The morning times., 1897-01-10
HIS FIRST SHAVE.
The Memory of BiissfuI Period
as Told In bohemia.

The Memory of BiissfuI Period
as Told In Bohemia.
In an Avenue cafe ever y evening there as
sembies company or men who are lovers
of that land which Thackeray regretted
finding so late In life, and where John
Boyle o'Reilly declared ne would rather
live than any either place Bohenilao They
are actors newspaper men, artists and a
sprinkling from other professions.
Saturday night few weeks .agot the con-,
versation drifted 10 the pleasures and sen
satfons OF boyhood, and Frederic Bond said:
Among all the "reminiscences of my early
days the one l shall never forget is my
first shave. &.
The memory OF that blissful moment
will always lingcr in nay mind. The rec
objection or the initial contact between
my peach-hlow face and the cold, ght-
tering steel is linked with tire JOY of my
first short pants, and the extension of
cloth that followed. 1t goes hand in hand
with the wild, hilarious JOY with which
/ shifted the peanHt-laden air and trod
the sd wdusted ground of my first circus.
1T is boon companion to the sweet
thoughts of my Grst firecrackers. II
bobs up merrily on the rear staircase OF
tine Between the first standing collar
and the first coat with a tail 1t matches
in its reminiscent pleasure the first Shaft
from fhe archery apparatus of the little
god clothed like Adam before Adam dis
covered figs.
For a long time daily. almost, ,hoErly,
consultations were held between my face
and the mirror, much 10 the disadvantage
OF the latter which lost considerable quick;
silver from the bangs received by my nose
as buried my face in the glass. endeavor-.
Ing. to find more than four real dark hairs
on my upper lip.
''One morning. with many inward. re-
proaches Tor my cowardice in not venturing
forth before, braced up and hunted for n
| barber shop. lit was not necessary to buDt,
long, for there were four such places within
a block OF my fio1se: l was all right until
+the door WAS reached, when my heart sank
in way that made my legs tremble, and l
would turn away bike whipped dog ~
II went through this performance eight
times. A last, lin the desperation that is
born of despair ruSiea in a shop, dropped
nay hat several times before hung it up,
fell in chair and stared around me in a
petrified way that attracted the atten-
ton of everyone in the place, which, TO
my disnay, was crowded.
Men were shaved, faeRs mopped, pow
dered and. mopped again; BARRIERS cried
Next in commanding tones; small boys
tried to transplant tlieif whisk brooms in
the backs of various gentlemen, who meek
ly stood the attacks finally retreating to
the street. .ite,fl
Il saw that my turn would come in five
minutes. Nerving myself for the awful
ordeal / waited for the summons of next
to come Ii came.
!" Your turn. young gentleman, said
the sable guardian of q velvet cushioned
chair. How / ever reached that chair is
anystery tome. Ihad dim consciousness
of stumbling over man who was settling
his bill; then the trance was broken
..'Hair cut short?' asked the tonsorial i'm
pressiopist
ITO this day l have entertained a ma
lfclous hatred toward that man for the
cruel remark about hair cut, but the blood
of my race was aroused the majority Of
it in my face, Inust admit.
No, sir 1 replied. shave
"A look of astonishment, very CALLING to
me, broke over the mans face
''Then the soul of the artist asserted it.
self. He turned his back and yelled to
sbopboy: Hot water, Charlie. attracting
by his loud tone the attention OF custom
ers and BARRIERS alike.
I'm my inward soul I knew they were
laughing at me. Ny barber seemed TO do
an unnecessary amount of stropping and
iatbering. At last the brush, warm with
feathery soap. touched my cheek. Whenm my
face was covered with the white foam 1
breathed easier. No one could tell whether
had the beard of variety actor or tia
nothngpess OF a schoolboy. -r'" -
''Poising his razor in the air like the
sword OF Damocles, the barber began
When the blade touched my cheek an ec-
static thrill ran from head TO foot. But
one thing detracted from all my joy. No
grating soundof disappearing beard reached
my ear. The razor passed over my face
Doiselessly, with a continuity of motion
that caused me sorrow The final shave
then cold water The powder puff tickled
my nostrils. The barber oiled and flattened
my hair in two scoiops on my young brow.
One final rub of the eyebrows-'Next.'
Il jumped from the chair, Won the bar
ber's heart by tip, got on my hat and
coat in some uDexplainable manner and
felt the wlIisk broom travel with great
force up and down my spinal column. Leav-
ing the brush fiend tanning the air, l rushed
into the street, and with a great effort
conquered the desire to yell loud to the
whole world the gratifying information
that had been shaved aslast.h