The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-14
NoNANATATURKlSH BATH
.,yc.Iy BATHING DAE IN a BIG
4 bH" ~" TORK FSTABLISHMENT.

.lor NJ AIcOhNl anu N'''o' d. ~
800. a wild scream or n ma lauGh anoYe
VI " ,ta steady humminG buzz OF conversation
ah u, a,rinr fora second, even when a husky
,.,inipe voice broke out now ana mon from
a ,hsmrooinG room
Sic was bred in old Kentucky.
N Boston she was beans!
p.,,tlyn woman drew her sheet close
Ind hsr and descended the stairs. en-
" rrrc n rush in the busiest Turkish bath
eoC w,r York. Shc had been lured from Brook
ID Nsy nearing tEat bargains in baths were
Bn "'h,,iret 10 the metropolis. This was
y ar., try and she .clt her feet grow shV
net .,,,,,rt when they struck the first stair
ana ~. ,,,b urfclded itself before her With a
anI no., whirh fairly took. her breath away.
WIZ W.. ar, rushes on banks and the purely
,nsh for the bargain counter. but a
u.s. In 1, yOman's Turkish bath lie like moth
"s h,, aver was on lane or sea. 1t is wierd.
lN uncanny In its DorGesaue detail. yet IL
wober and Fieldian in its comedy aspect.
m,rks the line which separates life in a
n citv from that of n~eighboring suburbs
III , dis,inctness that took the little Brook
w., vomans breath away.
Oh. Ind stopped faltering to look about her
=. ,no row Of white draped cots upon which
',riou, feminine forms were distributed be-
w. ,r,sh blankets in attitudes suggestive
,"L,oiu,e repose. There was a bewiluering
-. ~ Affect. in the scene which made IL
IAN like a nightmare or the after effects OF n
wish rarehit. On one cot a woman was hay
,..hor hands manicured. while next her a
'"n voman with golden hair, the roots OF
uhi,h suggested "A dalliance wi :. peroxide.
W., consuming raw oysters and drinking
,.,, At the same time calmly reading an
.ysrinr extra 4 girl with outspread damp
t,r .nt in front OF an electric fan. her face
",,,od with cold cream and a novel clutched
Ii her hands
rho Drooklvn woman had started to go
,,,t when an attendant came up and exam
lt,.I , t,s that was fastened TO a rubber band
,i,ned over her wrist. 'Twenty-eiCht! she
l,,d Then she ciutched the BROOKLYN wo-
man. sheet aud drew her through a swing
door She was in a long, marble-ti!ed hall.
with steamer chairs along one side. tpon the
chairs there were still more sheeted women
With feet prctrudinG from beneath their wrau-
pigs.
The attendant pushed the Brooklyn woman
into the one un]orcupied chair. disappeared
,rd,came Rack with Il lump OF ice wrapped in Il
towel Without a question she placed II on the
Brooklyn woman's head. "Twenty-eiGhtN she
said as though to herself, Observation-Disclosures
I haven had a bit of lunch. This is a fierce
dav. Do anny o yel want amy thing
"rl have soma hot water said Il fat, red
faced woman near the door.
\ II think nothing of riding twenty miles Il
Hay in the summer said IA vivac.ous blonde
Whose generous proportions showed through
her sheet. END I've ridden of three double
Il - - V.... tt.A ltfnI in lt.an nnNEsta
Hut since August I've gained fifteen. I'm get
ling fatter every minute.
The BROOKLYN woman saw. looking through
Iher half-closed eyelids. tia, al! the women
were inclined to s'outnoss. They were all
| talking now about. whether Turkish baths
| made one stout or thin. one woman said she
| who must have weighed 300 and who had her
| feet in hot water said that for her part she
! hated a skinny woman.
The Brooklyn woman was trying TO think
OF some lines She had read somewhere about n
Turkish bath. They went like this: TO
thoroughly experience the delights Of the bath
well as body. ALLOW the thoughts 10 drift into
a pleasant half consciousness. Avoid con ;cr-
sation as far as possible and never talk OK
cent III a moderately low voice" She put her
hand 10 her forehead YEARLY and tried 10 let
6er mind drift oil into pleasant half conscious.
ness. She had had a hard days shopping and
feared that she had paid too much for the din
inc room rug. still, il was sent home G. o d.
