The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-07-03
Mrs. Thompson's Hair.

Society la Bayou Grand, La. was re.
Gently startled at the appearance of Mrs
Col. Thompson with short hair. Mrs
Thompson had long been a leader o.
fashion, and her wealth Of yellow hail
was the admiration of all who saw il
| What had induced her to cnt her hal,
short and thus destroy one of her princl-
pal attractions was mystery until she
kindly gave the solution of it in strict
confidence to seven of her most intimate
friends.
1t appears that on the night of the I'd OF
May. Col. and Mrs. Thompson were ava
kened by the persistent crying Of one Of
the children in the nursery, which was on
the next floor above. Mrs. Thomson, like
good mother, promptly arose and went
to the nursery to see what was the mat
ter, and finding that Jefferson Davis Lee
Jackson Thompson, aged three years, was
suffering from an excess of peanuts she
undertook to calm him with kindness and
paregoric.
Meanwhile Col. Thompson could not
go to sleep again. The moon WAS shi-
ming in the room, and he finally decided
that he must geswR and shut the blinds
lie remained in bed some Ave 6rsix min
utes to impress this decision npon his.
mind, and then, with sigh, slowly arose.
He had made but single step when he
trcd on something round and soft, and
simultaneously felt Il sharp prick on the
side of his foot. He knew at once he had
been bitten by moccasin, and was 4
dead man.
rs soon rs he was bitten the Gel. sprang
half way across the room, seized walk
ing stick and proceeded to attack the en-
emy. In tue dim moonlight he saw the
snake lying quietly near the bedpost, its
dull yellow tint contrasting with the black
OAK OF the beds.ead Half dozen fero-
clous blows dispatched the intruder.
which was slung to the furthercst corner
of the room. This done the Col. stag
gered to the bed and threw himself down.
lie did not call his wife, for already he
felt too faint to climb the stairs to the
nursery. A clammy perspiration covered
his brow. Sharp. singing pains made !
felt in his foot and lower leg.
aud a glaze seemed creeping over his |
tyce. lie felt his foot and found that it |
was swelling rapidly. His heart was
growing feebler i'm its action. and deadly |
nausea nearly overpowered him. There
8 no remedy for the bite Of the Bayon
irand moecasin, and Col. Thompson
lnew that he was dying, aud that his
wife on returning TO the room would
probably find him u corpse.
Presently Mrs. Thompson made her
appearance with a lighted candle, Natn-
ally she was filled with horror at the
OF her husband. To her freu-
led inquiries he replied feebly that he
'ad been bitten by a moccasin and was
wing. Tie snake, he managed ia add.
ad been killed and was lying in the
orner. 70 his nnspeakable amszement,
irs. Thompson went TO the corner. pick
d up the dead snake, and bringing 1t to
ne bedside, said In solemn tone: :
Thomas Jefferson Thompson, what have
on been drinking? Any other fool would
now that this is my back hair.
She spoke the truth. Her back hair had
ropped from chair to the floor, aud the
oloncl. having trodden ON II and having 5
cen slightly pricked by hairpin, had
istaken it fer moccasin and destroyed
usefulness by beating it with cane.
II Is needles to say that Col. Thompson
stantiy recovered from his alarming !
'mptoms, but ha did not attempt TO go {
sleep until he had made Mrs. Thomp- 7
N promise that she would never again I
ear back hair unless the Colonel should
appointed consul to an Irish port
here snakes are totally unknown.--Ne,s I
,rk 7imes. S