Year: 1875




child in that locality had ever met me
before.


The barber smiled tenderly as he
pointed to the chair, and then led right
off as if he had shaved me every day for
a month past While mixing the lather,
he remarked on the weather, the crops,
the panic, the lost balloonists and other
matters, and although | did not pretend
to hear him. he was not to be beaten.


81 hope you'll do well here" he said,
as he pushed my head over and daubed
the lather on the right cheek, commenc-
ing at the butt of the ear.


(Silence on my part)


1.-The town needs another dry goods
store" he continued after a moment,
land l shouldn't wonder if you coined
money"


(Long silence)


Perhaps it was the silence which con-
vinced the barber that he had made a
mistake, but he was not discouraged.
AS he lathered the left cheek he sudden
ly said


"There are three or four lawyers here
now, but as Christopher Columbus said,
There's room at the top of the heap
and l think you'll be tull of business
all the time


He was looking right down into my
face, and through the foam of lather he
might have detected a faint smile,
frown, or some other expression which
hurt his conceit. He instantly suspect
ed that he had made another mistake
was looking into the glass on the wall.
and | saw his countenanee change. Some
BARRIERS would not have pursued the sub
ject any further, but he was the only
barber in the village, and he felt that
he had certain rights which | was bound
to respect. He might have reasoned
that | was muiish and obstinate and
needed coaxing and fiattering, or perhaps
! he theorized that | was timid and hesi-
tating. and wanted encouraging. Atany
rate he soon attacked me again, saying {:


This is a nice village, but | never
saw so much sickness in my life as We
have had this year. Our doctor don't
seem to know enough to manage the dis
eases, and I'm glad you are going to
open an Office. l am pretty healthy as
a general thing, but if / get sick I'll
give you my custom in preference to any
one else"


Still watching the glass, l saw self
satisfied smile ripple across his face. For
about half minute he was dead sure
in his own mind that he had boxed me
up. Then a shade of suspicion crossed
his face. Silence sometimes gives con-
sent, but in this case, after scrutinizing
my face sharply for an instant, he inter
preted it to mean that he had blundered
again. He was vexed. had no right
to sit there and treat his round-the-cor-
ner queries with such contemptuous ST.
lence. He would pay me for such con-
duct saw the spirit of resolve creep
into his face, and he said:


81 was saying only the other day that
this town was able to support another
blacksmith shop Old Jones is good
hearted, but he knows no more about
shoeing horse, than coon does about
sailing canal boat"


His eyes glistened, and he took nc
pains to keep down the chuckle of salts.
faction bubbling up into his throat. He
regarded it as line shot-a crusher-
and if he hadn't been shaving my CHR
at that time | would have been unable
to suppress laugh.


His razor crossed the chin, scrapeC
up and down, and skipped around to thc
jugular vein before the barber's smil,
faded. He had been watching me t,
catch a start of surprise or a look o
displeasure, or something to guide hi
opinion and as he had been unsuccess
full, he renewed the lather on the lef
} cheek and sighed drearily. hoped b,
; was man of determination, and trustee
! that he would not give up. Fearing tina
: he would. was about to speak, wheI
he smiled blandly and remarked;
! al can tell school teacher the min
5 ute l set eyes on him."
Nather and silence
..And it's funny, too" be continued
"that | have shaved every professor il
I the Normal school here the very frs
: morning of his arrival and have toll
, each and every one that be was a pro
: fessor before he had said word to me.
(Silence and shave.)
$ "Well. suppose teaching is goo


paying business" be went on, as b
a looked my face over to see if he ha
a skipped spot. '.and I'm willing to hel
you all / can. / haven't any childre
! am not married-but if ever | &c
!. married and have children I'll send 'eI
Z. to school to you"


y His persisteney and Aattery deserve
: some encouragement. but | was detel


mined to hold out to the last ditch. H
S shut up his razor with a quick. vexe