The San Francisco call., 1913-12-05

stone pillow. With a small hose she
turned a food Of water on the bench,
pillow and floor, dispelling Helen's 5
lurking fear that things might not
be clean"
Now, just lie down there, ma'am.
Is this your first bath?'' noticing
Helen's shrinking reluctance. 'Oh.
| you'll like it when you get used to it"
Helen closed her eyes and held her
breath. With astonishing vigor and
energy this young woman went at
her with stiff brush that felt like
a currycomb.
THE ONSLAUGHT
ooh, not so hard! My skins too
tenderr
IT'S good for you, ma'am." consol-
ingly. Now turn over, please"
Helen squirmed under the onslaught
of the bristle brush. Then a mo-
ment's respite and she felt a sooth-
ing flood of warm water from the
hose. Then more lathering with soap
and more vigorous scrubbing.
There, now, ma'am," as Rose again
turned on the hose. would you like
a salt rub?'
Helen had no conception of what a
salt rub meant, but she remembered
a sign: Salt Rubs Make Pink Skim
The bristle brush alone was tor
ture, but the bristle brush filed with
| coarse salt brought visions of the
Spanish inquisition when they lashed
their victims and rubbed salt into
their raw wounds.
"Oh, don't-pIease don't! I can't
stand itr
You'll feel fine afterward. You're
skins little tender, but a salt rub's
good for 1T. There now" as again
came the grateful food of warm
water. Now come out and III give
you the hose and the spray"
Outside Helen stood in marble
recess while Rosa from the corridor
about ten feet away turned on a
powerful hose. It was warm at first,
but gradually it grew colder. Like
most women, Helen shrank from cold
water, but Rosa was merciless and
kept the now icy stream turned full
on her.
'eNow, madam, the needle spray and
you're through"
she turned off the hose and led
Helen to a diabolical looking arrange
ment of coiled pipes which sent out
fine sprays of water and steam.
Helen shrank back with cry.
ONLY THE SPRAY
THAT'S scaIding, You don't expect
me TO stand in there?"
why, it's cold, ma ami That amt
steam-that's only the spray!
When Helen reluctantly stepped in
side it was like a thousand electric
needles playing against her flesh. Yet
instead of feeling cold her skin began
to glow. To her amazement she really
enjoyed standing in this shower of icy
spray.
sheet about her as she came out. II
knew you'd like it. Now don't you
want to go in the pool for a while?"
leading her down the corridor to a
large marble bathing pool.
Mrs. Stevens was already there, and
Helen waded out toward her, shoul-
der deep in the clear water.
Ten minutes in the pool, then a
brisk rundown with coarse towels and
! they made their way back to the
4 dressing room. There the bath at
4 tendant gave them a vigorous alcohol
4 rub.
When they finally came out on the
street Helenss skin was aglow and
her blood tingled pleasantly through
her. She walked fast and took deep
breaths of the clear, frosty air Her
sense of physical wellbeing amounted
almost to exhilaration
But the buoyancy of her mood was
not wholly physical. For as she pic
tured the disfiguring obesity of some
/ of the women in the baths her mind
/ leaped joyously to the thought that
she was still young and slim and that
/ for her a Turkish bath was only a
luxury and not part of a relentless
reducing regimen"