Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-02-22
The Last OF Many Disappointment
A Poor WOman's Efforts to
Sell Her Hair.

How many people there are in this
great city who weep genuine tears over
the tragedies of the stage-over the I'M
happy fate of The Two Orphans 'and
similar productions of the play wright's
brain. Or. in romance, has not the in
cident of Victor Hugo's Famine selling
her golden hair and pearly teeth to buy
bread for her little Cosette aroused
feelings of the deepest emotion? If
fiction can so move the heart, how much
more should fact !? An incident as pitt
full as anything in romance was wit
messed day or two since by Herald
reporter. While lettering on Four.
teenth street, watching the eager throng
of happy people out shopping for
Christmas presents, he noticed an in
congruous figure among them. 1t was
that of woman, tall, slight, and clothed
in dress of shabby black. Her eyes
wore sad expression, and the lines
about her mouth were tightly drawn.
What a contrast was this pale face to
the rosy cheeks and bright eyes on every
side The reporter regarded her with
interest. She stopped suddenly in front
Of a large store for the sale of human
hair, near the corner of Sixth avenue.
Hesitating moment, and giving eau
tious glance up and down the crowded
thoroughfare, she entered. With down
cast eyes she walked up to a counter
behind which stood well-fed female
clerk. Taking newspaper parcel from
under her shawl she opened it out be-
fore the cold gaze of the clerk. 1t was
roll of hair about yard long, thick
and fine. In color it was nutbrown,
with tinge of gold-just the shade of
the woman's which chung in short ring
lets around her face, and just the shade
that poets love to write about. 1t sug-
gested those lines of Cozzens:'
Oh loosen the snood that you wear, Jeanette;
Let me tangle hand in your hair, my pet,
For the world to me hath no prettter sight
Than your brown hair bathed in its golden
light.
Chow much will you give me for
that ?" asked the tremulous voice of
the woman. The shop-keeper looked
at it critically then coldly answered,
"a dollar and half"
The woman gazed blankly at her for
a moment. SIS that all?" and the
pent.up tears chased each other down
her careworn cheeks.
GA dollar and half, not q penny
more, repeated the woman from behind
the counter.
"The barber that cut it off told me
that 1 could get $40 for it" said the
poor woman, choking back her tears.
"Then you had better sell it to him
we will give you but a dollar and a
half"
A young lady customer who had
heard this conversation with mingled
feelings of indignation and emotion,
turned to the radeswoman-" How
can you offer this poor woman such a
sum when you know that you can get
at least 500 for that hair ," said she.
"Of course we can that is the way
we do business. The woman has heard
my price"
my money" replied the young lady,
hurrying from the shop.
Only a dollar and half Oh, my
God is it possible {" and the wretched
woman sank down upon chair and
buried her face in her thin hands while
the reporter wondered what was back
of all this, what terrible want had in
duced this poor creature to part with
her beautiful hair and even more he
wondered at the hard heart of the shop
keeper. The slight figure of the wo-
man shook with suppressed sobs the
long ringlets lay upon the counter.
For the world to me hath no prettier sight
Than your brown hair bathed in its golden
light.
Had any man ever said as much OF
those shorn locks ?-N. Y. Herald.