The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-27
The Tonsorial Fiend.

lie thought he recognized me the mo-
ment entered the door, but l refused to
encourage him in that belief. 1t was a
strange town to me, all the people were
strangers, and was go 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 ponie ed
10 the chair, and then led right off as fam
iliarly 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 balloonist, and other mat
tiers, and although did not pretend to hear
him, he was not to be beaten.
81 hope you'll do we'll here,' he said, as
he pushed my head over and daubed the
lather on my right cheek, commencing at
the butt of the ear.
lSilence on my para.
This town needs another dry goods
store" he continued after moment, "and
! shouldn't wonder if you Just coined
money"
CLong silence.
Perhaps 1t was the silence that convinced
the barber that he had made mistake, but
he was not discouraged AS he lathered
the lett cheek he suddenly said
"There are three or four lawyers here
now, but as Christopher Columbus said,
There is room at the top of the heap, and
think you will be full of business all the
time
He was looking right down into my
face, and through the foam Of lather he
might have detected faint smile, frown
or some other expression which hurt his
conceit. He instantly suspected that he
had made another mistake | was looking
into the glass on the well and | saw his
countenance change Some BARRIERS would
not have pushed the subject further, but
he was the only barber in the village. and
he felt that he had certain rights that was
bound to respect. He might have reasoned
that was mulish and obstinate and needed
coaxing and tlattering, or perhaps he the
orized that | was timid and hesitating and
wanted encouraging, AT any rate he at
tackled me again saying
"This is nice village, but / never saw
so much sickness in all my life as We have
had this year. Our doctors don't seem to
know enough to manage the diseases, and
am 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
preference to any one else"
Still watching the glass, l saw self-sat-
isfied smile ripple across his face. For
his own mind that he had boxed me up.
Then again shade of suspicion crossed
his face. Silence sometimes gives consent,
but in this case, after scrutinizing my
face sharply for an instant, he interpreted
1t to be that he had Numbered again. He
was vexcd. had no right to sit there
and treat his round-cornered queries with
auch contemptuous silence. He would pay
me for such conduct. ! 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 black
smith shop. Old Jones is good-hearted,
but he knows no more about shoeing a horse
than a cook does about sailing canal
boat"
His eyes glistened, and he took no pains
to keep down the ehuckle of satisfaction
bubbling up in his throat. He regarded it
as line shot-a crusher--and If he hadn't
been shaving my chin at that time he
would have been unable to suppress
laugh
His razor crossed the chin, and scraped
up and down and skipped around to the
jogular vein before the BARRIERS smile faded.
He had been watching me to catch start
of surprise or look of displeasure, or
something to guide his opinion; and as he
had been unsuccessful. he renewed the
lsther on the left cheek and sighed drear-
lily. hoped he was man of determine
ton, 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 him."