Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-05
SENSATIONS. OF THE BALDHEAD
why Doth the Polished Palm caress
~ where the Hair Has
ReenR

The next time you happen 10 be sitting
behind bald-headed man watch him
closely for minute or less.
Within the space OF sixty seconds he will
pass his hand gently over that bare and
shining dome from whence the hirsuts
growth has long since fled The longer he
has been bald the more certain he ls Ia
rub that vacant spot. gently or firmly, go
cording to the character Of the man.
He can no more help II than he can
help breathing. He seems diseased with
a desire to stroke that smooth and naked
part OF his Uranium.
Maybe II is because OF the haunting
memories OF the house ny. Possibly he
fears that some wandering mosquito is
about to settle down and peaceably abb
stract a meal. II lie possible. too. that he
ls Keeling there in the vain hope OF finding
that he Is not bald after all. Hope and
the human heart mix queerly.
It Is a trial to a bald-headed man to
sit under fan with his hat removed. The
constant oreezes annoy him. So he rubs
his head.
All bald-headed men are ant 10 remov.
their hats In the street car They will
brave the scornful and deriding smiles of
hairy mortals In order to feel the breeze
polished area on the top OF the Uranium.
Every now and then they rub the polished
area gently and suspiciously, az though
they feared that the hair might start
growing without their knowledge.
Go up. thou bald head" saId thu VxIek.d
little Israelitish children to the patriarch.
With variations that has been the taunt-
Ing cry ever since. Possibly no one loves
rat man. 1t is certain that q bald head
Is not popular. Everyone grins when he
catches sight Of the polished dome from
which the hirsute growth has vanished.
Then when the bald-headed man rubs the
seat OF his infirmity he but calls attention
to his weakness.
Bald-headed men are divided as to why
they rub their heads. A few of them
deny that such a thing happens. Others
ADMIT II, but are able to give no reason
Tor It. Some OF them claim that the sem
saton is pleasing and soothing to the
nerves OF the skin. A few say that they
ruo their heads because they have been
told that a gentle massage will stimulate
the roots and possibly cause the hair to
grow once more.
Unconsciously the hand of the bald
headed Individual creeps toward that
giistening spot. He is sitting converslnR
with friend, and reflex action taLos his
hand to the top of his head He gets IN To
make an address before a room full of
people and his hand and his bald head
betray him. People smile and he thinks
II is because they are pleased. They laugh
and he imagines that he must be more than
ordinarily humorous. When he sits down
to read hook his hand gently caresses
the place where the hair was but is not
The Germans say that we are a bald
people because we. sit around with our hats
on. The German loves to ride and walk
bareheaded after the manner affected by
the college youth a few years ago. They
say that we are bald because we choke
our hair off into an airiess space under
stiff, heavy hat. II cannot breathe and
the skin on the top OF the head cannot
breathe.
Soon the hair begins to gently vanish
Very soon we are bald and our heads are
as polished as new billiard ball Then
we begin to rub our heads. We also begin
TO hope against hope and the teachings OF
the medical schools that It will finally come
back From time to time We begin to feel
around over the vacant area gently and
unoostrusively to see II 1t has at last
started to grow.
Possibly that IL nearer the real reason
for the head rubbings than any other.
There Is always a faint hope that the dead
roots Will be revived and that we will
again have luxuriant crop OF hair. It 10
this hope that sells hair tonics and pastes
1t is this stirring OF faith that sends the
hairless one to the specialist that he may
massage, rub and anoint with burning
ointments. ts-
Some day" argues the bald man TO his
subconscious SELF the hair may be re-
vived' I win reach up and feel the place
where II ought to be"-Ss- Louis Republic