Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-10


to want better subject for his skill
| hair that would cut in real earnest.
! "Let me do yours, Bert" he said.
WELL" answered Bert, innocently,
climbing into the chair.
win mamma like it," questioned
| Kitty, little hesitatingly.
! why, she said the other day it was
I getting too long and he must have it cut
| off," answered Tommy, fastening the
! towel around Bert's neck
Kitty was satisfied and Tommy lath-
! cred and rubbed and cOmbed and clipped
to his hearts content The two little
women became so interested in this per
Torrance that they gave up housekeep-
| ing entirely, deserted their children, and
went into the barbering business them
! selves
. 1t don't look as if he had much hair
left on his head" said Kitty, when Bert
was finished. / guess it's cause it's
wet and sticks down So"
She and Hetty wanted to do Toms
! then, and Tommy was perfectly willing.
1t was great fun. They made him shut
/ his eyes, to keep out the soap-suds; and
! they curled and bruShed-one combing
| on one side Of his head and the other
cutting on the other side-and an odd
/ looking head it was when they were
done.
1T just feels jolly, I tell you" said
I Tommy. Now you girls must have
yours done, too
Hetty was ready enough. She always
4 did things first and thought about them
afterward She "iust liked short hair"
she said, and didn't care if they cut it
/ al off" And she sat and laughed, and
| declared that it felt splendid" until
Kitty felt a great desire to try the eX-
| pertinent. She grew reluctant, though,
when 1t came her turn. She did not at
all fancy the appearance of Hetty's head,
and she did not want to part with her
own bright curls
| don't want mine cut off short; but
you can clip just little bit off the ends"
she said.
" Let me do it," urged Bert. I'm a
3aroer-m!an, too, and you didn't let me
do one bit yet"
You're too little" began Hetty. But
| Tommy interrupted her:
~ Oh. let him cut just little bit, if he
wants to, while we're making up some
more soap-suds, Hetty."
So Tom and Hetty busted themselves
in rubbing soap into fresh basin of
water and stirring it into thick, white
! foam; and Bert was left to himself for
few minutes, during which he shipped
away vigorously.
oh! Bert, you've got this side shorter
! than the other; you must make 'em
even" said Tommy, looking up.
Yes" answered Bert, cOntentedly.
! Now this is all stiff and frothy, and
We'll rub it all over her head" said Het-
| ty, presently. ooh! Bert, you've cut oft
ever so much of her hair!'
Kitty started in dismay and began to
| feel of her locks.
That's cause Ethey wouldn't come
even," said Bert, soberly. "The more /
cut 'em off the more they wasn't even a
| bit"
"Well have to cut it a little shorter to
make it all alike, Kitty" said Hetty,
comfortingly.
| But a very little would not answer the
purpose, after all; for Bert had tried
| some experiments in Singing" the way
! Tom did and the last of Kitty's long
curls were gone before the evening proc
| ess was completed. Tommy looked
rather grave, though he repeated again
! and again that it would "grow long in
ust a few days"
"And 'Riar can't pull so when she
| combs it in the mornings" added Bert,
| quite satisfied with his share in the
work
But Kitty's face grew longer as her
| hair grew shorter; and the moment
! Hetty's scissors stopped she ran for the
small mirror they had brought up among
their playthings. One glance was enough
and she burst into tears.
| ooh, dear! k-like-a picked
| -chicken!" she sobbed, and started
| down stairs to find mamma. Nobody else
could comfort her then.
| The other children filed into the parloI
after her-Tommy looking somewhat
ashamed, Hetty frightened, and Bert sol
emily cOntented-as the sorrowful tale
was told. How cousin Rebecca did scold!
Hard enough for three mothers and d
grandfather" Hetty said, afterward.
| Children are always in mischief; and
| these ought to be sent to bed at once,
! and not allowed to stir out of the house
| again until their hair grows to be re-
! spectacle. That would teach them not
to NEEDLE with it again." said Miss Re-
! becca.
But mamma was pretty sure they had
! learned that already, and she understood
| how they had done it without meaning
any harm; so she was very gentle, and,
! though She laughed, she almost cried,
too, over the poor, cropped, little heads.
So odd, ragged and uneven the cutting
was that there was noremedy but a visit
! to the barber shop in good earnest, and
four closely-shOrn children came home
! again.
Kitty seemed quite pensive all that
| day; but brother George laughed every
time he saw her
q can explain your copy to you now,
Sis. You are a good illustration of it,"
he said teasingly.
"No, you needn't, cause I've found
out for myself" answered Kitty, smooth
ing her short locks ruefully "Itmeans,
when things oughtn't to be cut off don't
begin to snip round the edges. And I
guess III remember it, cause folks must
| always learn something from their 'fic-
tiOns."-Kate w. Hamilt0n, In NJ T. In
! deDendent.
Stolen Property.
[ know all about Sadie's birthday