Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-01-11
From the Boston Book.
BARRIERS.
BY S. p. HOLBROO

pt .. Ts hOLDhOOhs
There is good matter for speculation in
your BARRIERS BRAIN
- he harh strange places crammei
WIN observation, the which be vents
In mangicd forms.
rs mind is dainty piece of Mosaic-a
tesselated pavement, inlaid with fragments
OF various forms and colors; here bit OF
politics, there bit Of poetry here little
law, there a little physic here piece of
black stone, and there piece of white.
lie cuts out his speech so as to fit every
one who comes in. He can discourse to
farmer of bullocks; to merchant, about
ships; TO broker, of stocks, and 10 fire
gentleman, of himself. His conversation,
for INC most part, consists of what Woods.
worth calls personal talk He deals with
men, not principles. Every flying bit OF
news, every anecdote, every good thing said
by the leading wits Of the day, seems to
come right through his shop window, and
TO stick to him, like burs on boys Jacket.
He knows all the engagements, the failures.
the deaths; who pays his tailor, and who
does not; who wears false whiskers, and
who real /; he can tell you in a whisper, the
name of the young gentleman that was car
ried before the dice Court, for riotous
conduct, and the lady of respectable con-
nexions,' who was detected in walking out
of shop in Washingtou-street, with yard
or two of lace more than she had paid for.
He has shrewd trick of observation,
too. He speculates good deal on that part
ofthe head which lies above the nose. He
sees mans character as well as his person
in state ofundress. When a nan is in an
arm chair, his head thrown back, his coat
off, lathered up to his eyes, he is stripped
of all those cumbrous !olios, which sense
of dignity, afiectation, or the duty of self-de-
fence obiige him TO wear about him, in the
daily walks Of life. The barber learns the
way to his customers weak side. He
knows just how much flattery each one will
bear to swallow, without making wry face.
Observe how that fat, old fool, now under
his hands, chuckles with delight as he tells
him. he never saw a man of his age with
so few gray hairs upon his head
Ever since reading the Arabian Nights,
| have had a warming of the heart toward
a barber, and the sentiment has increased
both by subsequent reading and observa-
ton. Whenever came across one in u
book, | depended upon getting many good
laugh out of him, and was seldom disap.
pointed. Authors all over the world, agree
in the views they take of their character.
They are always described as iovial, light.
headed dogs, full TO the brim of fun and fro.
lie, running over with animal spirits, then
tongues wagging the livc-long day, and on.
ly stopping long enough to laugh. Care
makes many clutch at them but they al
ways contrlve TO slip through the fingers
Poverty comes IN at their door, but Cheer
tulness does not fly out of his window. Ole
age lays his frosty fingers upon their brows
and they laugh in the gray boards face. A
sury, malicious, or ever. reserved barber
would shock our notions of propriety a.
much as good natured Saracen, or bene
VIOLENT Ogre. grew up in little village
and gathered my ideas of barber from
books /; he was TO me Platonic idea,
beautiful vision, an entity, shadow; and
when came to the city and saw a rea
painted pole, took off my hat to it with al
involuntary impulse of respect; and as t.
the day OH which, for the first time, wa
professionally taken by the nose, esteem
it one of the whitest of my life.
The barber, in truth, deserves all the kim
treatment he has received from the men o
letters. He is the essence of good nature
He has pleasant look with his eye, and h,
could not frown if he would. His wit i
often rs sharp as his own razor, but lik
that, it never draws blood it never show
itself in gbes, taunts and thrusts. Per
haps some c:usty old bachelor, that pride
himself upon shaving with cold water ever,
morning, may think this piece of cspecio
humbug; if SO, we have reason for our faitl
as plenty as backberries.
In the first place, no one would choos
the profession that was no, man of peace
full of the milk of human kindness. Onl,
think of the temptations that bcsct him
twenty or thirty nccks la bare to hin
every day of his life, with full permission 4
pass sharp razor within hairs breadth @
the carotid artery; who, that had larg
organ of desiructiveness, could refrain fror
occasionally Sitting wind.ppe, when tn
wind was east, or his breakfast not well di
gestedl Think of that, Master Brooks
In the second place, his native goodness
of heart is fostered by the circumstances ii
which he is placed. He takes sunny view
of life, and sees men in the best mood. N
one enters his shop without having me-
low glow Of satisfaction steal over his soul
In summer it is cooler, and in winter warm
er than the street, so that the first sensa:io
is highly peasurable one. And whoeve
goes to get rid of beard, or of an uncom
Portable and unbecoming length of hal
feels happy in his errand. 1t difluses
smiling look over his face, far unlike tn
frownlng brow and compressed lip OF tn
poor fellow that creeps to the dentist 10 hav
tooth pulled, or to lawyer to be helpe
out Of the scrape. He takes off his COZ
and cravat with an expression of relief {
being free from their tight grasp. II
, throws himself down into the chair with n
r emphasis not to be mistaken, and, taking
long breath, watts away with it all his an,
eties and cares. The tonsorial arts
now apprenticeship handles his collar an
neck as tenderly as o mother would a new
born infant; he begins to lather him
there is a magic in the touch of the brus
1t thrills to the marrow. Now he SCI
{ and feels the sharp steel playing around b
, chin, and every cut taken off weight fro
| his spirits. II is finished he arises ne
r mamie feels clean and smooth, and pui
in heart-he will assent to paradox, laul
at an old story. and say amen TO pray