The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-02-08
NOT A PLEASANT SHAVE.
The Victim of Superstitious Notion Re-
Iates a Queer Yarn.

at was in the year 1847," said the
raconteur to the Detroit Free Press
man. 81 was making a trip from On
slow to the village of Londonderry, N.
S.. on the north shore of the Bay OF
Fundy. Before reaching my destina-
tion it became dark, the night setting
in rainy, and the roads in such state
that the walking became very tire
some.
The country here was sparingly set
tied, and the few inhabitants lived in
log cabins of the most primitive kind.
They were a coarse but not vicious
people, making their living by rude
kind of farming. Their farms con-
sisted of few acres of stump land up
on which they raised meager crops of
buckwheat, potatoes and turnips by
grubbing around the stumps. Well,
Just as l was about to sink with ia
tigue saw dim light in the distance,
and decided to ask shelter for the
night at the first cabin l reached,
which proved to be the one where
saw the light I knocked at the door,
which was closed and unfriendly look
ing, and was answered by gruf voice
with single monosyllable, 'Come!" 1
entered and found number of men
sitting around rough deal table!
Their hats were on and they looked at
me with a singular expression that I
could not define. 1 asked them if l
could lodge there for the night.
eyes said one of the party, but you
must come in and stand your chance
with the rest, mister
"I asked what that meant.
"The men looked at each other,
then another one of the company
spoke:
awe are to draw cuts to see which
one of US will have to shave dead
man.
81 was prepared to hear that some
dark crime was to be attempted, but
this very unexpected proposition sent
cold chills down my back, at the same
time that l broke out in a pro-
fuse perspiration, [ consented, how
eyer-what else could I do?-and then
was told that one of their number had
died that day, and it was the custom
to shave the dead and to draw cuts
which decided the one who was to per-
form the disagreeable task. The
mode of procedure was to cut straws
in different lengths, and the duty fell
to the one drawing the shortest straw.
AS luck WOulu Adf6 IL uIGW GAo
shortest straw!
"WeIl, offered them everything ]
had to get out of it-money, my watch
but no, their superstition was strong
er than their cupidity and was rough
" told 1 must do the barber act with
the best grace 1 could. They were de-
termined to see me through. One
handed me bowl of water, another
. brought bar of brown soap, and q
black bottle with tallow dip in il
,, furnished the light The dead man
,, was in a shed back of the cabin.
avoided looking at him as much as
possible and, with the razor in my
hand and my knees knocking together
!, performed my first and last ton
; serial effort and did the business much
better than 1 expected under the cir
cumstances.
"But you can easily imagine that
did not close my eyes that night and
a horrible fear assailed me that he
the dead man-might need shaving
again in the morning. So the mo
ment it was light 1 rose from the rougE
bench on which 1 lodged and by sun
rise was many miles from the scene O
an experience which 1 should neve
e forget if lived hundred years"