WC woes and a prayer chapel
In the days when you couldn’t count on a public toilet facility, an
English woman was planning a trip to India. She was registered to stay
in a small guest house owned by the local schoolmaster. She was
concerned as to whether the guest house contained a WC. In England, as
you know, a bathroom is commonly called a WC which stands for
“Water Closet”. She wrote to the schoolmaster inquiring of the facilities about
the WC.
The school master, not fluent in English, asked the local priest if he
knew the meaning of WC. Together they pondered possible meanings of the
letters and concluded that the lady wanted to know if there was a
” Wayside Chapel ” (Place where Celebrations are done especially like a
beautiful garden) near the house . . . a bathroom never entered their
minds.
So the schoolmaster wrote the following reply:
Dear Madam,
I take great pleasure in informing you that the WC is located 9 miles
from the house. It is located in the middle of a grove of pine trees,
surrounded by lovely grounds. It is capable of holding 229 people and is
open on Sundays and Thursdays. As there are many people expected in the
summer months, I suggest you arrive early. There is, however, plenty of
standing room. This is an unfortunate situation especially if you are in
the habit of going regularly. It may be of some interest to you that my
daughter was married in the WC as it was there that she met her husband.
It was a wonderful event. There were 10 people in every seat. It was
wonderful to see the expressions on their faces. We can take photos in
different angle.
My wife, sadly, has been ill and unable to go recently. It has been
almost a year since she went last, which pains her greatly.
You will be pleased to know that many people bring their lunch and make
a day of it. Others prefer to wait till the last minute and arrive just
in time. I would recommend Your Ladyship plan to go on a Thursday as
there is an organ accompaniment. The acoustics are excellent and even
the most delicate sounds can be heard everywhere.
The newest addition is a bell which rings every time a person enters. We
are holding a bazaar to provide plush seats for all since many feel it
is long needed. I look forward to escorting you there myself and seating
you in a place where you can be seen by all.