102 THE JONATHAN PAPERS 



men,&quot; I went on, &quot;is that when they want to 

 make a thing look well, all they can think of 

 is cutting and chopping. Look at a man when 

 he goes to a party, or to have his picture 

 taken! He always dashes to the barber s 

 first that is, unless there s a woman around 

 to interfere. Do you remember Jack Mason 

 when he was married? Face and neck the 

 color of raw beef from sunburn, and hair 

 cropped so close it made his head look like a 

 drab egg!&quot; 



&quot;I did n t notice,&quot; said Jonathan. 



&quot;No, I suppose not. You would have done 

 the same thing you re all alike. Look at 

 horses! When men want to make a horse look 

 stylish, why, chop off his tail, of course ! And 

 they are only beginning to learn better. When 

 a man builds a house, what does he do? Cuts 

 down every tree, every bush and twig, and 

 makes it shipshape, as you call it. And then 

 the women have to come along and plant 

 everything all over again.&quot; 



&quot;But things need cutting now and then,&quot; 

 said Jonathan. &quot;You would n t like it, you 

 know, if a man never went to the barber s. 

 He d look like a woodchuck.&quot; 



