The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-09-04
THE VILLAGE BARBER.
BY NJ. QUAD.

| IneuC entered IHe uOOT, OUT refused 10
encourage him in that belief. 1t was a
strange town to me, all the people were
strangers, and l was so far from home that
l doubted if man, woman, or child in that
locality had ever met me before.
The barber smiled tenderly as he pointed
to the chair, and then led right off as famil-
iarly as if he had shaved me every day for
month past. While mixing the lather he
remarked on the weather, the crops, the
panic, the lost balloonsts, and other mat
tiers, and although 1 did not pretend to
hear him he was not to be beaten.
81 hope you'll do well here" he said as
he pushed my head over and daubed the
lather on the right cheek, commencing at
the butt Of the ear.
(Silence on my part.)
"This town needs another dry goods
store" he continued after moment, "and
l shouldn't wonder if you just coined
money"
(Long silence.)
Perhaps it was the silence which con-
WINGED the barber that he had made mis-
take, but he was not discouraged. AS he
lathered the left cheek he suddenly said:
"There are three or four lawyers here
now, but as Christopher Columbus said,
There's room at the top of the heap
and l think you'll be full of business all
the time"
He was looking right down into my face,
aud through the foam of lather he might
have detected faint smile, frown, or
some other expression which hurt his con-
eeit. He instantly suspected that he had
made another mistake. was looking into
the glass on the wall and saw his counte-
nance change. Some BARRIERS would not
have pursued the subject further, but he
was the only barber in the village, and he
felt that he had certain rights which was
bound to respect. He might have reasoned
that was mulish and obstinate and needed
coaxng and flatte-ing, or perhaps he theo-
rized that was timid and hesitating, and
wanted encouraging. At any rate he soon
attacked me again, saying:
"This is nice village, but never saw
SO much sickness in my life as we have had
this year. Our doctors don't seem to know
enough to manage the diseases, and I'm
glad you are going to open an Office. am
pretty healthy as general thing, but if
get sick I'll give you my custom in prefer
ence to any one else"
Still watching the glass, saw self-sat-
| isfed smile ripple across his face. For
about half minute he was dead sure in
his own mind that he had boxed me up.
Then shade of suspicion crossed his face.
Silence sometimes gives consent, but in
this case, after scrutinizing my face sharply
for an instant, he interpreted it to mean
that he had Numbered again. He, was
vexed. had no right to sit there and
treat his round.the- corner queries with
such contemptuous silence. He would pay
me for such conduct. l saw the spirit of
resolve creep into his face, and he said:
81 was saying only the other day that
this town was able to support another
blacksmith shop! Old Jones is good-heart-
| ed, but he knows no more about shoeing a
horse than a coon does about sailing a
canal boat"
His eyes glistened, and he took no pains
to keep down the chuckle of satisfaction
bubbling up into his throat. He regarded
it as line shot-a crusher-and if he had
not been shaving my chin at that time he
would have been unable to suppress
laugh.
His razor crossed the chin, scraped up
and down, and skipped around to the Jug
ular vein before the BARRIERS smile faded.
He had been watching me to catch start
of surprise or a look of displeasure, or
something to guide his opinion; and as he
had been unsuccessful, he renewed the
lather on the left cheek and sighed drearily.
l hoped he was a man of determination,
and trusted that he would not give up.
Fearing that he would, was about to
speak, when he smiled blandly and re-
marked:
al can tell school teacher the minute
set eyes on himv'
Lather and silence.)
"And it's funny, too" he continued,
"that have shaved every professor in the
Normal School here the very first morning
of his arrival, and have told each and every
one that he was professor before he had
said word to me-"
(Silence and shave.)
"Well, l suppose teaching is a good pay
ing business" he went on, as he looked
my face over to see if he had skipped
spot, "and Pm willing to help you all
can. haven't any children-am not mar
ried-but if ever l get married and have
children I'll send them to school to you"
His persistency and fiattery deserved
some encouragement, but l was determ-
ined to hold out to the last ditch. He shut
up his razor with a quick, vexed motion,
tossed it on the stand regardless of dam
ages, and he smiled maliciously as he got
down his bottle of unadultered bay rum.
1 knew it would bite like serpent and
sting like an adder, but could show less
stoicism than he had shown diplomacy and
persistency? Didn't commence the strug-
gle?
shut my teeth, looked straight into the
glass, and he sopped the fiery stuff over
my cheeks and chin. He expected squirm
and yell, and his surprise was great.
The light of revenge had crept into his
eyes, but it quickly faded away, and as he
replaced the bottle and wiped my face with
the towel, he said:
81 never saw but one other man who
could stand bay rum like that, and he was
returned Californian. The climate of that
country hardens the flesh, suppose?"
Irefused to reply. He got angry again,
dug my scalp as he combed my hair, gave
my head several unnecessary twists and
knocks and pushes, and he jerked the big
calico apron off my lap as if he hated me.
However, curiosity suddenly overcame his
vexation of spirit, and as he brushed me
off, he said:
s'This town ought to support another
undertaken, and if l can be of any assist
ance in finding you shop you can call