Year: 1874

Men never can understand why women
have a disinclination to new-fangled
baths, Turkish baths, Russian baths,
and the like. Women are naturally
cleanly ergo, they ought to like bath
ing; ergo, they ought to like baths
which bring the cleansing process up to
a point of absolute perfection, and
which enable the bather to luxuriate in
sense of delightful ease and comfort,
much more than ordinary bathing. The
process of reasoning is all right; one
naturally replies, "Of course they
ought" Then says the reasoner, who
has gradually become e1asperated,
"Why-don't they?"


Softly, good friend. There are three
reasons why women have not as yet
taken very kindly to the foreign methods
of bathing which have been introduced
in our midst. One is that they are
afraid of everything to which they are
not accustomed another, that they
have no hereditary inclinations or in
stincts to crafty by SO doing (baths of
any kind are modern improvement in
America and, third, they have not
much money.


confess to sharing the general lazy
disinclination to being subjected to the
drying or steaming process, and only
yielded a reluctant assent to trying the
Imperial Russian baths because 1 felt
stupid and had cold and a headache
and was going to ball. A brisk walk
on bright morning stimulated me
somewhat, and my courage rose as l
entered the handsome establishment,
but sunk again as followed the atten-
dant downstairs through narrow pas
sages lit with gas to one of the many
little rooms which are used for dressing
and undressing. i noticed, however,
the finish of the panelled woodwork,
the softness of the velvet carpets, the
perfect cleanliness superadded to the
elegance of the fitting-up and general
surroundings, and concluded that it
was not so bad, after all. There was a
tempting little lounge in the dressing
room, and, afterdisrobing, was tempted
to lie down and "make believe" 1 had
had my bath, but the attendant knocked
at the door, and folded my sheet tight
about me and followed her along the
dimly-ighted corridor. The misty at
mosphere and my scant white drapery
suggested the difference between myself
and the Ghost in Hamlet :" but while
l was endeavoring to solve the conun-
drum we plunged into a sea of vapor,
and my mental as we'll as physical
organs of vision became more obfus-
Gated than ever. 1 weakly climbed up
on a slab, as / was told, lay down at full
length, like a small cod in a fish-kettle,
and silently resolved that if got safe
out of this it would take more than the
ordinary inducement to bring me back
again. The attendant supplied me with
a can of cold water and q sponge to
place to my mouth and occasionally
bathe my face, and went away saying
she would be back shortly. l Ientreated
her to make her absence very short, as
1 did not think l should continue to
exist over five minutes +; but at the end
of that time 1 found myself very COM
Portable in fact rather began to like
it, and had made up my mind that
steaming was not at all q disagreeable
operation. Then / had to take up a
recumbent position on another slab and
be brushed-''curried" Isuppose would
be the proper term-all over with fine
lather, which is afterwards washed off
with tepid water. Then was taken to
the cold-water room, and having fancy
to see all there was Of it, l requested
that it might be 'turned on" without
limitation. But, good gracious l had
no idea from how many different direc-
tions cold water could be made to come.
1t spouted up through the floor; it fired
at me like shot-guns from the walls ; it
poured down in torrents over head and
shoulders, until cried Hold, enough !!
and went to work with dry towels Wig
orously. Then came period of deli
cious repose in curtained apartment
enveloped in sheets and blankets then
a rubbing and kneading and bend
ing of the joints, which reduced them
to condition of wonderful hexibility
then a Swinging all over with delightful
perfume then a prosaic dressing, but
feeling of marvellous lightsomeness and
content.


1 went out into the fresh air; my
headache had disappeared, / felt amia-
BILE, and might have been brilliant had
there been any one upon whom to exert
my recovered vivacity. l will not say
how much 1 enjoyed the lunch that fol-
lowed, the dreamy afternoon siesta, and
the ball in the evening-but 1 would
seriously advise women out of sorts,
young ladies going to balls and who
love to dance, to prepare for it by taking
a Russian bath. 1t is quite new
luxury. and that is good deal in this
btase age, when so many girls exhaust
life before they have entered upon its
cares and duties.