"But, Damn It," He Said (Or Words To That Effect), "I Told You Not To
Cut The Hair Too Short."
The barber, immaculate and imperturbable, gave a preliminary bow.
He was
collecting his thoughts, and his breath.
"I say, I told you not to cut it too short. It looks horrible - - "
"Horrible? That, sir - pardon my frankness! - is a matter of opinion. I
fully admit that you desired the child's hair to be cut not too short.
Those, in fact, were your very words. Notwithstanding, I venture to
think you will come round to my point of view, on due reflection, like
most of my esteemed customers. In the first place, there is the
ethnological aspect of the question. You are doubtless sufficiently
versed in history to know that under the late regime it was considered
improper, if not criminal, to wear a moustache. Well, nowadays we think
differently. Which proves that fashions change; yes, they change, sir;
and the wise man bends to them - up to a certain point, of course; up to
a certain reasonable point - - " "But, damn it - - "
"And in favour of my contention that hair should be worn short nowadays,
I need only cite the case of His Majesty the King, whose august head, we
all know, is clipped like that of a racehorse. Horrible (as you call it)
or not, the system has momentarily the approval of royalty, and that
alone should suffice for all loyal subjects to deem it not unworthy of
imitation. Next, there are what one might describe as hygienic and
climatic considerations.
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