Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1901-08-27
EURO OKE

sjLlVlA NdtIiahU"iila f.dF '.lili ldal'Idiil .
Gardner made a study of baths while
he was in Japan. What he did NOT
know about them when he left was eX-
Nactly enough 10 make a native bathing
suit. 1t is odd, too, that he should have
taken to The furo oke so enthusiastically
when one recalls his first experience in
a Toxic bath tub.
This il what he told some globe
trotters at the Yokohama United club
one day They were asking for points
on doing" Japan.
81 had just run up to Toxic 10 see a
man IN the Imperial university" he ex-
planned. "He wasn't at home, but
young student who was taking care Of
his place greeted me most Hospitality.
H said oh. you have letter to the
professor, and are just from America.
am a thousand times sorry that he Is
not at home. But come in, anyway.
shall do all | can to explain Japan to
you.
HE made a noble beginning, | assure
you. He taught me chopsticks so well
that l was expert in half an hour I'll
I
he boiled me.
at is the custom here, you know, to
battle every afternoon. His bath tub
was out on the lawn. 1t is an oval
arrangement, about as high as 1t is
long, and a foot longer than it is wide.
In one end there is a stovepipe running
down through the bottom and coming
mp Just even with the rim Of the tub
AT the lower end Of the pipe is Il CRATE
that holds charcoal fire which heats
| the water. The idea is TO get in the tub
when the water is warmed and sit there
while the temperature gradually rises.
It's a great scheme, as | found out
afterward.
The japanese can stand II until the
thermometer shows l25 to 12S degrees.
So can J. now, after I've been at it a
year. but It's something to be worked
up to gradually. The first time you try
a japanese bath % degrees will do
much better.
well. as there was no one but this
student in sight, | went out on the
lawn and got in the tub It was fine.
The blue sky overhead and the wide,
wide world around me- This is just my
size, I said. I shall apply for natural
iZation papers tomorrow and settle
down for the rest of my life in Japan.
IT'S good enough for me- And so l sat
there, thinking of what I would do and
the fun Ia have.
But while | was musing the fire
burned. | didn't notice it at first; not
until | observed something else. That
was that this young students wife and
her maid had come out while | was in
my tub and were busy washing rice by
the well, not far away. That's err
something, | said Why didn't that
blooming rat tell them that 1 was out
here in the tub? Id wiring his neck if
| could get at him..
They'll be gone soon, ] suppose,
said to myself. But it was hot. So was
the water, and 1T got hotter. They're
not in a hurry with that rice said.
'Confound a country where it takes
them all day to wash rice / raved and
Gwore-inwardly. of course-but it did
no good. It didn't cool the water or
me a bit.
THAT water behaved badly. 1t didn't
warm up gradually to the boiling point.
thereby allowing me to simmer into
mock missionary broth. 1t 'het' itself
up by jerks. 1t would simmer gently,
then drop about two degrees, just
enough to fool me into the idea that the
fire was going out, and that | should
be comfortable. Then it would buck up
six points, and I'd have touch of
hades.
Still they washed that rice. If |
could have yelled I'd have felt better.
but ! didn't dare. was afraid they'd
see me- I tried 20 sneak, but Just as I'd
be half way out one of them would look
around or look as If she was going to
look around, and down I'd duck. Every
time | dropped | felt my hide peel off.
Just as in the stories they used to tell
of fellows being skinned alive out west
by Injuns.
All the water was too hot but at
the surface 1t felt like a red hot ring
bound to my body. tried to stir il up
to equallze the heat, but motion was
painful. | felt as if / couldn't move. |
dldnt have enough resolution. You see.
! was nearly done. So l braced my feet
against the little partition that serves
as a fender to the iron pipe and tried
to endure it. The water grew hotter,
and l braced harder until there was a