The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-11


There is a rich man in New York who
has just looked at himself in a mirror for
the first time in exactly a quarter of a
century. He is known to be an able bank
eT and railroad expert, and his name Is
familiar to the financial whirl. He is
nothing Of a crank. He is devoid of fads
! and fancies- He dresses as we'll as any
body possibly could. he Is member OF
seven clubs in -he city and three outside
He smokes. takes a drink when he feels
like it and is fond of the manly sports Of
twenty-five years ago this gentleman,
then a youth of T. was enaSnOured Of
I beautiful girl, who made no little fun Of
his dandylsm. he lavlshed money on his
dress. He set the local styles in his little
town in the heart Of New England.
one night at "a BAH his sweetheart
caught him posing before a pier glass
He was the persOnification of vanity and
could no pass q mirror to save MS life
without taking a peep at himself.
She laughed rather bOisterously and ner
partner in the waltz smiled This gave
great offense TO the dandy II was the
first time in his life that he had ever
"tumbled To himself as the Bowery
I phrase is. To be laughed at nearly killed
An admitted his good looks. lie was the
/ handsOrcpst man IN the county, and none
! knew f. better than no
He sought the young woman next day
| and demanded an explanation of her con-
/ duct at the ball. she knew him well
ri bet%oh, anything ~ that YOU
/ couldn't keep your eyes off mirror for
| an hour"
I his pride was touched. In pique he
said, seriously and sternly:
u CAM And not only FOR an hour, but
: for enough of them to make twenty-iOur
I years
This seemed so preposterous that the
girl laughed him to sCOTn and expressed
/ me willingness TO make bona fide wager
/ of something very valuable in his sight
/ that he could not keep his pledge What
I the wager was may easily be guessed as
/ t. is said that there is To be a romantic
/ n arriagc very soon, the twenty-five years
having ended and the two parties to the
/ bet still being single.
''The task was the hardest of my life
FOR the first few weeks or months said
I the hero Of the wager yesterday a 3
friends congratulated him on his Splen-
did appearance. Il had to inure myself.
I Every mirror in my own home was turned
l TO the wall and 7 felt sure there but
/ elsewhere il was indeed difficult 10 avoid
J accidentally running up against a look
/ hall or public house.
ct really found it nearly impossible 70
/ tie my cravat without "a glass. but time
( and practice made me perfect did
I everything as well in the dark afteC
] few months of awkwardness as had
{ formerly done I'm tn glare Of the mirror
/ course I could not tell this myself. but
! my personal friends informed me that 1
dressed in better taste than before.
/ often and often I longed TO steal one
I glimpse of myself. for a man cannot cas-
I ily or carelessly toss aside his vanity T
/ wanted TO sec. as the years passed along
| whether 7 was as good looking as ] used
! to be. But T have kept the pledge and
/ have won the bet.
! When I rode in an elevated train or
/ surface car 7 always held newspaper
before my face so that by no chance
| could 7 see my image i'm 2 window oDpO-
| site. 7 entered restaurant or hotel din
/ ing room with my eyes so nearly closed
! that il 7 ran up against mirror I de-
tccted it before j could see my reflection.
/ ct wore a mustache when the pledge
[ was made and have never allowed my
| beard to grow because could have no
idea how Ii would look on my face I
! have been shaved by the same barber
I for many years and long since broke him
/ Of the habit Of presenting a hand glass
l after trimming my hair. He tells me
I am grown q little gray around the ears
/ and temples. I wondered how gray
/ would become me. DO YOU like ito Ia.
ha. Wei. one ca0not help growing old.
/ That is "a medicine we are bound 20 take.
/ THE same tailor has dressed me these
| twenty years. He knows exactly what
/ want, and has fitted me fairly WelL