The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-11-10
WAGNER AND THE BARBER.
How the Great German Composer Had
Hts Hair ShinRled-The TOnsOrial
Artists Dilemma.

Hts Hair shinsled-The TOnsOriaI
Artists Dilemma.
Wagner, the composer of the music
of the future, writes correspondent, is
sojourning in his "own hired house at
Naples, where he is preparing new
work, and being lionized to an extent
that must fill his soul, so fond of adula-
tion, with sweet content. The maestro
is shaved by a certain Neapolitan knight
of the brush by the name of Gennaro,
and good story is told in this connec-
tion. The barber thought he had a
soft thing Of it," and bargained in ad-
vance with certain worshipers of the
composer to sell them locks of the hair
which he should cut from the maestro's
head, and the shaver had in consequence
nice little sum in anticipation.
He went gaily to the Wagner villa
The composer was waiting. Don Gen
naro tied the towel around his neck and
began operations. "Not too short"
said Wagner cts dreadful hot,
maestro; you will feel hundred times
better after the operation" said Don
Gennaro, slipping his scissors into the
salt-and-pepper curls Hardly had the
barber said these words when he turned
white as a sheet The scissors nearly
fell from his hands, together with the
first lock of the precious hair. What
had happened? If were novel writer
and not correspondent, might take
barbarous satisfaction, at this point, in
writing " continued in our next" which
would keep your nerves twitching for
twenty-four hours. But I refrain.
What had happened? Had Don Gen
naro, from over-excitement, cut the
skin as we'll as the hair of the illustri-
Gus head he held in his hands? Was it
remorse for having sold the spoils
which made him tremble? Neither the
one nor the other Nine. Wagner, with
measured steps like one who fulflls a
sacred mission, had come to his side
with an open ebony casket, and the in
slant that each lock fell she caught it
on the wing and laid it reverently on
the blue satin lining of the box
Imagine the disappointment, the or
gasm of Don Gennaro! How he man
aged to finish the job don't know, but
L do know that he came home thor
oughly desperate; in fact, completely
wilted. Donna Teresa, his wife, thought
something dreadful had happened.
"What shall do" cried he, after re-
counting his terrible story, "what shall
I do with all those Germans? Alas! /
must refund the money, because theyipaid
half in advance. Who could imagine
this?" "Don Gennaro," said his wife,
severely, "when married you thought
you had more brains in your head. Will
you drown yourself in a glass of water
The maestro is great composer, no
doubt; but his hair is salt and pepper
like our neighbor, the butchers" A
word to the WISE At the present writ
ing there are fifteen or twenty houses
in Germany where, in the place of honor
in the parlor there is small lock o1
salt and pepper hair in frame, and be.
low it in gold letters in German: clock
of hair of Richard Wagner, cut in
Naples, March %, $780," Don Antonio
the butcher, has never been able tc
make out why Don Gennaro, the bar
Der, insisted on cutting his hair, as il
were by force, on the morning of the
twenty-fourth of March, 1880, the fol
lowing Sunday being his day instead.