Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-31
Hs CAN suavr arwsE,F,
But His Experiences ia Learning Hoo wer
Rather Tryiag.

! s'es ..s- - ittAtaSf~ W tfsNutoA nov Were
Rather Tryiag.
From the New yo-t TINES.
II have learned 10 shave myself quite salts
factorily." said young broker down tom the
other day. He had just finished an exerllen,
luncheon. He rubbed his sraooth-shaven chin
and seemed 10 feel triumphant. Il am quite
proud Of the achievement too. n l. true that
It took me about seven years 30 master the n-,.
and IL Is also true that during that tne I
I spilled a good deal Of blood I not only Get nv
face with regularity. but 1 sla~hed mvself IN
the back OF the neck several times. made
painful gashes in the ends ot NV fingers. and I
recall that on one occasion, by mysterious
combination OF unfortunate circumstances. 4
took slice from my left ankle.
To Questions by my Office associates as 20
how received 50 many wounds I merely re-
piled that was learning 90 shave and paid no
attention 20 their gibes. They fI.ally ~ me
alone except On the rare occasions When 4 an
pesred unsoathed. and then they inquired N
was feeling real we'll Ny mother aud sisters
were seriously alarmed for my personal aurear-
ance. But perssyered the cuts hoalsa up
and now l may say that i am about nearly
perfect as I could wish 10 he In the use Of .
razor.
NY motive in learning 10 shave" continaed
the broker, 'sprang from a longing for ralea-e
from the tyranny of BARRIERS. rive or six tunes
/
thumped me and scrapeG me. and. shove al.
they talked 20 me. determined 20 bccorne nv
own barber. I was also nctuated hy the con-
sideration OF expense. figured that BARRIERS
cost me about sloo year In money. Tins.
reflected. would purchase many little articles.
IL would help pay my cigar bill. aud IL sould
pay Tor two. perhaps three, comfoItable
snppers.
Somewhat to my surprise when Iannounced
my determination 60 my barber he offered no
objection. had postponed telling hirn s.svsrrl
times. fearing his high displossure. But H. ex-
hibited none. dimly recall now that - he
turned away TO get some lather an expression
OF sorrow. evidently due 20 the loss - 80
remuneratIve a customer, passed over his
lace. But IL was gone when he looked at
me again, and he proceeded then and here
TO get as much money out OF NJ 10
he could while he had me. I meekly allowed
MN TO intiict upon me all 81 the operations
/ in the knowledge OF barber aIsd /
bought from him personally two razors. He
said that they were his best and declared that
he would have parted with them 20 no ether
man in the world. He handed them to me ehen
| the boss was looking out OF the window The
boss, be said. would discharge him il he beard
of the sale. He charged me for them eight
times the amount they we're worth. though he
convinced me then that WIS obtaining ssme-
thing that money alone could not buy The
balance Of NV outfit l bought from the prspri-
etor OF the shop. also at ruinpus prices.
Il thought 1 was free then. I will reusem-
Der this. / said 10 myself as I went home as
my emancipation day thought l would
never again enter BARRIERS shop except 20
have my hair trimred. That would only he a
long intervals. Premature baldness is t.ecaliar
20 our family and my bald SPOT was alrpncy
well developed. j bought a diminutive safe
into which intended 10 drop Is cents every
time 1 shaved.
MY beard resisted my early efforts tena-
ciously. After a few weeks | concluded that
my razors were becoming duh. Igaye them 10
a razor sharpener who haunts down-town Of
fees. He said that he might possibly puf an
edge on them, but that they were OF inferior
quality and practically worthless. He sold
me pair at good prices which he
SAID were two of the beet razors he
had ever seen. and he had seen a good many.
lie wanted 20 know what sort Of a strop uaed,
and when | described mine be declared ID
TO be no good at all / bought one from
him, which he swore would put edge On a
cobblestone. He also sold me pa .ent-leai her
brush, which afterward became bald q good
deal faster than L did. MY beard continued
obdurate. My complexion was on the fizh
road 20 ruin. blamed the razors. Nv ego
tism kept from me the knowledge that the
trouble was cite 10 my inexpeTience and a~k-
wardness- i had cut my strops IN nv fits OF
anger at cutting my face SO that they could not
be used.
Il concluded to allow my beard 10 grow until
my face healed and took all Of my rA1ors-they
numbered about a dozen by that time-to
oAioth. N rtfahStt. AttSf Dftlatt. III WHEN
he made the entirely irrelevant statement that
he had once shaved the Emperor Of Germany.
he delivered a long lecture IN broken German
on the care of razors which did not unoier-
stand at all Jiut he sold me two more rasors
at what he called a sacrifice. a regulation bar
ber's strop for 90. which he sand would cost
anybody else "a. and bottle Of expensive toilet
water which would cure my face IN xix minuie-.
| He proposed to teach me TO use the strOp FOR
| $50 10 anybody else-and that evening
L smuggled him into my rooms and tsOk
/ lessons
The benefit Of this trying experience BEGAN
/ to come TO me about three months ago. / fnd-
denly and without apparent reason attaiited
expertness. Now { am happy. The financial
part did not turn out quite as expected. Ay
| equipment was very expensive.
How about the fund You were 20 START" he
was asked.
when that had amounted TO about $50" an
swered the broker. Il invested it in some tue
| old Bourbon. A servant at our house dropped
the case containing the bottles down aa eleVstor
! shaft-iye stories. IL was a total loss. Ichareed
| myself nothing for shaving thereafter"