The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-14 00:00:00

4 NEW PORN OP TERRORISM.

" A Lady of a Certain Age " complain ins con-
temporary that she has been rattened." She writes :
" Staying lately at a fashionable watering: lace, I went to
have my hair cut at the shop of • distinguished hairdresser
whom I will call A. I may add that, though of • certain
age, nature has been sufficiently bountiful in respect of •
cheodure for me to enter these places hitherto without
trepidation. I seated myself complacently before a huge
mirror in front of which wee • marble slab whereon stood
three large glass-etoppeired bottles containing a clear red
liquid labelled Specific No. 1; ditto clear mauve,
' Specific No. 2 ;'ditto white, ' Specific No. 3.' A tall
stalwart moustached young man of a haughty yet
sorrowful aspect, as of one borne down with the
frisettes and frivolities of women, entered the room, and
proceeded to comb out my hair, from time to time trans-
ferring the comb from my hair to his own, a practioe to
which I entertain a strong objection. I have always felt
it derogatory to the dignity of man that he should be thus
employed, and if ever Miss Parkes organises • staff of
female hairdressers they shall have my custom ; but,
meanwhile, I must do as others do. All proceeded calmly,
when suddenly he paused, bent over and gazed, as I sup-
posed, intently in my skull. What had he discovered, I
wondered. ' Madam,' he exclaimed, with an air of con-
sternation, ' are you aware of the state of your head r
'No,' I replied, a good deal stertled. 'ln three months
you will not have a black hair on it ! It wall be entirely
grey P I plucked up courage to observe that there were as
yet no grey hairs visible to my eye. He smiled in teem.
That may be, madam ; nevertheless it is es I have
the honour of telling you.' And producing from his waist-
coat pocket a horrid little magnifying glom, he examined
my head afresh, I being literally too much upset to pre-
vent him. ' All the young hair is already grey,' he said,
triumphantly; ' the infection will spread to the rest
' I cannot help it,' I said, desperately, ' Ex-
cuse me, madam ; if taken in time this sad event will not
occur. By the use of our specific No. 2 these symptoms, so
destructive to the personal appearance, will be entirely
' removed.' What is the price of it?' I faltered. From
7s. lid. to • guinea.' At this juncture a young lady en-
tered, followed by a still taller and more dignified person
than the one appointed to attend on me. She sat down,
and es I could in my mirror behold them both very
well, I resolved while pondering on my own
cruel destiny to see what fate had in store for
her. Hardly had her hair been taken down, than I ob-
served the lame dramatic start, the same odious little spy-
• was extracted from the waistcoat pocket, followed
by the same ostentatious scrutiny, and then I heard the
noiemn warning, ' Madam, are you aware that you are
beginning to be bald ?' (Grey hair was obviously out of
the question for • victim under five-and-twenty.) The
poor young lady exclaimed, in evident distress, 'No in-
deed; am I really? lam so sorry, I had not the No,
idea." Too true, madam ; there is already • bald place
here,' laying his finger on the crown of the head. 'I can-
not see it,' she said, vainly trying to look at the top of her
own head in the glees. ' No, madam,' but I can. In six
months you will be entirely bald, or at the moat will only
have • patch here and there.' Then followed • whis-
pered eonvenation to which delicacy forbade me to
lieten, but at the conclusion I saw him fold up and lay
aside for her • large bottle of Specific No 1, price one
guinea. When I arose, ' You will probably desire • bottle
of this cream, madam—No. 3 ; It will not only remove
every atom of scurf from the bead, but will for ever de-
stroy the possibility of its formation.' I had ro
culty in declining this : such a result would. I thought,
give the hair the appearance of growing on a 000te's ekg
rather than a Christian woman's head. ' I presume,
then, I may of course put you up a bottle of No. 2.
Now is the time, and the only time, when it can do you
good.' I said, with an abjectness of spirit of which I now
feel ashamed, that I would think about it." As you
please, msdam— thought it right to warn you,' and he
turned away more in pity than in anger, as one would
say I have spoken; her punishment be on her own head.'
' ;naked down to the promenade in • dejected frame o"
' mind, for which I hope no reasonable person will ridicule
me. Meeting • friend, she desired to know what ailed me.
' I feel a little depressed,' was my not unnatural reply.
Being farther interrogated, I confessed gloomily how I had
received certain information that within three months I
should be an entirely grey-haired woman. ' Now,' she
said, ' I know you have been to that horrid A., and have
been well frightened; did he not want you to give a
guinea.lfor specific No. 2?' I admitted it ' I know their
*deka,' she continued with • ch-erfulness quite inspirit-
ing. 'He told me I should be both bald and grey within
six months, and sweated me to buy both his nostrums.
He actually had the audacity to say, " Madam, I should
be personally grieved if you lose year fine hair by
neglect. I am in a position to speak with au-
thority, for when the season is over I and the
other gentlemen devote our leisure exclusively to: the
study of the skin.'" After a little consultation, we resolved
to repair to • rival establishment, 8., and take • fresh
opinioe there. Almost exactly the same thing occurred.
There was the same majestic demeanour, the same cur-
prise, the same microscopical examination, the sameurgent I
recommendations °Weenies, at the same price. My friend
was to be bald, 1 was to be grey, but the period of change
was now shortened from four month to three. I said,
' Will you tell me how you know this?' I see that the
skin of your head is in • most morbid and unhealthy
state, as evinced by this—it is not firmly attached to
the head.' And he pinched it up and moved it backwards
and forwards on the skull. ' You have probably had
a severe illness.' I stated that it was not so.
' Madam, lam the more concerned to hear it, for that
illness would have accounted for the melancholy condition
of your hair, and with returning health it would have re-
covered • ' but in the other car at is unquestionably the
head itself which is seriously affected.' How will your
specific act ? I *Amt. Madam in a peculiar way. It is
not • dye ; we recommend no kind of dye • we entirely
disapprove of them. But by the use of this' glass I per-
ceive the colouring matter stationary in elongated
globules, choked in its proper. No. 2 will establish
• reaction • it will generate new colouring matter, and
will force these
globules into violent activity until they
circulate freely and constantly.' lam very much
obliged to you,' I said, ' for your interesting theory.
Mr. A. also sells certain specifics which profess
to effect the same results.' A smile of compas-
sion. Madam,
we can only answer for our own
eara tions, but I may add in confidence, we
preparations,
heard a favourable account of the party
mentioned. Shall I put you up two, or only one of
the bottles No. 2, madam?' I nearly gave way, but was
saved by the reflections which suddenly occurred to me.
First I remembered that an assistant in one of the large
London houses had told me that he, in common with the
other young men, received a fourth of the prime of what-
ever they sold ; and secondly, that where nature ordains
gray hair she never fails ',to make corresponding changes
in the face ; so if by the arta of Mr. A. or B. my hair was,
against nature's law, keptblack, my face and my hair might
contrast, but would certainly not harmonies, and if the
specific, on the other band, failed, my guinea would have
been paid to no purpose ; I therefore courageously re-
fused, and I have recorded the particulars of my ordeal
end how I passed through it in the hopes that other vic-
tims may, fortified by my experience, be inspired to with-
stand this odious kind of intimidation.

