Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-09-14
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
The Barber.ShOpS.

There Is no more amusing place OIL OCCASION
al resort than 4 barber-shop, more especially
on Sunday mornings. Many aspects of hui
man nature, some comic and others merely
characteristic, and therefore not comic to the
benevolent philosopher, are presented to the
inspection. Indeed, it is no new discovery OF
ours, what interest attaches to the Knight OF
Shears and Razor and what queer scenes and
what rare people are often to be met IN his
company. The list Of such shops, (they are
called tonsorial bazaars in New York, whereof
honorable and curious mention is made by
historians and satrists and poets of the past, is
lengthy and full Of interest. Horace copies on
his vivid pages the figures and records the
fluent discourse Of more than one member OF
this ancient guild. WIN does not remember
the Barber IN Romola, and the picturesque
scenes beheld of mornings beneath his hosplta-
verse of Switt-is it ? or if not of somebody
else, the dramatic story OF the magple
who repeated rather too literally what
in consequence prematurely sorrowtul fate.
And the barber-surgeon in Don Quixote
and the brass basin which he furnished
the good knight for Malbriro's helmet will live
eyermore on Castilian pages, and in the
worlds fond and delighted remem brance
And divers other instances, occur, wherein the
gentle characters of BARRIERS have been put
upon the memorable pages of the world 8
great ones; and not their personal features
alone live in memory, but the short and SIM
ple annals Of their shops; the people who
frequent them; the footing Of equality and
good fellowship that obtains; the tree, fluent
talk that goes round as jolly as jorum, the
quick glimpscs of nature one catches the
wealth Of news one hears-these are some of
the claims of barbershop upon our interest,
claims that have ever been recognized by the
observant; which extend far back into the past
since the Patriarchs ceased to indulge their
enormous boards and it became fashionable to
touch their folds into something OF graceful
shape and dimensions.
But let Flacus and CervanteS and Geo. FL
lott and Swift, or the somebody else, as the
case was he who wrote the tale Of the magpie
have to do with these more literary and histo
rical features Of the question. Suffice it tor
our feeble pencil to draw some pictures which
we have seen in the shop on Sunday mornings
when the solid citizens, and the raw and tender
youth us well, are coming in and waiting their
turns for the mystic performance OF gathering
scraping. shaving, perfuming, powderng, &c
the process which transforms on from
rough bearded specimen of the hardy sex to
the blooming aSpcCG Vi uteiCuly NC" HSiiecu WI
heaven kissing hill--or any other pretty pre-
scucc recalled to the mind of the classic reader
Only one thing keeps the barber shop from
being perfectly charming and that IS the alb
sence of the softer sex. As they cannot claim
admission to it's mysteries 10 have any services
rendered their smooth white faces, We are ad-
vocates of their rendering their professional
services to men, and We are confident that
when they are so employed, there will be no
such thing seen as L beard for every man will
make them keep on shaving as long as he has
loose hair anywhere on his jaws to be raced
Tor razored;) and the Sunday morning services
would be infinitely more entertaining.
But one great drawback, is, and ever must
be, waiting for ones turn. N matter what
fragrant cigars one may have between his lips,
no matter what pictures he may have to see,
or what papers to read; no matter what spicy
gossip or favored scandal, or breezy wit, may
be going the rounds; or what figures there arc
in the window opposite Of young, folk sweet
and dainty in their Sunday School raiment, it
is, we observe, distressing aud disgusting
thing to wait for the summons next" We
very rarely see friend so devoted, so un-
selfish, 80 heroic, as to give way Tor the benefit
of another, and sacrifice his turn when it comes
around. One is willing to shave and then wait
and smoke and gossip, but by no means willing
to wait and smoke, and then shave.
Doesn't this show how prone our good sex IS
to be clean and keep clean? And considering
that cleanliness is next to godlincss, Is 1t not a
vast credit to them? But enough about bar
Ler-shops at this present writing. g.-fste''s6"rg
mder.
SI.EEp.-How many persons are there that
so to bed ut q reasonable hour! Many Will
until fIUn1 nua
or even two o'clock at night. This is kept up
and finally becomes habit, and when they do
retire they cannot sleep They gradually lose
flesh, become dyspeptic and debilitated being
unable to account for this emaciation, they con-
suit physician Certain medicines are pre-
scribed and still the difficulty exists: The
medical adviser has probably neglected to IN
terrogate his patient as to his habits, and he
too, is at loss to understand why his medical
agents have not proper salutary effect. The
patient now changes physicians, and so ne con-
tinues until from exhaustion he is compelled to
remain in bed, nature regaius her grand re-
cupcratiye power of sleep, and the patient
comparatively RECEIVERS for few months, when
if the same habit is continued he rcIapses into
his former condition.
Many persons will tell you they, cannot sleep
if they 90 to bed at nine or ten CLOCK IN Ihe
evening, and this is true when the nervous
system has been abused; but when persons will
retire at reasonable hour, they will soon tau
asleep, and one hour 's,slaep previous to twelve
o'clock at night will do the system more good
than three hour's s. after that time. Sitting up
late at night impairs the eyes and destroys .he IN.
complexion, which adds much MISERY TO hane tne
life Of young ladiee' 6oung'alen shoan a. 0s,s tIs
in mind. when they inhict their society on the
fair sex till late hour of night, that their hos
tess is compelled to entertain them during
their visit: - -. J. ,. :t'' "a.
F0R S.aLE or RE.N'T.