The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1878-07-06
A STORY OF TWO WIGS.
tFrom the New York Times. !

From the New York Times1
The opinions of the old differ as to
many things from the opinions OF the
young. aud there is not a man living OF
sixty years OF age who will not frankly
admit that old men are always right.
Take. for example, the subject of the gas
in the back parlor. The elderly man be-
lieves It is designated to assist him in
playing whist, while the young man
thinks it Is meant to be turned down
very low, so that the :" dim religious
light" that Milton said that no back
parior should be without, may calm the
mind OF the young lady of the house and
tit her 10 listen to the high and holy
themes. OF course. the elderly man ia
right. His is the wisdom OF experience.
He has once been young, and has known
what 1t IL to fall over chair or to upset
the table while hurridly turning up the
gas in consequence of an alarm OF an ap.
preaching father in the front hall, or of
proving and predatory aunt III the
next room; but no'young man will listen
to his warnings or accept his opinions of
the true uses OF gas. This is but one of
thousand Instances in which the old
are wiser than the young.
In estimating the value Of the repairs
and alterations which art puts upon
aged man, there ls an irreconcllabls DIFF
ference OF opinion between the old and
the young. There is Mr. Babbitt. OF
Darlington, Maine, who has reaped the
ripe wisdom of sixty-three years. That
wise old man maintains that neither
hair, teeth, nor limbs ought to bs per-
msneut fixtures. Mr. Babbitt wears a
wig, u coMptete set OF false teeth, and q
CORK leg, and instead of trying to deny
their aruficlaIity. be constantly testifies
to their superiority to the hair, teeth and
legs with which he was originally fitted
out. 10 hot weather he sincerely pities
the young who cannot take off their hair.
when one OF his teeth is out Of order, he
sends the whele set to the dentist by a
special messenger, and when they are
returned in perfect state of repair, he
triumphantly asks his younger acquaint-
anoes who undergo grinding torments
In the dentists chair, if they do not
wish that they too had removable teeth.
In the mosquito season, when his neigh
bors hsve to constantly wear heavy boots
to protect their ankles, Mr.. Babbitt will
take OF his cork leg, and placing it on
the table, will ohuckie as he watches the
deceived mosquitoes swarming upon it,
and neglecting all other legs to pray
upon that fair, false calf. Mr.. Babbitt
even pities other elderly men who wear
their own hair in gray or white condi-
nen, and insists that his raven locks are
iar more beautiful than any natural hair.
hHogether, he is as frank and cheerful as
ne Is wise, and his only fault-if he has
one-ls the tendency to forget his hair
ana to leavs it lying about in insppro.
pirate places.
1t Was through this inexcusable forget.
fulness that Mr.. Babbitt became the cause
OF the tragedy in the Bangor and Boston
sleeping' car last April, the mere recol-
1eoton OF which causes the average Bar.
sington citizen citizen to turn pale and
snudder. The sleeping. car was full, and
ssove was. OF course, extremely hot, al
saough 1t was warm night. Mr.. Bab-
pit had noticed among his fellow.pss.
sengers lady of indefinite age, but of
much personal beauty. Her hair was
especially ravishing. 1t was OF golden
yellow, banged in front, soollopsd on the
sdses, and heaped up on the top of her
n-ad In great tour.ply braids fastened to-
eether by gilt safety pms with large b ack
neads, and sprinkled with flowers and
Hooons. In fact, il was simply gorgeous,
ana for once Mr.. Babbitt began to doubt
whether Nature could not, when she
gave her whole mind to it, manufacture
mar superior to that of the best wig
maker.
=, The golden.haired lady occupied berth
NO. ~, and Mr.. Babbist felt vague and
unreasonable pleasure when he remem-
osred that his berth was No. 20. In
course OF time beds were made and the
passengers withdrew to their couches to
sieep, perchanoe to snore. Mr.. Babbitt,
as usual, took off bis hair and laid it by
me side OF his pillow, but, with . view
70 possible railway accidents, thought it
oest to keep bis teeth and leg at their re-
..peotive posts of duty. The heat and
'ne noise made 1t impossible for him to
sleep, so that, just before daylight ar
rived, he arose and went to the rear plat
form In search OF air. When he had
nearly reached the door. he remembered
'na' be had forgotten his hair, so he
wen! back to his berth, and, putting his
"sau under the curtain, grasped his wig,
snul"sted 1t carelessly. and went out OF
'uo door.
one oy one the passengers woke up
.uu climbed out OF their berths. The cars
"o,e que at Boston at seven A. M and a
"u'e before that hour Mr.. Babbitt re.
hsesed the Gar. He had scarcely closed
ne door behind him when an infuriated
10y 10 badly fitting black masculine
",g rushed at him and denounced him as
~: n:eartless villain and an atrocious thief
q" sstonishment was naturally very