, 1890-01-25
A SHAVE.
How a Tonsorial Artist Plies the Razor
aud Its Accomplishments.

How a Tonsorial Artist Plies the Razor
and Its Accomplishments.
You are ensconced in a chair of lux
urious comfort, which allows you to
recline at any angle and i'll any posi-
ton. The professional man, who is
your slave for the time being-just as
the president is the servant of the peo-
ple-goes yer your mobile counte-
nance with a soft moist sponge. This
removes the carbon, gravel, railroad
iron and unconsumed food of twenty
four hours ~sojouru in a railroad car
from your features. He next treats
you TO a thin layer of hot lather, and
apologetically sponges it off, as if it
were put IN by mistake, but it isn't; it
is a part of the programme. Next he
puts on a heavier coatof lather, which
he presses down into the roots of the
stubble with soft, magnetic fingers.
This lather, too, is removed and the
third course placed on. Then each in
dividual hair, which once did stand
on end hk quilts Upon a fretful por-
cupIne, becomes soft and pllable.
The artist now carefully removes
from its case a broad bladed razor,
with a double ~concave, so thin hat it
sings as he strops it. He brings it out
with an air which makes you think
that razor never touched any face be-
low the rank of governor. You feel
honored- Then he shaves you. He
doesn't ask you if you want it close.
Or does the razor hurt. He knows his
business. He knows you want the
hair off and nothing else, and he
knows the razor doesn't hurt.
The pleasant Utilization which ac-
companies the progress of the instru-
ment reminds one OF the sensation
which old King George swore to as a
luxury ft for monarchs, and since
that vas before the days of flesh
brushes stately oourtiers used to con.
tend for the privilege of employing
their otherwise idle fingers in scratch
ing the royal back.
Having shaved you, does the artist
swab your face TWICE with a sponge,
slap your cheeks with bay rum, fill
your mouth with powder, scratch your
head with a comb and yell 'nextl"
OH moi lie isn't half through.
First, he sPonges off the skin. Then
he takes a soft towel, folded thick,
wrings it in hot water and places it
across the lower part Of your face.
Another covers the upper part, with
only a breathing place for your nose.
This treatment is kept up for ten min
utes. You are almost lulled to slum-
Der. In reality your face is given
a Turkish bath. The hot towels are
followed by "a cold sponging to pro-
duce a reaction, and then a towel, wet
in bay rum, is laid over the face. AT
ter this comes a dry towel. This is
laid over the face also and the hands
passed over it, drying the skin with
out roughing it.
If a barber should clamp a towel
around his hand and draw it across a
customers newly shaven and sensitive
face he would be discharged. Now
comes the hair combing. You can see
how earnest the barber is by noticing
how he squints along the parting he
makes, like a farmer testing his first
furrow when he plows a field. You
are completed, and it has cost you
twenty-five cents; but if it were the
last quarter you had in the world you
would go out of that parlor feeling
worth 800, 00o. -Washington Post.
All kinds Of Job Printing neatly and
promptly executed at the leader Office.