The WC
In the days when you couldn't count on a
public facility to have indoor plumbing, an
English woman was planning a trip to Germany.
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, a bathroom is
commonly called a WC which stands for water
closet.
She wrote the schoolmaster
inquiring into the location of the nearest
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" 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. 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.
With deepest regards,
The Schoolmaster