She dtdnt really have 10 take it-put-.-
lust then q strident voice came through The
They're standin' in line at the door Of the
steam room and it's u quarter to T.
| Two Of the stout women drew their draper
| he woman with her feet In hot water ordered
| a slphOn Of setter, The BROOKLYN woman
asked for -omc !re water. \ ray Of green
licht 'ell over he tiled foor. Ii came through
b stained glass window overhead. There was
( N" fa'e Of a GrinntnE griffin il the centre and
fhe %broohiyn Woman noticed that it resern-
tlei the attendant.
Presently a series of shSicks came IN from
below and gazing through the frosted glass
\ wall she looked down into the steam room in
te 'entre Of which was the plunge, The
steam fl!ed the air with vapory clouds through
winch loomei pink moving forms undiscerni-
We lE the atmoSuhere.
cute: apartment. Here a dozen or more wo-
men sat about waiting for their scrub" 1hev
YER corlnlaintng loudly, at the delay, Some
c2I drinks through straws. Down a flight OF
ttePSi ilt2 a room 50 thicE with steam that she
S"iN hot Sc" her way the Brooklyn woman
tn"r path IN Br""kIru, where one paid more.
\lHl wielc there was NJ rush. Never again
Eh2G.d Shr gr9-s the, river seeking for metro
fp,,''an bargains N baths.
IN The steNnrroom they still talked. IN the
innGe they talked on and on. Was the WA
,t, r94. Yes. iHt it did YOU good! Could
summers ago, How was it thore? %:yalv-'
I frt nIH'N 81 theatrical lConie. puch. Wei.
A : fnouIa say y Is cold, mink the pinnge
Iahes on any flesh: Why. yon do not want To
\ ,sr, 20 ou-you're lusI right! See me
I].ssP4Ssss. There's "o'"t"r 'iS" " steam bath is
Is amy . yees roldy: Yell have to wait
E,nH an h"ur 0:Io's We come low. There's
Eso more "n!rcssin' in the office. Which o
yrTt wanted a lavender water raSSawge?"
To- lutie vas 4 rush tur the door. in which the
',.IHhEh woman, Was carried along as oy a
,It she was alarmed now and wished she
\ ~ a. nome somehow ii seemed a long way
az, "pHld, she ever see il again she won
\ .,.tI HMideniy she was seized and led into
room The hahnle Of voices was louder than
~ \ lag 81 salt was dumped on her chest.
sg@se eeElI 40 pray scf'iy' A voice a"ove her
Al the ladies' sccm +" come at once. We've
I NJ. plNN, Ike this since 10 this morning.
t,U " E''I enough when night comes. / caii
10 4, you ~, Won don't like tho salt? It'll
SS n sI1n HAY" Won never been here before:
uoG ought +" come every week. Want to be
n f.n Iiihk o. his poisoning ease? You live
H. ""oHSu' mat do you do that forY Soar
~ ,'ur eye IN, don't mind that You're npr-
Yes. al fGd upderO tins shower a minute.
s,,.hI IL U' rold n "rst- well. you can't stand
] The BROOKLYN woman was conscious Of being
! SbbsUSn, -'hgE"ringly TO a Weighing scales
i ibs,O' UulIht see. hat she was conscious thai
u NJ wa nn in.' in the conversation. In the
Ibb."IsS 81" saw 4 cot. AZ las. she could rest
\ fiT9T" H'frHH a meet oHeriL There was II,
II Talk oi}.cw," she murmurod family.
an" ""- Is ogr there ,sn't n one left
flLc%r,s r7.l this empty sirhou in n towel
i""Ir, Nc" Is hat: Comfortable, .sn't il
N bnu1ll cone here some day when we ain
tuseJJ ~! me ladies' is usually Very good ma
YIN TMn'b we NAY" a rush"