The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-09-07

lived On the iIaut Putoi> farm on the
fart tt side If the Nehon moorlands.
Tie dinner was to he served at six
"'rl"ck. AS lett the foi,,,t Il Belle
Gaide and took the little clcss Iath ,lr,t
led 10 Monroe ! heard the churrI, bells in
the valley striking four.
As | went along the idea came to
me to get shaved 1t was quite nat
II Ill idea, as my beard was hurting me
- the cold wind seems 10 bite an unshavcd
>kln. My mal WAS ri.i.t DAYS old,
and ,Ir'" "rrr t" he other people to
dinnrr, 80 | should be more presentablc if
shaved.
1T the entrance of the village on the
right hand side stood Il picturesque little
inn. The wind was rafting through the
leaves U! the holly trees that stood in front
of it, Inside | could hear the sound of
loud voices. | went in, and ordering II
glass Of wine asked the host if til, re was il
barber in the village.
who was sitting with his feet in the stove
and lighting his pipe with firebrand
There is old Bridevent who shaved the
Who'll. camp of Nehon duriry the war. If
he is mt homeland he ought to be, for as
| passed the church just now saw his dog
hontlot running down the street.-the will
d" the trick for you first rate and very
quickly too -
And this Bridevent - said another
peasant, who was stirring his cup of coffee
lit the end of the table, evidently means
To live and die here. thought he went
away to his vegetables and his cahbages in
the country when the camp left Monroe
He comes from the neighborhood of Piron,
doesn't he -
so he always says. yet he never goes
much farther from his shop than rabbit
does fiom his burrow"
''And how does he live? A little
poaching on the sly and occasionally
dressing beard are not enough to fill the
pot. Yet he does nothing else, so far as |
can see.
'Bridevent is sly one, Matre lie Hodey,
and has put away a little money He
used to keep a cantine, and has done other
things than shave chins."
Satisfied with what | had heard,
asked the proprietor to show me Bride
vents house and left the inn. | found
it, as he had described, low picturesque
cottage standing alone far back from the
the road with its broad, sloping roof
giving to it somewhat lugubrous APP
pearance, not lessened by its lonely stua-
ton
When | was within few feet of the
porch, which was partly concealed by low
bushes the door suddenly opened and a
figure appeared.
1t was that of a small man, Il very small
man, squat, dark, thickset, with long
arms and tremendously bowed legs.
The enormous head, which did not set
covered with unkempt black hair The
neck was short and thick, and there was
scarcely any forehead to be seen.
Add to this figure that had the appear
ance OF being crushed large mouth with
thick lips that dropped at one corner and
two large cleaning black eyes, and you
may have some idea of this singular indi-
vidual.
My first thought on seeing this hde0us
apparition was to turn and retracc my
steps or to go straight on past the house.
But second glance at the person showed
me he was properly dressed, and that
it was his deformity chiefly that thus
inspired the sensation of repugnance.
So, suppressing my surprise, addressed
him in a voice that was almost gay:
"Eh bien, my friend, at this time of day
and with this kind of weather, sup
pose trade with you is not booming Do
you think you can shave me before it gets
too dark ?''
Come in, monsieur he said simply
81 will do the best | can"
He went in first to make room for me
to pass, and pointed to chair beside the
fireplace. The interior of the cottage was
very modest. Everything was clean and
in its place. A high, old fashioned bed
stead stood in one corner, and in another
a cupboard with deep shelves and several
dozen plates with blue patterns painted on
them.
A tall kitchen clock, mirror, a table,
several chairs and kneading trough
composed the rest of the furniture in
the room. Two or three dingy looking
pictures hung on the smoke stained
walls. q
From the rafters hung smoked hams,
dried plants and sausages, long and
black. In the corners stood fishing rods
and fowling pieces, and two guns rested
their long cleaning barrels against the
mantelshelf.
ga little bit Of fire is not so bad in
this weather, helm. Is it, monsieur? I'll
see to the stove while your water is boiling
1t won't take long"
And as he stopped to throw bundle OF
fagots into the stove l was amazed at the
breadth of his shoulders and the enormous