Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-08-10
Cutting Little Robbie's Hair.


Even roses and geraniums must be prtined
sometimes, and these uncut silken rings, with
the golden sunshine Of three summers entan-
gled in their meshes, must make the acquain.
tance Of scissors at last. Grandpapa says so,
and adds that If it is not done shortly the
low plum boughs will make another Absa-
lom of Robbie, sometime when the blue-eyed
gander is in pursuit y1aa',nt U%1 6 d5iR tfa}
There is no denying that the curls need
trimming they are too many and too thick,
and they make the little head drop uncasily
to one side like half blown moss rose bud
under the weight of its own moss, and strug-
gle sometimes into the mouth and eyes. Yes
they must be cut, but it seems such pity |!
Little curls that we have twined around our
fingers when all wet from the morning bath !;
little curls that We have played with while
singing the evening lullaby; little curls that
our tears have fallen upon when the baby
eyes were shut in sleep--ah only mothers
know how dear such curls are to mothers
hearts. y. .ap}aef q af rlH.f 4
Here are the scissors Robbie must sit
very still, now, while his hair is being cut.
Why, sir, why do you smile and look at me
50 bcainingly with your blue eyesY7 How do
you know that ain not going to cut off that
saucy head of yours, with these great, sharp
cruel scissors o, holy faith of childhood !!
II VIC could only trust our God as implicitly
as babes do their mothers! Except ye be-
come as little children, ye shall not enter the
kingdom Of Heaven" p 0s.i2sa@4
BE very still, now, while comb out these
threads Of shining floss. The mother is the
first barber to her boy no other fingers can
perform the sweet Office so gently but when
fifteen or twenty years have flown, rougher
hands will comb those locks, all bronzed by
suns and winds and clustering above the
brow ofmanhood. The white-aproncd, clean
handed barber will then arrange them in the
latest style of trimming, pomading, perfuA
no; no, my boy will not be q dandy by
these strong limbs and the sturdy look Of
those eyes--no. l-|i'HE 9.A ti3if b'l,3 -!aa
q But to think that the down ofmanhood
will gather on the cherry upper lip and on
chin and check, dimpled as though by the
touch of an angels fingcr! TO think that
this round n:ck all alabaster will be choked
up with mans necktic, and these lily bud
feet will wear high heeled boots, and-Fough!
will not think of it. cannot realize that
this fair baby Of minc-but three summers
out of Paradise, and still smiling in his sleep
remembering what the angels said there
shall ever be SO metamorphoscd. NV E1tl =
And yet the boys babyhood is rapidly
Aeeting, and the severing Of these ringlets
seems like cutting the golden thread that
links his infancy to his childhood. Oh, Rob
bic, l can call you baby but little longer. =
You blue eyed elf You had rather
run, now, after your painted wagon, then lie
in your rose -curtained crib, and hear me sing
of the Oaby whose cradle was on the trce-top,
and whose nurse was the wind. You will
not wear your corals, because grandpa says
they arc for babies, not for men you had
rather hunt hens nests than play bo-pecp
and when hold out my arms to you, as you
stand in the doorway, twirling your hat, you
turn your head one side, like a half tanned
bird a-pirch on ones finger, while your dane
ing eyes seem to say, "You'll sce you'll see.
I'll soon take flight - Pretty soon you'll
not believe in the wolf that talked to Red
Riding Hood, and will lose faith in Santa
| Claus. Hara wv 81 9f A1.
cannot keep the bud in this sheath;
cannot stay the little bark that slips so rap
idly down the hurrying stream of life. Soon
the rill will broaden into river, and the
realm Of roses and sunny skies will be passed.
And the gold Of these ringlets shall be dim
med by time, and the rosesspcrchance drop
from these pretty checks, and sorrow and sin,
it may be, cloud the clear, blue heaven of the
innocent eyes.
There! am crying, How grandpa would
laugh If he caught me, and say it was be-
cause l wanted the curls to stay and make a
girl of his boy See there are tears glisten-
| ing in their sunny clusters Of hair, like dew
among the golden blossomed jcssaminc vines,
and your eyes arc looking at me with wide.
opened wonder, and your red lip beginning
to quiver with ready sympathy. Oh, Rob
bic even if the worst should come, and
should have to lay this bright head with its
locks Of undimmed luster under coffin-lid,
and see the grass grow between my darling
and the bosom he once slept upon, should
still thank God for having given him, for
having crowned my life with the holy bles-
sing Of motherhood; for it is such little arms
as these around our neck, Robbie, that makes
us feel strong to do, and to suffer; it's draw
ing such little heads as these, close, close to
our breasts that keeps the hearts of some of
us mothers from breaking. 't
There that is grandpapa's step upon the
stair, and the task is just completed lit
tie lamb is shorn. Look at this bright heap
of glistening silk such as Persian looms new
er woye into richest fabric. Here is the
golden fleece" for you, such as never the
love Of Medea sought. You did not know
that such a glittering wealth grew on your
little head-did you, bluc-eyed baby !?
No, you must not clutch it with those de-
structive fingers. Oh-grandpa is calling
you-lct him see his little man but leave
me these-the first curls cut from my baby S
head. viii put them away, to remind me,
L. 1xs s-.C