Show WHEN It Is TUB NIGHT Around the WORLD OW many persons ponder while H HOW in the midst of modern conveniences on how the rest of the world performs this same came act of personal cleanliness The stolen pleasures of the old hole the wooden tub in the kitchen surrounded by that questionable questionable question question- able curtain of privacy privacy privacy-a a sheet over the clothes clotheshorse a horse horse a real sea bath or swim in a gym pool have been the stepping stones of progression for formost formost formost most of us to the modern modem conveniences This bathing idea started with Bible folk who wh bunt built the most wonderful swimming pool the world has even seen in Solomons Solomon's temple This molten sea measured ten cubits from brim to brim five cubits in l height eight and was round in com corn compass compass pass the thickness was a hands hand's breadth and the brim shaped like that of a teacup was carved with lilies and leaves The immense basin was borne aloft by tw twelve lve carved oxen three each facing nort north south east and west The pool received received re re- and held three thousand bathers at one onetime onetime onetime time and was designed for and used by high priests there being twenty thousand baths of wine and the same number of oil provided for forthe forthe forthe the laymen The Finn takes bathing as a serious rite and the house bath-house is the first building erected on the farm fann Generally it is a rough building 15 to 18 feet high with a a. like chimney-like vent in its p peaked ked roof or a small window over the door for forthe forthe forthe the same purpose The door opens into a n little room from which another door opens into the bath In one corner of 01 the main room is a wide fireplace built of large round stones compactly compactly compactly com com- piled around a deep fire box At the sides of the room there are three or four platforms at different hei heights On tub night or day a roaring fire is built and allowed to burn bum until the stones are super super- heated It is then raked out and pails of water are thrown over the stones which fills the place with dense steam in which the entire family is soon enveloped After steaming to his satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction tion a pail of water is thrown over the bather in inthe inthe inthe the anteroom or he takes a vigorous roll in the tho snow then a run to the house clad only in the garment c-arment of cleanliness On Saturday after the baking is done the Russian peasant crawls into the cooling oven and after a good sweat his spouse douses him with a pail of water He then drys off and the dee deed is done but he be makes the mistake too o often ten of donning donning donning don don- ning the tho same clothes he took off which causes the casual critic trusting to olfactory evidence to say the Russian is not clean After tub day dayt t the e oven is freshly whitewashed for tho the next baking In the cities the Russian steam team baths are generously patronized for an immaculate Sunday is part of the Russian creed ti In the slowly receding past the members of a French family bathed in succession using the same tub of water The host bowing to guests' guests prejudice would offer to skim the water for their bath which was easily done as a sheet was always spread in the tub be before ore the water vater was poured in for this purpose The bathtub sheet hot towels and water may be rented from men who travel with wagons equipped for the purpose the water being heated while you wait for a very modest sum The Bantu o of West makes elaborate elaborate orate preparations for a real soak by digging diggin a hole bole in the ground in which he puts seven seve herbs a qua quantity quality ity of peppers cardamom seeds and bushes then he pours in a lot of boiling hot water After he gets in insa light frame covered with clay is put over ver the hole to keep in the steam After hours of steaming the bather emerges and is washed off with clean water then kneaded b by a professional for one hour when he dons his scanty clothing and goes his bis way shivering shivering shiv ering with cleanness In the Japanese public baths paper screen partitions offer but a slim blim protection from public gaze but let us say to their credit the Japanese have excellent manners and never peek The custom of bathing with friends or str strangers in public seems to be too general to excite comment People go to the roadside wooden bathing sheds undress behind the paper partitions wash down with soap over the slat floors then stet step into the tank where six or or seven others other arc are rinsing rinsing rinsing ing off without the least concern Crouched down in tho the water waler the bathers can enn watch the tho thoI I t I L street activities with ease There is no talking and when ready each bather leaves the tank dresses and goes his bis way It is considered a perfectly perfectly perfectly per per- modest proper thing to do A charcoal stove keeps the water at degrees F. F under the eye of the attendant The Ainu feels that by washing his face and hands on great occasions he has bas paid his debt to civilization The considers that the oil of the body contributes needed warmth in his mountain life and re refuses uses to wash it away but does not object to washing his face and the tips of his fingers once in awhile Natives of hot climates who spend much time in the water rarely use soap except for a shave or shampoo The is a reckless bather during the fishing season when he is forced to wade to disentangle his nets but his wife and family think handling wet nets absolves them from further bathing rites |