Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-06-14
HE SHUNS MIRRORS.
SEVENTEEN YEARS SINCE THIS MAN
SAW HIS REFLECTION

ceive If He Wins, and He'll Win.
Did it ever occur to you when you have
made that easily spoken answer can't"
to some proposition that if you only made
up your mind and put down your foot you
could as readily say, 81 will, ~ and, what's
more, adhere to the resolution? If you
have never thought of this and you have
the time and inclination to consider whas
a manor n woman either, for that mat.
ter-can do when he is determined it shall
be DONE read this story:
1t is about n man who, when he was II
years old, said to friend who had ben
bantering HIM that he would not vOlurl-
tarily look at his reflection in a mirror fJr
20 years. Think of that length of tinel
1t was just as long as Rip Van WinlNle
slept, and you know how he changed tn
that period. Seventeen years of that num-
Der have come and gone, and this man of
strong will says he has kept his promise,
and this, too, in the face of all manner Of
devices on the part of his friends to mako
him take glimpse of himself.
This man who does not see himself rs
others see him is we'll known i'm business
circles There is nothing about him which
should make him refrain from having az
much use for a mirror as any other mar.
]
and well built, his dark face is an intclli-
gent, attractive one his mustache is we'll
trimmed, and his hair, which is somewhat
spare at the temples, is as nicely parted
and as carefully brushed rs that of any of
his fellows His nccltic too, is tied in
the most approved fashion, and indeed his
/ whole appearance is that of the well groom
{ ed man who spends an hour or two every
morning before his dressing case, making
/ sure that everything Is just so before he
presents himself to the gaze of the public,
In the days of his youth he must have
been very handsome boy, and there is
little doubt that be took as much pleasure
from his own image in the glass as any
youngstcr. 1t may be that he was given
to gazing ut himself too frequently, for it
was from this pcnchant that his resolution
grew.
He was visiting young lady acquaint-
ance ono day, and she caught him looking
into a mirror every few minutes. She
knew him SO well that She felt at liberty
to remark:
I'm wager that YOU could not keep
your eyes frun a mirror for an hour. "
Perhaps Ills pride was touched by the
innocent words At any rate he rcplicd
Il can. and not only for one hour. but
for enough Of them to make 20 years
This WH, sprmingly SO prcpostcrous that
the young lady offered 10 make a wager
for anything he pleased then and there,
and so the bargain was closed There are
few who know what are the terms Of the
bet. and there may hc "a nice little TO
nance hidden behind it all But that e
not the subject of the story. Enough ti
is to know that he saws tnat from that day
to this he has never glanced into a mirror
or, in fact, at any surface that would
cast his rcilection-and those who know
him well do not hesitate to say that this
is undoubtedly 50.
at was IA little incOnvcnient at first
must admit" he said to me the other day
"for knew my hair wasn't parted well
and that my necktie must be all askew.
But after few days the awkwardncss
passed away, and you may easily imagine
that at this time the last thing l ever
think Of is looking into mirror"
He has been shaved in barber shop in
an up town street off Broadway for many
years, and his popularity is known to all
the BARRIERS. He was in the proprietor 5
chair one day. and his eyes were closed.
The man If razors took small haNd
glass, held it close to his face and sudden
ly exclaimed:
ooh, look"
But that was an old game to his custom
err Keeping his cyclids shut, he turned
his face to one side cautiously opened one
eye and then slowly moved his head until
he could see that the barber held some
thing in his hand
IL guess not, he said as he put ont his
hand and showed the glass aside. Il have
been tried that way too often in the last
II years to be caught now
He has gone to the same tailor for years,
and he never looks at himself as he dons a
new suit His tailor knows what nc
wants is aware that some of his friends
would inform him if his garments did not
fit him as they should, and in addition tC
all this feels that he is put on his honor tC
do the right thing by customer who put,
faith in him And no one can truthfully
say that he is not n well dressed man. =
it is also with his halter. He looks ut the
style of the hat he desires to wear after
having made a careful selection, but hC
leaves it ali to the tradcsman and TO hi:
friends rs to whether in shape and other
wise it is suitable to his face.
"Wl-lt has all this taught you?"
"lhat man can do many things, if h'
will, which may seem almost impossible Il
him at first blush 1t has helped me il
many ways | was a very heavy smoker
II or 10 cigars "A day being my average
My doctor asked me to stop on the first o
the year and not to smoke until Feb. l.
did it without any trouble No, it wa
not New Years resolution, and probabl.
, that was the reason it was not broken
After the first month he told me coult
have a cigar after each meal, and | don
, eat more than three meals n day"
, "When the 20 years is passed, will yol
look into IA mirrOrf'
IL will indeed, and think | will tax
, more pleasure out of it then than If
had been looking at myself all the time "
, Does the lady with whom you mad
7 the wager know how you have kept you
T. VOW
, Now now, my boy Well, don't MIC
, telling you that she does, and that she ha
! often asked me why did not give up m
q foolish resolution. But | said it was 70
! 20 years, and il will be if | can make it so.
a "And what will you win from the Lady,
"Ah, that is entire nous New Yor
Herald