Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-03-20
BEAUTY IN THE BATH.

] Traveller Saw a Fascinating Sight Which
He VIII Never Forget.
In Aguas CalienteS some Moses OF
old smote the rock, and there gushed
from it stream of water SO warm and
altogether delightful that the town
was named after it, and the natives
bless the father of waters every day
of their lives. Bathing is the occupa-
ION of the town, and as a good many
square inches of skin are on exhibition
| in Mexico, complexion counts.
Imagine 500 natives of all ages and
! both sexes calmly bathing in an open
| ditch, with such privacy as the blue
heavens" and the republic Of Mexico
afford. There are two sections OF
! them, those who have something on
and those who have not, and they
splash around in their bath as uncon-
cerned as a baby or a canary in a
| porcelain dish.
Their ancestor. bathed in the long
! ditch where the water lies blue and
little puffs of steam arise, and why
not they?
What though the railroad did lay
its parallel bands of steel within
stones throw OF their hereditary bath?
That is the railroads fault, not theirs.
And so they splash joyously in their
ditch and disport themselves along
the bank in every conceivable state Of
dishabille.
We reached Aguas Clientes at sun
down on Saturday, and | was SO
curious to see the place that the sun
and | appeared on the streets about
the same time. Whole families APP
peared from the direction Of the town
bearing bundles of clothes on their
heads.
The Mexican peon owns only one
change Of garments, shirt and trous-
ers Of cotton, sash, sandals of most
primitive design, and straw SOM
brero, and he is abundantly clad. For
extra wrap there is the zarape, and
YOU see the young Indians about to
battle manipulate this useful garment
is a lesson in the art of draplng.
They select convenient bush, I'M
make their toilets, and, sheltered by
the friendly blanket, slide into the
water. While in the bath the women
wash their chemises and skirts, and
as soon as they are dry emerge from
the water and put on their freshened
wardrobe.
You may see mater families bathing
her brood. She selects a pool, and
disrobing herself to the waist, scrubs
her progeny Every head is carefully
soaped and scraped, and the white
suds run down over the burnt sienna
shoulders. The children have water
fights, and the naked babies when
cleansed are laid on the bank to dry,
whe'se they kick and spuirm like
bronze cupids Everybody washes
from crown to toe, and the girls
glance coquettishly at you between
long braids and floating strands or
dripping hair.
The prettiest girl I saw might have
been Pharoah's daughter, SO beautiful
and perfectly formed was she. | saw
her coming to the canal, bare-footed,
foot-sore and weary, yet with all the
marks of race in her face, and | doubt
not she is lineally descended from
some of the dusky kings of this fair
land.
She crept out of her white chemise
and calico skirt, and with her reboza
about her shoulders. slid into the
water. There she unbranded her long
nair and let it float out on the buoyant
water. holding her reboza before her
like curtain. and laughing over it at
me with my irupotent camera.
A row of white teeth cleaned like