Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-02-19


and wonderful hair cutting that was ever
seen. My hair was red, and very thick,
and it had to be cut A man who run
buzz saw in the mill usually cut my hair,
but about this time he had several fingers
taken off while monkeying with the saw,
and somebody else had to cut my hair,
so cousin, young man who lived at
our house, said he would cut it, He
went at it with dull plir of shears, and
he probably made the worst job of hair
cutting that ever was. In some places
he cut it clear down to the scalp, and in
other PAGES he left the hair in lunches.
When he got through with my hair, and
| looked in the glass l wanted to die.
My head looked like an old OK skin robe
that has been moth eaten, and chewed
by cats. 1t looked like fox squirrel
that had been shaken to death by a dog.
He cut off SO much that my hat went
right down over my eyes. ANY man who
ever had his hair cut when boy, by an
ameteur who seemed inspired to do the
worst job on record, can appreciate my
feelings. MY hair was cut Saturday
night, and had all day Sunday for the
hair to grow out, and to get accustomed
to myself, and no boy ever prayed fol
his hair to grow as I did Monday |
went to school. My idea was to get into
school just as the bell rung and not take
off my hat till | got to my seat, and then
bury my face in my book, and never look
up, thinking it would blow over before
recess. My cousin had told all the boys
that he wanted them, as a special favor,
to look at my hair, as he had cut it him
self. He wanted to build up a reputa-
tion as hair cutter that would 90 thun-
dering down the ages and he did. When
pulled my hat off, and the red bristles
that had been confined began to raise
up, some one of the big boys snorted
| right out. / think it was my cousin,
and mentally resolved to kill him when
/ got big enough. Well, that snort was
/ a signal, and every scholar in school Just
bursted right out laughing. The teacher
was going to work to whip the whole
school for laughing, when he saw my
head, and he burstcd out. Well, it was
no use to try to run that school with that
head of hair, so the teacher told me
could wear my hat. I lived until recess,
though how did it do not know, ex-
cept that | had determined to go down
to the pond, cut hole in
the Ice, and jump in. I thought
how sorry the boys would be, when
they had to attend my funeral, that
they had driven me to a suicides grave.
At recess Susan came to me She always
came to me at recess. My father kept a
grocery, and l always had an assortment
of candy and raisins and dried herring in
my pockets, and Susan yearned for me.
Some said Susan had morbid appetite,
and at this late day I think she had,
though at that time I thought it was me
and not the contents of my pockets that
she yearned for. As she ate my raisins
and candy she remarked on my improved
appearance since had my hair cut. She
said it was all the style East. She had
read in fashion paper, the Brother
Jonathan, think it was, that red hair
was more stylish than any other color,
and that it was worn short and in seal
lOps. | was much relieved and gave her
all my raisins, and before recess was over
she had convinced all the boys that their
hair was too long and they had all en-
gagged my cousin to cut their hair that
night. was happy to know that the
same bandit who had chewed my hair of
was going to cut theirs. So | decided
not to die, anyway, until the next day.
The next morning all the boys had their
hair cut like mine, some even worse be-
cause my cousin seemed to want to sec
how bad he could cut hair when he tried,
and there was no more laughing on the
back seats at me. | think appreciated
Susan. .-Peck's San.