The annual gathering of the Theme Agricul-
tural and Horticultural Societies took place on Thursday.
The ploughing was exceedingly good, and the prizes
awarded to cottager. for their produce very numerous. In
the afternoon a large party sat down at the Spread Eagle.
The chair WY, sa usual, occupied by Captain WTRZHAY,
and anionpt the gentlemen present were Colonel North,
111. P., and Colonel Fans, H.P.

The annual dinner of the Staffordshire Agricul-
tural Society took place at Lichfield on Wednesday.
Colonel Drorr, M.P. for the city, presided, and there
were also present the Earl of Shrewsbury and Tal-
bot, Lord Oblation, Viscount Bandon, Sir R. Boller, Bart.,
M.P., Rev. Canon Lonsdsle, Rev. Chancellor Law, Colonel
Phillips, Mr. Bateman, Mr. Thos. Neville, Mr. Masten, do.
HIALTH 128TOBID BY DO BIXBY'S FOOD TO THE
wawa, 01117011, lungs, and liver of old and young. curiae
dyspepsia (indigestion), constipation, diary/tots, acidity, head.
ache
asthma,
palpitation, simpleness., debility
waiting, co asthma, layers, tonanhiPtion. low teirtio GOAN
annual cores bad raided all raftlig-oe. iacisalton that of
his swung the rope.—Tins, at la. lid. ; lit„ Di. ed. ; 1 M., Tr& ;
tab.. 40a.—Do Barry and Co., 77, Borentetraet, fond_ no •atso at
of.o.4e4eob4inipt: 4. Ctarefelde ; es and 1110. Ozionietrast;
NA ell grooms sad skeadds.—LagurliamaalLl