The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-09-13
j
Nj. Jehn Takes His Bath

IN THE olden days, when Rome was
as beautiful as she was brilliant and
! q brilliant as she was base, the bath
was an institution. 1t was not an ac-
eessory to the toilet as it is at the pres
ent time. 1t was a place where pro-
found statesman and polished patrician
and perfumed epicurean met to lounge
and visit and discuss affairs of state
end social importance. They went
there with much ceremony and pomp,
I attended by their slaves and arrayed in
gorgeous attire. They reclined in
dolently under awnings of burning
crimson and royal purple and they
ieasted and drank and spoke of the
BEAUTIES and the sonorous cadences of
Homeric verse. And they watched the
sunlight CLINT and glitter on the per-
fumed waters, turning them to limpid
azure at their feet, while the low, plain
tive voice of some bronze-skinnedh harp
! ist rose and fell in musical monotone,
sweet as love and sad as death, lulling
their epicurean senses to somnolent
content. 1t was all lovely with the love-
liness of art and the poetry OF un-
! shackled paganism. 1t had all the dig
! nifty of an age that was sublime in its
sensuousness and superb in its sin. 1t
WAS scene that had all the color and
IRE and barbaric splendor beloved of
the Caesars. It has filled the dreaming
eyes of centuries of painters and been
{ the Inspiration and the despair of brain
md chisel.
II was all this. But to-day there is
change. Paterfamilias still takes his
hath. 1t is weekly necessity, not a
ceremony. 1t is preceded and followed
by tri-weekly or daily "sponges," but
l + is duty to self and community, like
paying the taxes and going to church
Ind he observes it in the same manne,
and catalogues it on his mental en-
. Bagement list under the same heading
He regards it as an unavoidable but re
ezettable waste of time, instead of il
the Romanesque light of sensuou.
pleasure and social enjoyment. The
perfumed waters are to him not
ianguorous with the incense of Araby
but redolent with bath soap and am
nonia. The marble steps and waves o
impid azure have gone glimmering
whittier he wots not nor cares as h
Iifts the soiled clothes basket, tn,
Mby's rocker, a dress-suit case and ,
preserve kettle out of the tile bathtul
ana turns on both taps.
The purple and crimson and gold Q
nange and canopy have faded, as fad
8 !ne sunsets wondrous glory, and b
aaih over his wife's sewing table as h
eaters the hesthree-cornered bathroom t.
nent the gas. There is no bronze
lnne6 slave with plaintive song
. Aesyy with its burden of far-off Egyp
s. and sott-limbed maiden, broken-heart
a. and sleeping wakeless sleep in it
Z oiden sands. He hears instead his siS
war r-per-week empress of the kitche
aalng remarks down the 'lift" to tn
soeery man as she makes the block
g tackle swing-remarks that refe
Z = some oyerripe eggs and that ar
.Esd in color and not suitable for pull
taon in family newspaper.
AND, to begin at the beginning, th
ouus operandi Of paterfamilias o
"a night as follows: His wife con
noes by mentioning at dinner ths
las Is his bath night. He does not al
ser with much enthusiasm and th
stter drops. Then he rises from tt
Dae, lights cigar, sits down by IL
y-iamp and hides himself benin
paper. His better half sugges1
ne take his bath early to-nigl
Z he murmurs:
En2 Oh, yes. The British certain
pat . bigger mouthful than they CO
iortably masticate. Serves e
q drat 'em! Turn the lamp ksghe
~ you?'
e reads steadily tor some time .,