The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-02-28
UNEASY SHAVING.

+ I wonder whether man IS moro Iikel7
to be sleepless on the night before he i.
married, or on the night before he is hang
ed. I have experience Of only the more
blissful of the.e two kinds Of anticipation;
but [ confess that the night before I vas
to lie joined TO my beloved Julia IN The
bonds Of wedlock was one Of the most rest
less [ ever passed in nay life. am a tirid
man, Il nervous man, a man ever painfully
conscious Of all his defects and deficiencies
but never before had / felt such pOign>
ant regret THAT I could rot add 'oUplc oi
inches to my stature, aud when I REJECTED
that [ never had the courage to reveal =
Julia carefully concealed bald -rot on
my head, which she would now he sure to
discover, TO my shame and confusion, ny
remorse was terrible. Then [ thought ol
that dark little parlor behind my shop In
the diney village where lived, and / ielt
how dull Julia would End it after always
sitting engaged in tasteful millinery worl,
st her front first floor window in that eve-
quiet street of that country town.
The fact isl own it with humiliatino
i was not up to Julia's level. 70 be
, sure, l had nice snug little business in
the drapery, pin and needle, vote paper,
bacon, and general line at our village. but
surely Julia was not the girl to be infu-
enced by such a consideration, and besides,
she had good business, and hundred
and ifty pounds of her own. No, 1t must
have been the depth Of my devotion, and
| must do myself the credit of saying that
| was exceedingly devoted. | don't think
there was single article in my shop
drapery, grocery, needles, and pins, nctC
paper, bacon, or general linc-frora which
| had sent her presents Of the best;
and when I had returned from London IN
the spring, / bought her such shawl rs
my villa@c-whatcvor may have beer the
Csse With her town-had never seen or
areamed Of. Julia was SO superior to NE .
Such 2 magnificent brunette, at least three
inches taller than myself with black hair,
brilliant dark eyes, splendid figure, sach ?
walk, and such spirit Jt was not Until
many a fear and many 4 jealous doubt
that | had at length prospered in ny
courtship. I had been madly Jealous
when that younS scampof a cousin OF hers
came home from sea: / had been madlv
jealous OF the inspector ofpolicc, after the
street rev in which he behaved Nth such
dia-in9 uisict, sallantry; worse t2an Mi I
hae, been mally jealous Of Ter Irritation
with young Twiggs, of the miliSia stall
after review. 1t was my jealousy Of that
martial Twigss, which drove NE to the
desperate notion o. joining the Volunteers,
and expending the sum C.. four pounds in
a suit OF uniform. 6ut soldering did net
suit me- might have managed eyenIu-
, ally 20 fire off a qua, but TIE sight OF coid
glittering steel was too much for my nerves
and the manners Of the driil sergeant were
SO excessively rude that was obliged tc
give the thing MP. I'wigSs, about the
same time retired from the militia and
harrassed me BY his hateful presence in
the town but Julia's conduct continued
Ito say tie least a ID excessively trying,
and not Until Tith;a The last FORTNIGHT had
been able to induce her to name the
happy day. |he prevailing feeling of my
heart were FEELINGS Cf delight and triumph.
Still | was restless, aud IS | heard the
clock strike one hour after another, be-
came painfully sensible Of the injurious
effect such restlessncss would nave on my
nerves and appearance the following day
| got up in the morning at not very
carly hour, and dressed myself with scru-
pulous care, in garments which though
net OF overpowering lnagnilicence, were
unmistakably suggestive Of matrimonial
intentions But when | attempted to
shave, my hand shook so as to make it
likely that the operation, il persavered in,
would be sanguinary. Ny beard grows
with a strength and determination which
no one acquainted with my character wod'
suppose possible unless be saw it. My
beard is also of a dirtyish yellow color. L
could not proceed to church to meet my
bride without. having it removed. l there
fore 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 my pocket,
and set out for the town where Julia
lived.
This town was about twenty minutes
by rail from our village, ana arrived
there in very good time. Julia and | had
agreed that our wedding should be as qui-
ct as possible and it had beea arrarg ged
that | should walk alone to the church,
while she should proceed thither in a car
riage, accompanied only by an uncle and
young sister My way to the church
lay by Julia's door, and SO much was [
ergrosscd by thoughts Of the coming Ger,
emony, that it was not until ! had arrived
at that point that the sight of BARRIERS
pole on the opposite side of the way, re-
minded me that had not yet got shaved
| glanced at Julia's window, but | was so
early that no ore was visible-and there
was yet no sign OF a carriage at the door.
/ looked at my watch, and stepped into
a BARRIERS shop.
The window of the shop fronted the
street, but the door was up little court
by the side, 50 that, as tie barber happens
ed to be looking ont o. the window when
! entered, | could not see the barbcr's
face. neither did the barber see me. 1t
seemed rs il he did not hear ne eitlcr
eating myself in a chair IN the middle OF
the shop. and placing my hat on a form, |
said II mild tone of voice "I want
have, if you please"
The barber did not move, and the ex
preston of his countenance, as far rs could
be inferred from an inspection of the back
Of his head was one Of melancholy abstrac-
tlOn