Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-08-20
At THE day Of DOOM
BY Juliet WlIbor Tompklns.

Il KNOW, dear. Let just wall liz
his fourth birthday. That's only two
weeks" said his mother, running az
fectionate fingers into the sunny fluff.
Then they talked of other things
and he crept away with great fear
spreading sickishly through his little
body. They were going to cut his
hair! He knew how it panied and
throbbed when it was only the tip
of q little finger that was cut. But
his whole hair, the very combing or
which sometimes dragged unmanly
tears from their hiding, place-oh' how
it would burn and sting and
bleed. He sat down on the stairs and
hid his face against the wall.
"Peekaboo! 1 see you!" called some
one from the hall below, mistaklng
the attitude of his anguish for a baby
game. And he made no attempt TO
explain, but smiled back over his
heavy little heart.
All the two long weeks that were
TO end in his fourth birthday, the
shadow of his fear crept close behind
him. He would plunge joyously into
NAV. and then it's cold hand would
suddenly be laid on his chest, and all
the gladness would die out. His
dreams were haunted with great
clashing shears. He listened shlver-
ing when his father and mother
talked, but not n word was spoken
in his presence about the terrible cut
ing off. The suspense was all the
worse for the hope Of escape that
went with it.
On the morning of his fourth birth
day they brought him all the Things
he most longed for, and still curls
were not mentioned. A little faint en-
couragement began to creep through
his yiens. He was good, oh, so'good.
and played unobstrusively behind
sofa. his heart growing lighter with
every hour that passed. men, d.
eleven. his mother came into the
nursery with her bonnet on, and, call
ing him to her, began to put on MS
clean suit. Nothing was said, but ne
knew, and the sunlight died out OF
the world.
His mother was grave and preoccu-
MED. When she had taken him 10 the
dentist that appalling day. she mad
been cheerful, and had promised that
II wouldn't hurt, and had made little
comforting jokes all the way. But
now even she could not pretend 10
light heart. When she had brushed
the beautiful, fluffy mop, she had suu,
denly kissed it. and her eyes were fuil
of tears Then the soul or the llttie
boy tainted within him.
He walked beside her in dumb mis-
ery. with the sound Of knives IN MS
ears and his heart in the pit OF his
stomach, until they went into vast
room. and a terrible man smiled at
him an ogre smile, such as the oen-
fist had worn, only far worse. he was
lifted into a vast chair and an apron
was tied all over Internationally to
keep his suit from being spotted with
gore. Then his mother, still grave
kissed his hair again.
$50 Pm to lose my baby" she said
sorrowfully.
He held his breath. So it was to put
an end to him altogether they had
brought him here. His heart went
with slow, ominous thuds, and the
curls seemed to Jingle through their
roots at the coming ordeal. The great
scissors flashed before his eyes, and
then he felt them rest in a chill line
IN his neck. He shut his eyes and
waited helplessly. What else can
little boy do?
There was a strange grating sound,
and then another and another, and
still no pain. After a little he opened
his eyes a tiny crack. \ long yellow
strand futtered past and alighted on
his aproned knees. Another and an
other! And still it did not hurt. lie
looked up at his mother. She was
smiling at him, and so was the man
with the scissors.
well, little son, how does 1t feel!"
asked his mother. He raised his hand.
The curls had all gone, without
pang! 1t was his fourth birthday, Dut
he turned his face to the back or his
chair and wept away the anguish OF
two unspeakable weeks.
OF course no one understood. But
he was lifted down and comforted and
shown what big boy he was in the
mirror, and taken off to buy any kind
OF candy he wished. And the sun was
shining and the whole world shouting
with JOY, and under his little blouse
was the swelling, tumultuous JOY OF
a great deliverance.
Hrnw and Hare.