Evening star., 1924-07-26
THIS AND THAT
ny G. T.. TRACEwELL.

| ny G. L. TRACEWELLs
"'ris rushing now adown the spout,
And gushing out below.
Half frantic In its joyousness.
| And wild in eager fiow."
The bathroom Is tho finest room in
q home. ,
1t Is about time some one stood UP
In meeting to sound the praise OF
the bath. that place where river
is harnessed for the delectation OF
as mederns.
! II you ever sat in = wash tub on
Saturday night next to the big drum
| stove you will agree that no room,
In the modern home Is 50 welcome as
ths bathroom.
| No ancient Roman, rolling In the
luxury OF his great bathing estab-
lishment, had anything on the most
humble resident of city or town, or
even farm, for the latter has river
compressed into a pipe, eager to do
his bidding.
There is no small pleasure in
sweet water" said Ovid.
| Mankind has held much that same
| thought ever since. Down through
the decades, with the unfortunate
exception Of the so-called dark ages
also the dirty ages-men have liked
their "ba~ths."
Ducks, birds, animals Of all sorts
showed early man the pleasures OF
bathing.
In those far distant times when
ONO, the first n1an.like creature;
on the river brink he looked out from
craggy brovs upon his fleeting prey
as 1t plunged into the stream to es-
| cape him,
In he went after 1t. but he had a
brain such as the mere animal did
the water in itself and for itself.
From that time on he must have
bathed for pleasure as well 2s profit.
Such a guess as the above Is Just
about as good as that Of a scientist
who was not there, either.
! With all due respect to the Eliza
bethans. one cannot help but have the
sneaking suspicion that they must
have been an odorous lot.
| No wonder they had plaques in the
days when they had no baths, or
1 ~
age are wont to call such.
| The modern bath, Of course, is an
evolution. It is but the last word,
however, in a surprisingly short final
period Of its evolution from river
side to tiled bathroom.
Not so many years ago. indeed, GER
| tain States in this country went on
record against the pernicious influ.
| ence Of the bathtub. 1t was held
evil in intent and purpose and doc
tors frovned upon 1t, much as at a
somewhat earlier period there were
sive speed Of railroad trains going
12 miles an hour. "If God had In
| tended man to 60 at tho frfghtful
speed Of IL miles an hour" read reSo-
iutiens soiemniy adopted. He would
| have said SO in the holy writings"
The bathtub and bathroom have
passed through the test period. They
| are here to stay. The thing for US to
do is to enjoy them.
The living room. which superseded
the old "parlor" with most people,
is, OF should be, one Of the finest
rooms in a home. There gather all
after dinner: there music wings its
way into hearts. The radio is making
/ the living room mors than ever live
up to its name.
| The dining room is a great place,
too. Whether 1t be stately paneled
walled or small dining a1cove, 1t
any home.
"Ah, sleep. IL is a blessed thing,
Beloved from pole to pole;
To Mary, queen. let praise be given
Who sent the gentle sleep from heaven
i That slid into my soul"
! 4 x < i
! But to the good old bathroom goes
| our sincerest tribute.
| I'm very fond of water:
| II ever must delight
! Each mothers son and daughter
/ When qualified Alright"
| Getting up in the mornin' is some
| what of task, Sir Harry Lauder
melodiously tells US.
| II is worse than task. It is bur-
| den to the soul and trial to the
! spirit. Show me the lad who says
he enjoys "springing out Of bed" ana
I will show you a liar.
The bathroom is the saving grace.
In the genial flow Of its waters,
| heavy lids OF sleep and the general
| murkiness Of spirit which encum-
| oers one.
| Every person has his own system Of
using a bathroom. Some wash their
face first, then take 4 bath, others
! reverse that, some do 1t all at once.
| The enthralling thought in the en-
| joyment Of ones bath is that here,
! within the confines OF one small
room. lies a great river, thanks to
! the art Of the plumber.
| Rivers are roads that move and
| carry us whittier we wish to CO."
, wrote Pascal, a plumber OF the soul
| of man.
| HE who does not know his way to
the sea should take river for his
guide" said Plautus.
! We OF this day and age may rest
easily In our bath, content that the
bathtub Is river in little. sea in
| miniature.