The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-03-02
Cutting Robbio's Hair.
ny MARY y. BRYAN.


ny MARY +. BRYAN.
And 80 this little household flower of ours
must he shorn of some ofits superauous beau
ties. Even roses and geraniums must be
pruned sometimes, and these uncut, ,si!ken
rings, with the golden sunshine Three sum
mers, entangled in their meshes, must make
the acquaintance Of scissors ut last. Grand
papa says 80, and adds that If it is not done
shortly, the low plum boughs will make
another Absalom OF Robbie, sometime, when
the blue-eyed gander is in hot pursuit.
There Is no denying that the curls need
trimming; they are too many and too thick,
and they make the little head droop uneasi-
ly to one side, like half-blown moss rose.
bud under the weight of its own moss, and
stragcle sometimes into the mouth and eyes.
Yes; they must be cut; but 1t seems such a
pity! Little curls that we have tw ned around
our fingers when all wet from the morning
bath; little curls that we have played with
while singing tho 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. :.
Here are tho scissors. Robbie must sit
very still, now, while his hair is being cut.
Wiy, sir, why do you smile and look at mo
SO beamingly with your blue eyes? How do
YOU know that am not going to cut oil that
saucy head of yours with these great, sharp,
cruel scissors? o, holy faith Of childhood!
IF we could only trust our God, us implicitly
l.. e.. .l,n.~
becoming as little children, 20 shall not en-
ter the Kingdom of Heaven"
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
per(orm tho sweet Office 30 gently; but when
fifteen or twenty years have flown, roughcr
hands will comb and cut these locks, all
bronncd by suns and winds. and clustering
above the brow of manhood. The whitc-ap'
roned, clcan-handed barber will then ar
rnnro them in the latest style of trimming ;
pomadinc, perfl--no my boy, you will
not be a dandy; by these strong limbs and
the sturdy look in those eycs-no. 49,.
But to think the down of manhood will
gather on this cherry upper lip and on chin
and check, dimpled us though by the touch
of an angels finger. To think that this
round neck OF alabaster will bc chOaked up
with mans nccktie, and these lily-bud feet
will wear high.heeled boots, and-Faugh! !!
I will not think it. cannot realize that
this fair baby of mine-but three summers
out of Paradise, can still smiling in hissleep,
remembering what an angel said there
shall ever be SO mctamorphosed. -,
And yet the boys babyhood is rapidly
accting, and the severing of those ringllets
seems like cutting tho golden threid that
links his infancy to his childhood. o, Rob
bic. can call you "baby" hut little longer.
You blue-eycd eli, you are already rebclling
as being treated rs one. You had rather
run, now, after your painted wagon, than lie
in your rose-curtaincd crib, and hear messing
of the baby whose cradle was the trcc-top.
and whose nurse was the wind. You will
not wear your corals, because grandpapa says
they are for babies, not for men; you had
rather hunt hons nest than play bo-pecp /;
and when hold out my arms to you, rs you
stand in the doorway twirlng your hat, you
turn your head ON one side, like halt-tamed
bird a-perch on ones finger, while your dane.
ing ewes seem to say, "You'll sec, you'll see
I'il soon tadc fisht!" Pretty soon you will
not believe in the wolf that talked to Red.
Ridng-IIood, and will lose faith in Santa
Claus.
l cannot keep the bud in its sheath
cannot stay the little bark that slips 80 rap.
idly down the hurrying stream Of life. Soon,
the rill will broaden into river, and the
realm of roses and sunny skies be passed.
And tho gold of these ringlets shall be dim.
med by time, and tho roses perchanco drop
from these pretty cheeks, and sorrow and
sin, it may be, cloud the clear, blue heaven
Of these innocent eyes.
There! am crying. How grandpapa
would laugh If hc caught me, and say 1t was
because wanted the curls to stay and make
n girl of his boy. See there are tears glist-
ching in these sunny clusters of hair, like
dew among the goldcn.blossomed jessamine
vines, and your eyes are looking to mo with
wide-opcned wonder, and your red lip begin
ming to culver with ready sympathy. U,
Robbie even if the worst should come, and
l should have to lay this bright head with
its locks Of undimmed lustre under coffin.
lid, and see the grass grow between my darl.
ing and the bosom he oncc slept upon,
should still thank God for having crowned
nv life with tho holy blessing of mother.
hood for it is such littlo arms as these ar.
ound our necks, Robbie. that make us feel
strong to do, and to suffer; 1t is drawing
such little heads m thcse close, close to our
breasts, and keeps the hearts OF some OF vi
mothers from breaking.
There that is grandpapa's step upon the
stair-and tho task Is just completed-the
little lamb Is shorn. Look at this brighs
head of glistening silk, such rs Persian loom.
never woye into richest fabric. Hero Is 'goldl
en- fleece for you, such rs never the lover OF
Madca sought. You did not know that such
a clistening wealth grow on your little head
did you, bluc-cycd baby7
No, you must not clutch 1t with thoee do
structiye fingers. Go-gandpa In calling
you-lct him SEQ his little man but leave
me these-the first curls cut from my babys
head. will put them away 70 remind me,
In other days, of his sweet, lost infancy
Southern Field and Ereside.
kcvx,a he