The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-17

UwOy D8ovAn8s
vouder whether man ID more likely
10 b sleepless on the night before he d
married. or on the night before he Ii hanged
Ihaye experience Of only the more blissfu
of these two kinds Of anticipation but
confess that the night before was to be
joined to my beloved Julia in the bonds Of
wedlock was one Of the most restless
ever passed in my life. ] am timid man
. nervous man, man ever painfully CON
scious Of all bis defects and deficiencies
but never before had felt such poignan,
regret that I could not add couple o.
inches to my stature; and when ! reflected
that had never had the courage to reveal
to Julia carefully. concealed bald spot on
nv head, which she would now be sure u
discover, to my shame and confusion, my
remorse was terrible. l,
| got up in the morning at not very
early hour, and dressed myself with scru'
pulous care in garments which, though by
no means of overpowering magnlficence
were Enthusiastically suggestive of matrimo'
NAL intentions. But when attemptsd tc
shave, my hand shook SO as to make itiike'
" that the operation, if persevered In
would be sanguinary. Ny beard grow:
with a strength and determination which
no one acquainted with my character
would suppose possible unless he saw it
NV beard is also of dirtyish yellow color
/ could not proceed to church to meet my
bride without having it closely removed
I therefore determined to step into some
BARRIERS shop and get it done. And SO
made my breakfast with what appetite
might, put the license and the ring into
nv pocket, and set out for the town where
Julia lived.
This town was about twenty minutes by
rail from our village, and / arrived there
in very good time. Julia and l had agreed
that our wedding should be as quiet as
possible and it had been arranged that
should walk alone to the church, while she
should proceed thither in carriage, &C.
companied only by an uncle and younger
sister. My way to the church lay by
Julia's door, and so much was engrossed
by thoughts of the coming ceremony that
it was not until had arrived at that point
that the sight Of barber's pole on the
opposite side of the way reminded me that
had not yet got shaved. glanced al
Julia's window, but was so early that nc
one was visible, and there was yet no sign
of carriage at the door. looked at my
watch and stepped into the BARRIERS shop.
The window of the shop fronted the
street, but the door was up q little court
by the side-so that, as the barber hap.
pened to be looking out of the window
when entered, / could not see the bar
ber's face, neither did the barber see me.
1t seemed as if he did not hear me either
seating myself in chair in the middle OF
the shop, and placing my hat on form,
said, in mild tone of voice: ~ want
shave, if you please"
The barber did not move, and the ex-
preston of his countenance-..as far as
could be inferred from an inspection OF the
back of his head-was one Of melancholy
abstraction.
Again I said, in somewhat louder tone
81 will trouble you to shave me, If You
please"
Still the barber did not move.
Surprised at this, called out in a sharper
manner 81 want shave J"
The barber, with callous indifference
to all precedent, remained unmoved.
fancied he must be deaf, and next time
concentrated all the power Of my lungs
which would have otherwise been ditfused
over whole scntence-into a most en-
phatic pronunciation of one word Shaver
This unwonted firmness Of policy pro-
duced its effect, and the barber turned to-
ward me.
He was tall young man, slender but
well-built, tolerably good-lookine, with
dark mustache, but without whiskers OF
beard his eyes were large and we'll
opened, but appeared, as he first looked
toward me, as if they saw nothing of me
or my beard, or anything else. One would
have supposed that he had never heard OF
shaving before. $50,
l thought all this very queer; but still
supposing that he must be deaf, put my
hands to my mouth, so as to form natural
aking-trumpet, aud bawled out as loudly
as could:
"Iwant a-Share! And please to-make
haste! have pressing-engagement!
In a moment his eyes flashed with O
strange light. Advancing toward Inc with
O bound he seized chair, set it down with
most unnecessary violence opposite to
mine, threw himself into it, and leaning
forward with his hands on his thighs, eyed
me over, from the crown of the head tc
the sole of the foot and back again, and
said, as if had made most eXtraordi'
nary request: " You want to be shaved ~
/ was beginning to be alarmed at all this
and only thought now of beating retreat
so, taking out my watch, said: "Well-
al did think of it; but l see | have not
time now. Good morning" And l rose
to 60 away.
But the barber rose also and pressing
me back into the chair by main force, stood
over me with one hand on each of my shoul
ders, while / looked up at him in utter ter
ror and establishment.
"You came into this shop" said he
"you came into this shop to be shaved =
"Ye-yes," was all could stammer out
"And by me?" ....
"Well, IL suppose So"
"Then haste me-" cried he, "but I'll d.
it," IT..
Stepping to the door, he locked it in the
most determined manner, and put the key
into the pocket of his light linen jacket.
rather take credit to myself that die
not faint away at once; but that, on the
contrary, began to consider my chances o
escape. The barber was certainly mad
but perhaps might be able to pacify him
and induce him to let me go; or perhap
some other customer might come in
Surely somebody would come! / looked
through the window, but the street wa
quiet and still. A dog lay basking in thu
sun; horse seemed to be going to sleel
where he was tied to the door Of public
house next to Julia's dwelling but scarcel.
anybody passed, and nobody came to b.
shaved.