Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-01-30
ORDEALS OF BIG BOYS.
There are Youths Whose Lives are Made
Miserable.
Tortures Which Attend Young Mans First
Visit to a Barber Shop for a Shareholder
Moan Things He Nests When Leaving His
Teens


You people VINO think life is all o
dream of bliss TO yoGth of eighteen
are much mistaken. The ..:dividual
who treads the path which separ Ies
happy youth from established mani God
has more kinds OF trouble than an ele-
vator boy. He knows he isn't an in
FAINT and yet he knows he dare not as
sert a claim to mans imperial estate.
He is constantly getting in the way OF
grown people. and recoils from their
assault in fear and trembling, only 10
be shocked into imbecility by the small
boy whose wcll-contained nerves feel
no modest fancies. He would gladly
! give two years of his lie for any inn
aginable consideration, but finds years
II drug on the market, and cLn only
struggle along through this painful
transition period until Father Time
! shall kindly make IN IN of him. He
puts on "a new suit OF clothes and VEN
lures forth into the free air, sweating
his fears through every pore. selects
the most unfrequented ways and runs
! in speechless embarrassment right
into the presence o. some dainty maid
en- who might sit as u painters model
Of composure.
How he longs for the years when he
can be II calm young man with mus
tuche, to stand even before grown girls
and handy repartee without being
hanpered bv that ossified Intelligence,
and with the marvellous fortune to so
acquit himself that they shall admire
him!
Speaking OF beards-how eagerly he
scans the advertisements Of II drug
warranted to produce n fine beard in
five days. How often he buys it and
tries it! How bitter his disppoint-
:nent when the same old chin comes
up as naked as an eSg from every ne "
application How miserly he saves
his few dimes and buys shaving out
fit of an unpleasant clerk, who can
wear pomade on his lip adornment,
and how clumsily he attempts his first
shave. Oh. how he longs for Il
mustache! But dull razors that he
cannot sharpen drive him at last to the
awful resolve for an assault on the
barber.
How boy suffers when he goes for
his first shave. The stillest hour of
the afternoon is taken when no one
is likely to be in the shop-but the I'M
happy painter after age walks past a
dozen places because they hold too
many witnesses. lie enters one at
last in sheerest desperation, sweeps n
frightened glance about, and half
expects to hear them shout: Coin to
git his first shave -ha! har' and tn en-
/ ha hpaalys for tho frat bai
Shaver" asks the barber. with n
pretense OF respect, while the youth
knows all hands have quit their occu-
Their back in the chair. tuning and
boiling because his courage will not
come. till the barber says again, more
sternly this time shaver"
"NO. hair cut" gasps the victim.
and his chance is gone. He knows as
we'll as the terrible man who is m king
merry with him that the hair doesn't
need cutting. But the deepest depth
of his heartrendering trouble comes
when he reflects he only brought
money enough sfor a shave! However
will he get out OF this scrapeo
These things may look like folly TO
bearded men who have Outgrown all
boyish foOlishness and these men may
suggest the use OF little common
sense as IN excellent preventive as
well as cure for this unwecoine allie
ton. But common sense is just what
the victim cannot command. To the
large majority OF maturing youths
some morbid crosslight lis upon the
scene. and he loses the hold on things
OF even balance. Little bv little fate
mitigates his sen tence, until with man
, hoods years and pressing cares the
! nerves are forced in conduits and KEEP,
in strict control. Tho bud ling youth
has passed to soberer maturity, and
finds his only recompense OF dist ant
pain by wat hing here and there
I another victim in the tolls OF time.