The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-05-13
Those Second
Bathti'ne
Key West Blues
BY Margaret cvsirk

toned 20 DatnlnS as a cnlIu. Motn-
er had trained as nurse and
Father was a doctor. Their Victor
ian idea O.. cleanliness was like all
the rest of their ideas on the stern
business OF living--and evn taking
a bath was mighty solemn af
fair. So the water shortage and the
fact that ] lived on the second floor
didn't make bathing in Key West
any easier for me this winter. Of
course, now that the water supply
has increased. / can afford to laugh
at the whole thing.
Have you had this experience
yourself in Key West? You've been
out all day working or shopping
and you come home tired and drip
ping from the heat. Your one OBJ
jective is to get those clothes off
and to get into that shower. You
shed your sticky things quickly. all
set for that cool. cool, water. You
turn on TIE faucets and gush of
cold water comes out. You recoil
shakily TO a corner of the shower.
Then you try again and leap back
terrified as a great rush of red hot
water sprays you. You strive to
mix the cold and the hot quickly
there! you have IT, It's just right,
SO you soap yourself. luxuriating in
the wonde rful feeling of GOODNESS
and cleanliness. Now for a rinse
you go to turn the water On bit
more for a grand finale, but, no!
There is TO more-.finis the bath fl
mis- the rinse, fms you!
II can't be, you say-.this isn't
right must have water. Gradual
ly u idea seeps in-.there isn't any
water--there won't be any water
for Tours and lou haze to rub that
soap off with towel and decide,
once again. that you love Key West,
water shortage or no. : ID YOU tell
your elf that We g"c gc'1g 10 have
lots Of water next July, so why
kno; you self out nov? Yea never
did ,e bathing much anyway,
Didr il always make yodr sinus
wor in cold weather didn't it
was away = tie nc:,1~2lt CTS o.
your body in hot weather? Why,
the mars c"A TIE C~ceks actual.
ly / he'd in oil-.they knew enough
not be slways va. 'ng washing
was iag away at their hides like
Amc leans. Who ever wanted to
take a bata anyway. aid vi e did
! pu that bottle of eoo'ire vi?
/; avs could talk myse.. oui Of
a b. af ar that c 49, pc arce
of e. A second.story ley Vest
bait as nothing on ~ old child
hoot lirt .s'o~v 7rp- N. N. Y,
batf Bathume was. somewhat liv.
enes 10 ~ aa aura Of historical
anx witch accompanied all the
bod lno ions and even s2ch sim
pie things as hairw, liz. TIE
Bait how ever. was major scien.
tific project. Yc1 b IN a., n
abo,' the Bath early in the day. II
was not scheduled unul Z pm.
wei say. but there was much dis.
cuss,oa during the ate ION of how
the h,t water heater in the base.
meT of or bic brown stone house
mus be turned on in pienty OF Time
and how all the hot water must not
be used for tie dinner dishes.
There was great anxiety con
nected with lighting the heater and
Mother repeatedly told lurid tales
OF women who had had heir faces
blown off when the heater explod.
ed. | was always immensely re.
lieved when Mother came upstairs
after lighting the heater with her
features intact and the hair still on
her head
There was a small gas.log heat
er which was lit In the bathroom
during the bath ordeal and then the
water began filling up the huge oh.
long tin tub with It's wooden frame.
Soon the big dramatic episode Of
taking the Bath started My clothes
were pulled off in a frantic rush SO
that wouldn't set cold was put
into the tub and washed and
scrubbed vigorously with tighten.
ing speed So that | wouldn't be
exposed to the Bath too long. Then
] Sas ysnked out and died in an
atmosphere Of mounting hySteria
lest l catch cold AZ this supremacy
delicate stage Of the Bath. BY the
time | was tucked into bed. was
clean but badly shaken up emotion
ally my whole nervous structure
trembling az the possible dreadful
consequences Of the Bath.
| love TO think now that my aver
sion TO too frequent bathing Is tied
up with this early encounter with
the Demon Bath ard not 10 plain
IaEineSs and the handy excaSe that
II irritates my Siruses | still talk
good bath. starting early In the
morning 10 weigh the possibilities
and then AZ the last minute at night
abandoning the idea or SEINE film
sy pretext. What better excuse
than the Second-Stary water shor,