Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-09-10
FOR THE SAKE OF HIS
HAIR.
How a Young Frenchman's Vanity Saved
Him from Being Hanged.


Him from Being Hanged.
The other day l was standing on the
boulevard, watching with no little in
terest the new graduates from the mill
tary school at St.-Cyr. Among them I
noticed struggling along with elastic
step, a young officer of dragons who
was evidently wearing his uniform of
Sub Lieutenant for the first time. His
tunic was without wrinkle, his epau-
let's without speck of dust, and his
fatigue-cap, tipped knowingly to one
side, showed, though his light hair was
still very short, that there has been an
attempt to part it in the back. This
reminded me forcibly of the experience
of Maxine de Ian old messmate of
mine when | myself was at St. Cyr.
He was a big Breton, tall, strong as an
OK, and with curly yellow hair. He
had, SO far as we knew, but one
sorrow, and that to be obliged to wear
his golden locks cut as short-as short
as old Jousse could clip them. In fact,
like many of his countrymen, Max at
tached a peculiar Importance to this
hair of his, and argued that to show
ones ears in their conspicuous naked
ness was a sort of degradation. Be-
sides, there was certain cousin, Yo-
lande de Precy-Bussac, in whose pres
ence he rather liked to look his best
1t was in vain that he had found an ar
tistic barber, who every Sunday went
over with curling-irons the quarter of
an inch of hair that the law allowed
He was ashamed of himself and it was
with real delight that he hailed the ap-
proach of his second year, when disci-
pline is relaxed to the point of allow
ing the hair to be worn a little longer,
provided the temples are bare. think
of it!' he said to me one day with
childish delight. 'In two months |
shall be at Trouville. | shall be an
officer, and free to do as l choose. l
can loaf all day on the beach and dance
the german with my cousin Yolande in
the evening; and,' he added, lifting
his cap under which thick mat of hair
was already curling, II shall have my
hair
One unlucky morning, however, In
fantry-Lieut. Pichard, during inspec-
ton on parade, stopped short in front
of Max "Take off your cap!" Max
shuddered and slowly obeyed. Every
good If all that isn't off by to-mor-
row, you shall have four days in the
guard-house'- e'-and he continued his
inspection.
$50 you are to be sandpapered after
all, Max" said when parade was
over.
"Not bit of it," he replied; '.do
you suppose I'm going to give upP"
What can you do about it?'
81 don't know. l shall use strata
gem. l shall move heaven and earth,
but intend to keep my hair
The next morning we worked hard
with brushes and water until we had
smoothed out his rebellious curls and
hattened them out quite presentably
On parade, however, Max seemed very
nervous. Pickard might have forgot
ten. No, here he was now, coming
slowly along with his hands behind his
back, and, as the day before, he
stopped before Max and made him lift
mis- cap. Surprised at first by his skill
full plastering, he proceeded to stroke
wrong way, when the obnoxious curls
q. ou0c ledppedleu, SllHer ana more
obstinate than ever.
''Adjutant! Put down De L. for four
days in the guard-housen'
AT the end of the fourth day Max
mixed an intricate combination of
colors in saucer and decorated his
knee with a wash of blue-green repre-
senting serious confusion. He averred
that his horse had knocked him against
one of the posts in the riding-school,
and good-natured DR.. Pouillac reported
him lila gain of another day. The
next day, on parade, new inspection,
and this time eight days in the guard
house. Max took his punishment like
a stole, and when he reappeared the
ninth day got two weeks more, followed
by a special report to the General.
Still he had only one month longer to
hold out, and remained obstinate, but
finding that at this rate he was risking
his epaulets, he again consulted the
worthy doctor, who this time sent him
to the infirmary
He had begun to entertain serious
thoughts OF giving in, when one day,
the 14th of July, 1870, q tremendous
cheer was heard in the court yard out
side, followed by thunders of applause.
The invalids rushed to the windows,
when scene of the widest disorder
met their eyes. Through the windows