Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-08-31
About BARRIERS.

All things change except the BARRIERS,
the ways Of BARRIERS. and the surround
ings Of BARRIERS. They never change.
What one experiences n a barber shop
the first time nc enters one IS what he
always experiences in y barber shop
aflerward till the end of his DAYS.
got shaved this morning rs usual A
man approached the door from Jones
street n | approached from Maln-a
thing that always happens. ! hurried
up, but it vas OF no usc-hc entered
the door one little step ahead Of me,
and followed on his heels and saw
him take the only vacant chair-tnc
one presided over By the best barber.
Il always happens 50. | sat down,
hoping that might fall heir to the
better OF the remaining two BARRIERS,
for he had already begun combirg the
mans hair, while his coinrade wa not
yet quite done oiling his customers
locks. | watched the probabilities
with strong interest. When saw that
No. 2 was gaining on No. /. my inter
est grew to solicitude. When No
stopped q moment to make change for
bath ticket for new conner and lost
ground in the race, nv solicitude rose
TO anxiety. When No. caught up
again, and both he and his comrade
were pulling the towel ava, and
brushing the powder from their Gus
toners checks, and it was an even
thing which would say Next first,
my very breath was still with suspense.
But when, at the final eliminating mo-
ment. No. stopped TO pass comb
couple of times through his custom
er's eyebrows, saw that he had los,
the race by single instant, and rose
d'gnant and quilted the shop. TO keep
from failing into the hands of No. ? !;
for l have none of that enviable firm
ness that enables man 20 look calmly
into the eyes of waiting barber and
tell him you will wait for fellow-ba
chair. stayed out fifteen minutes,
and then went back, hoping for better
luck. or course all the chairs were
occupied now, and four men sat wait
ing, silent, unsociable, distraught, and
looking bored, as men always do who
are awaiting their turn in BARRIERS
shop. l sat down in one OF the iron
armed compartments of an old sofa.
and put in the time for a while reading
the framed advertisements fall sorts
of quack nostrums for dyeing and col
oring the hair. Then read the greasy
names on the private bay rum bottles !;
on the private shaving cups in the pig
eon-holes studied the stained and
cheap prints on the walls, of battles,
early Presidents, voluptuous, recum-
bent sultanas, and the tiresome and
everlasting young girl putting her
grandfather's spectacles on; execrat-
ell in my heart the cheerful canary and
the dstracting parrot that few barber
shops are without. Finally search
ed out the least dilapidated of last
years illustrated papers that Uttered
the foul center table, and conned their
unjustifiable Misrepresentation of old
forgotten events. At last my turn
came. A voice said Next" and
surrendered to-No. 2 of course. 1t
always happens so. l said meekly that
l was in hurry, and it affected him
as strongly as ifhe never heard it.
He showed up my head and put a nap
kin under it. He plowed his fingers
into nv collar and fixed towel there.
He explored my hair with his claws
and suggested that it needed trimming
said l did not want it trimmed. He
explored again and said it was pretty
long for the present style-better have
little taken off; it needed it behind
especially. ! said | had it cut a week
before. He yearned over it reaectively
a moment, and then asked, with dis
paraging manner. who cut it. l came
hack At himpr omptly with You did. !"