Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-25
THE COUNTRY BARBER.
Story Told Bya travelling Man Re-
garding One.
Tho Shave Was an Experience That Many Have
Been Through.

whole hour In the DarDer shops every
day OF. their lives, barring Sundays
said the travelling man. Others visit
the barber every other day, and often
in the seclusion of their own rooms
use the razor to good effect on the
other days. These hours passed in the
hands of the barber are usually the
plcasantcst of the day. if the barber is
an artist and understands his business.
l passed a half hour, with barber, one
day last week. and when was through
was aware how large an expansc my
face covered. / felt myself as others
saw me, a man with unlimited cheek.
1T was out in a little town where
the barber shop was run in connection
with a tobacco store, livery stable
and several other little accessory
branches of business. 1t was also the
leading loafing place Of the whole
town.
There was a long wait before ]
could see my customer, and bethinking
myself that l would save time by be-
ing shaved while waited. sat down
in the luxurious and commodious chair
and let the barber start upon his prac-
tice Of pulling whiskers.
First Of all / wish to describe the
chair. It was one of those animals
that looks as though it was in pain.
Perched upon four stiff legs. -One of
which was In splints. it had hunch-
backed. bowed-over appearance. that
made one pity 1t. The man who sat in
it was to be piticd all the more. You
struck a hard surface and sliding
down, rested on the small of the back
OH a bunch in the seat of the chair.
The shoulders Of the patient in the
chair did not touch. but his whole weight
rested on the said small Of the back,
and the neck where it rested upon the
head rest, and immovable bunch stuck
on the back. The feet could be placed
on the movable stool or foot rest.
"A long apron OF dark calico en-
veloped the victim as he lay down for
slaughter. The barber had been to
the city and knew the tricks of the
trade to a certain extent.
"'Got an ingrowing toenail beard.
haven't your he said, trying on the
start to be funny. I think / can make
that bunch, where the hair has grown
in, feel better 4,
"Suiting the action of his words he
proceeded to make it feel better. 1t
did feel decidedly better after he was
through working upon titan while
he vas working He was minus the
tweczerS Of the dOwn-to- date barber.
but q long darnng needle served the
same purpose. He went into my face
with the confidence of an army SUI
geon. He made 4 jab with the needle
and then began to pry out the hairs.
Ifhave always had a dislike for having
the hairs pulled out, but it is heaven
compared with the piying process. He
took one good hair as wedge and
using the needle as a lever, pried out
the refractory hairs. I was glad when
that operation was over and the blood
had been wiped from my face.
with 4 hree-haired brush he took
cold water Che explained that the
water wasn't warm yet, as the fire had
not burned welD, and went to lather-
ing my face. The strands of the brush
were not thick and in consequence the
hard surface of the handle was rub
bling my face while he talked to the
loungers about the shanty, evidently
thinking he was showing rae what a
versatile artist he was.
Smack went the brush. He had
ovcr-shot his mark and hit me over
the eye, at the same time the thing
slipped right into the eye. 4 never
have my forehead shaved l explained
Oh no, ha, ha. good joke, he roared
right in my face drowning all my
sense Of hearing. and making me turn
away to get a breath of fresh air from
the tobacco-loadcd breath he blew into
my face.
''As l gasped for breath. he slipped
that blamed brush into my mouth.
That's not SO good-tasting soap as l
am used to having used on me- sug-
gestcd I wish you would use another
brand
''Hc looked nonplused but he kept on
lathering. When he had lathered my
face from the low-water line on my
neck to the mark above the line of
tears on my face, he took out an an
cicnt StrOp and began to strop horn
handled, thin razor. For fully five
minutes he was occupied in this work.
assuring me in the meanwhile that he
mad used that same razor for the past ten
years. in fact. ever since he had been
in the business, and his father had
used ii to shave himself with all his
life.
THE lather on my face was dry and
my face felt as stiff as a poker. That
feeling was as peace before a storm,
though. as compared with the agonies
that followed. If live to see women
become consistent or to see men cease
chasing after the inconsistent ones,
shall never forget the trials of that
next half-hour. He began on the
northeast corner of my face and
worked toward the northwest, going
by the way of the south.
He took just one square inch of
beard at the first move. and I counted
the hairs that were removed. There
we're. according to my calculation, ex-
city 6l3. I. at the same time mental
y estimating how many there were in
my whole face at that rate, and Just
what the degree of pain would be in
all. l was almost persuaded to jump
and run when the sum total of it all
dawned upon my fast benumbing in
teliect. He shaved down SLOWLY cant .