is beginning to warm up.
In q corner of the cabin stands q
huge barrel of water. She dips bucket
into the barrel and throws the water Oh
the mound of rocks Steam bursts from
it. When she has thrown on half doz-
en- buckets, the cabin is choked with
steam.
The joyous bathers begin to arrive.
While the old woman has been making
the steam the villagers have been get
ting ready. In every family there has
been grand disrobirg.
And now from every hut burst the
inhabitants, clad only in the simple,
tight fitting and innocent garments
with which nature has provided all hel
children The weather is cold, bitter
cold. But the hardy Finnish men, WON
en- and children are not disturbed.
They leap over the frozen ground
shouting with laughter and going at full
speed to keep their blood circulating
The Firms are far from lovely to lool
upon, even when swathed in their win
ter garments Of fur. In state Of nature
they would never attract offers from
painters or sculptors seeking models.
But they are so frank and so Cheerful
and SO happy that one does not mint
their squat bodies, their rolls Of fat
their coarse and greasy skins. So they
20 bounding to the common bathhoust
Of the village, running races, tripping
one another, jostling one another aside.
ALI are in the merriest possible mood.
There is quite a scramble at the door
Of the sentry box, as SO many arrive at
the same time But gradually they dis
appear until the whole village popula-
ton is lying or sitting about on the
shelves that line the interior walls OF
the cabin. The mothers have brought
the babies. Not soul is left in the vii
lage huts. It is deserted village.
There are lively times in the bath.
house, as you may imagine. The women
are all on one side, the men on the 9th
er, and forms can just be dimly made
out by the dim tallow dip that sheds 6
faint, smoky light. The place is full Of
steam, and the temperature is away VI
toward blood heat Hour after hour the
ingenious Firms lounge or sleep or gos
sip. They stay until they are thoroughly
boiled out and the room begins to gel
chilly.
Then they sit outside the house on the
bench. They do not mind the freezing
air. They lounge about as if it were
summer time, smoking, drinking, feel
ing clean and light hearted.
They do not destroy this pleasure by
iudulging too often. Once a month i:
often enough. Thirty days of quiet ant
then one day of the full, round joy o.
perfect cleanliness is just about right fol
keeping the balance adjusted. -Bostol
Post.
Surprises of Travel.
A noble English lady who was ovel
here several years ago and who was en-
tertained by a number Of prominent
New Workers said one day to coun
trywoman of ours:
Everything here was such a sur