The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-24
IN. Y. sun.J

IN. Y. Sun.I
"a customer of mine has just come
back from Europe" said the learned
French barber, land be has been telling
me about woman barber he met in Italy.
Monsieur he said to me, L shall
never forget her. l believe you are good
barber and have the right idea of your
mission. but, really, you cannot hold a
candle to her. L tell you, she is divine.
"'When she put the lather on my face
Il had my beard of then, you know-it
was as though my face had been bathed
in nectar. When she drew the razor
across my cheek l was thrilled with de-
light. And when she put on the bay rum
and ran her fingers through my hair, ah,
then, monsieur, L realized what 1t Is to be
caressed by an ANGEL
Unfortunately she had big brother,
who watched her carefully. so l had little
chance to talk 10 her.
"'She was light and graceful as gazelle
and absolutely beautiful. Her clear olive
complexion, dark hair and perfect features
won me at a glance. l haven't got over
her fascination yet. II could have her
for a barber always I'd have my hair
dressed every other hour
al looked at him in pity.
"'Monsieur,' l said TO him, L can easily
understand your devotion to this beauty,
but do not mistake your love for your de-
votion to the artist. II l were her rival
for your affections l would strongly urge
you to continue to patronize her barber
chair. There would be no surer way of
disenchanting you and making you learn
to hate her
"'What do you meanP he asked me.
81 mean. monsieur l replied. that,
with all due respect for your divinity,
there never was a good woman barber,
and it is my firm conviction there never
will be- Why, monsieur, there are some
things which we cannot explain. They
are the mysteries of life, far beyond all
our philosophies
why is one man bright and another
dullP Why are there optimists and pes
simists? Why do some love to finger over
their Burgundy while others rush through
their dinners In fifteen minutes? Whv
are some women pretty and others ugly?
Are not these some of the unsolvsble rid
dies oil our strange existence?
"'Ah, monsieur, | would like TO tell
you why woman, gentle, lovely, sweet
woman, cannot make a good barber, but
1t is beyond me, although | have studied
the question much.
What l told him is true. There are
women who can shave fairly we'll, but
there are none that can trim beard or
cut hair properly.
You may say there are few men who
can do so. 1t is true. | will rot denv
what is self-evident. But, monsieur, there
are some men who rise to the occasion,
while there are no women.
They have not the knack which is ge-
MUS in the barber. the painter, the sculp.
tor. They cannot do that indefinable
something which gives style, force and
character 10 hair and beard.
Even the women themselves, slow to
acknowledge their inability to do anything
that man can do, recognize this. Else
why do the best ladies hairdressing shops
have men TO cut the bangs aud dress the
hair of the customers? And what dif-
ference there is between the appearance
of the women whose hair is dressed by
the men BARRIERS and that OF the women
who give themselves over to women bar
bers
Let us not dwell upon this unpleasant
subject.
Il have seen many women BARRIERS in
the villages in France. They were the
wives and daughters of deceased men bar
bers. They are good enough for the peas
ants-the farmers and laborers-who pat
ronlze them out OF charity frequently.
~ on see when the country barber dies
be leaves nothing to his family, and his
ola customers transfer their patronage to
the vile or daugh ter, so that the family
may not starve. Really il makes little diff
ference with them, for their skins are so
tough and leathery that the razor chances
oil OF them, and, never having known
what proper hair-cutting or beard trim
ming is, they never notice the lack OF it,
IL remember well twenty years ago,
shortly after l came TO New York from
Paris, how two women BARRIERS opened a
shop iu this city. Their sign read,
Women do the business here
zone was German girl. who had been
a ballet dancer, who knew no more about
the BARRIERS art than-you will pardon
me, monsieur-you do. The other was a
French girl l knew her and her family
IN Paris. Her father kept a shop in one
OF the busy avenues, and on Saturday
nights his place Was crowded.
His assistants were his wife and two
daughters. His wife fixed the customers
hair. one daughter kept the curling irons
hot, the other daughter lathered the Gus.
toners faces, and he did the shaving, 90.
ing from one chair tn another. You see,
IL was a common kind of a shop, patron
lied by the bourgeoisie only.
We'll, this girl who had set up In bus
mess in New York. was the girl who had
done the lathering in Paris. She had
come here to earn her living, and met the
ex-ballet dancer, and the two had con-
cluded that they might make hit as bar
bers.
New York wasn't as big then as il is
now, and tho citizens were greatly aston
ished at the idea of women barbers. A
good many men went 10 them for fun, and
the newspapers made sports OF them,
"Of course they knew nothing OF bar
boring. The French girl came 20 me and
asked mo 20 teach her how to cut hair and
trim boards, but when told her it would
cost her 8 francs for lesson she changed
her mind"
The learned barber paused. lost in
thought, for moment. Then no sighed
deeply.
my! my but she was pretty girl,
and have sometimes regretted did not
teach her for nothing. Yes, she was very
pretty, but as for being a barber"
Monsieur shrugged his shoulders.
what became of her?" said the other.
"Ah, yes, you are interested In her,
monsieur Well. will tell you. 1t was
romantic. | saw no more OF her after her
visit TO my shop until one night some time
afterward. ! was at the opera. During
an intermission looked around and saw
her. She was dressed beautifully and
wora nuch iawalrv naafda har aat an N