The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-07-29
Sudden White Hair.

Sorrow, not time, frosted the .brigh
tresses of Mary Stuart and Marie-Antoin
ette; and theirs were not the only queenll
heads that have been prematurely whitenet
by care and anxiety While Hanover wa
waging an unequal contest with Prussia
a lady in attendance upon the consort o.
the brave blind king, wrote thus of hel
royal mistress: ''In the last two months
her hair has grown quite gray, may say
white. Four months since one could scarce
ly discern gray hair; now l can hardly
see dark one" A similar change has often
taken place in the course of a single night
One of the witnesses in the Tiehborne
case deposed that the night after hearing
of his fathers death, he dreamed he saw
him killed before his eyes, and found, on
awakening, that his hair had turned quite
white. An old man with snow-white hair
said to DIR. Moreau "My hair was as
white, as you see it now, long before l had
grown old. Grief and despair at the loss
of a tenderly-loved wife whitened my locks
in single night when l was not thirty
years of age. Judge, then, of the force of
my sufferings." His white hairs brought
no such recompense with them as happened
in the instance Of the gay gallant who had
the hardihood to hold a love-tryst in the
palace grounds of the King of Spain. Be
trayed by the barking of an unsympathetic
hound, the telling of the old, old story was
interrupted by the appearance of the kings
guard. The scared damsel was allowed to
depart unchallenged; but her lover was held
captive, to answer his offence. Loye-making
under the shadow of the royal palace was
capital crime; and so overwhelmed with
horror at the idea of loosing his head for
following the promptings of his heart was
the rash wooer, that before the sun rose
his hair had turned quite gray. This be-
ING told King Ferdinand he pardoned the
offender, thinking he was sufficiently pun
ished.
When the Emperor Leopold was about
to make his grand entry into Vienna, the
old sexton Of ST. Jeseph's Cathedral was
much troubled in his mind Upon such
occasions it had been his custom to take his
stand on the pinnacle Of the tower, and wave
flag as the imperial pageant passed BY; but
he felt that age had so weakened his nerve
that he dared not again attempt the perilous
performance. After thinking the matter
over, he came to the conclusion that he must
End substitute; and knowing his pretty
daughter had plenty Of stalwart suitors, the
old fellow publicly announced that the man
who could take his place successfully should
Be his soa-in-law. To his intense disgust,
the offer was at once accepted By Gabriel
Petersheim, his special aversion, and the
special favorite of the girl who saw not with
her fathers eyes. On the appointed day
Vienna opened its gates to the new w-made
emperor, but il was evening, or near upon
evening. when the young fag-bearer welcom-
ed the procession from ST. Joseph's Tower.
His task performed. Gabriel would have
descended from the AIRY height, but foand
his way barred. Two wre.ches had done
the treaeherous sexton bidding. and closed
the trap-door Of the upper stairway, leaving
the brave youth 10 choose between precipi-
taiiug himself on the pavement below, or
elinging the cold night through to the slen-
der spire, with but ten inches of foothold.
He chose possible life to certain death; but
whea rescue came with the morning, his
eyes were sunken and dim, his checks yel-
low and wrinkled, his curly locks As white
as snow. Gabriel Petersheim had won his
bride at a fearful eost. -Chaasbeys's Jour
nal