Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-17

stage lightning flashed as the Olympiaa monarch descended on his cloud-supported throne. Suddenly screams of horror rang through the house; the Queen tainted, and all was uproar and consternation, until the voice of the King was heard above the din crying: eff anyone shouts or screams again, I'll have that person shot" Some thing had gone wrong with the machinery before the clouds had descended ten feet, and Jupiter had fallen through. Fortunately a strong iron wire or rope caught in his cloak, and, uncoiling with his weight, let him down by degrees. But workman fall ing with him had been impaled upon strong iron spike supporting the scenery. In ten minutes or so they reached the ground, the workman dead, the singer dazed, but able to thank heaven on his knees for his escape and then the awe-stricken people saw that formed into 8 white haired mortal, whose youthful features formed 8 strange contrast to heir venerable looking crown.
 Staff Surgeon Parry, while serving in India during the mutiny, saw a strange sight. Among the prisoners taken in a skirmish at Chamda was sepoy of the Bengal army. He was brought before the authorities and put ts the question. Fully alive to his posi- tion, the Bengalee stood almost stupefied with fear, trembling greatly, with horror and despair plainly depicted on his counte- nance. While the examination was proceed ing the by-standers were startled by the sergeant in charge of the prisoner exclaim- ing: "He is turning gray!" All eyes were turned on the unfortunate man, watching with wondering interest the change coming upon his splendid glossy jet-black locks. In half an hour they were of uniform grayish hue.
 Some years ago, young lady who was anxiously awaiting the coming of her hus-
 band-elect, received letter conveying the sad tidings of his shipwreck and death. She instantly fell to the ground insensible and so remained for five hours. On the following morning her sister saw that her hair, which had been previously of a rich brown color had become as white 8 cambric handker- chief, her eyebrows and eyelashes retaining their natural color. After a while the whitened hair fell off and was succeeded by a new growth of gray. This case coming under the observation of Dr. Erasmus Wilson shattered his unbelief in the possibility of the sudden conversion of the hair from dark color to snow white. No man knows more about the hair than Dr.. Wilson but he is at a loss to explain the phenomenon quite to his own satisfaction. ''If," says he, ''it be established that the hair is susceptible of permeation by fluids derived from the blood-a transmission of fluids from the blood vessels of the substance of the hair really occurs, the quantity and l nature being modified by the peculiarity of constitution or state of health of the indi vidual-it follows that such fluids, being al l tered in their chemical qualities, may pos sess the power of impressing new conditions on the structure into which they enter. Thus, If they contain excess of salts of lime, they may deposit salts of lime in the tissue of the hair, and so produce change ] in its appearance from dark to gray" Then | he tells us: ''The phenomenon may be the l result of electrical action it may be the ! consequence of 8 chemical alteration wrought on the very blood itself, or it may be 8 con version for which the tissue of the hair is | chiefly responsible" So many tsmay hes'
 from such an authority prove that the mys | tery of the sudden whitening of the hair is yet unsolved It IS likely to remain unsolved
 since the doctor-more modest than many l of his brethren-owns that ''the mysteries 1 of vital chemistry are unknown to men,"
 l The whitening of the hair wrought by 1 mental disturbance Is sometimes only of 1 par tial nature. Vexation of spirit gave Hen
 ry of Navarro a party -colored moustache | An old writer tells of an Irish captain who went to deliver himself up to Lord Broghill the commander of the English forces, who | being met on his way by party of English
 soldiers, was made prisoner and was so appre | hensive of being put to death before LorC
 Broghill could interfere in his behalf that thu | anxiety of his mind turned some of his lock-
 quite white, while the others remained O. l their original reddish hue. Perhaps the GU
 rious change was less annoying to it's victim
 than that which befell an American girl
 whose first intimation of her lovers fslsit.
 was the reading of an account of his mar
 riage in newspaper. After nights brood
 ing over the traitors perfdy, her looking
 glass showed her that one side of her heae
 was still adorned with tresses of golde,
 brown; but the other, alas was decked witt
 locks more beftting grandam than maide,
 still in her teens; though even this was no
 so bad as was the case of a French girl, who l NV a floor nf fyi
 way beneath her, shed her hair so quickl
 that in three days time she was-to use tn
 expressive comparison of a chronicler of tn l eYent-''as bald as a bell handle n