hair trimmed--shingled was the term
then used. Some of my private collection of cowlicks had begun to
stand up in a way that invited adverse criticism and reminded people
of sunbursts. They made me look as though my hair were trying to pull
itself out by the roots and escape. So I was sent to the barber's.
My little cousin, two years younger, went along in my charge. It was
thought that the performance might entertain her. I was mounted in
a chair and had a cloth tucked in round my neck, like a self-made
millionaire about to eat consomme. The officiating barber got out a
shiny steel instrument with jaws--the first pair of clippers I had ever
seen--and he ran this up the back of my neck, producing a most agreeable
feeling. He reached the top of my head and would have paused but I told
him to go right ahead and clip me close all over, which he did. When he
had finished the job I was so delighted with the sensation and with the
attendant result as viewed in a mirror that I suggested he might give my
little cousin a similar treat. From a mere child I was ever so--willing
always to share my simple pleasures with those about me, especially
where it entailed no inconvenience on my part. I told him my father
would pay the bill for both of us when he came by that night.

The barber fell in with the suggestion. It has ever been my experience
that a barber will fall in readily with any suggestion whereby the
barber is going to get something out of it for himself. In this instance
he was going to get another quarter, and a quarter went farther in
those days than it does now. I dismounted from the chair and my innocent
little cousin was installed in my place. As I now recall she made no
protest. The barber ran his clippers conscientiously and painstakingly
over her tender young scalp, while I stood admiringly by and watched the
long yellow curls fall writhing upon the floor at my feet. It seemed
to me that a great and manifest improvement was produced in her general
appearance. Instead of being hampered by those silly curls dangling down
all round her face, she now had a round, slick, smooth dome decorated
with a stiff yellowish stubble, and the skin showed through nice and
pink and the ears were well displayed, whereas before they had been
practically hidden. She was also relieved of those foolish bangs hanging
down in her eyes. This, I should have stated, occurred in the period
when womankind of whatsoever age and also some men wor