The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27
A LOCK OF HAIR.

Correspondence OF the Indianapolis Journal
STOCKHOLM Sweden, Dec. Al saw to-day in
the National Museum, at Stockholm, little me-
mento that possibly l can weave into a story
that will not be without interest to your readers
1t was only a lock of yellow human hair, tied in
the middle with q faded ribbon and surrounded
by six withered laurel leaves bound on a rust
eaten wire, and as it laid upon the white-satin
cushion covered by glass case. l naturally in
quired of Dr. Hilderbrandt the superintendent
its history. Ordinarily lock of hair excites
little or no emotion within one after he has
passed the period of calow youth. but this espe-
cial lock was so tenderly cared for that judged
it had history. and found that such was the
fact It was taken from tbs head Of Charles XII
after his disastrous and final defeat and death in
the trenches at FREDERICKSBURG, and bears on its
yellow surface stain-drop of his blood. There
was whole volume in this little relic of the
most eccentric and misguided man Of his age
1t brought back to much more forcibly the
ambitions, the privations, the vicissitudes and
the final ending of all by death of this curious
compound of virtue, honor. ambition, obstinacy
and self will-much more than the sight of his
sarcophagus or the colossal statue just out from
my window, which stands so defantly, looking
out toward Russia, his ancient and unrelenting
foe
Up to the age Of eighteen Charles Kills life was
not unlike that Of the average noble youth of
his time. He was guilty Of many of the in
ordinate excuses of youth, but suddenly
awakening to the knowledge that the affairs of
his country we're unhappily managed, and that
the Dane was again attempting to enthral his
people by taking advantage of the untoward
midi nE ffaJM hA C,dd
the hope of his country depended upon himself
In the twnkling of an eye, all but, he renou need
all physical pleasures secured the abdication of
his successor, and at the age of eighteen was
declared King of Sweden. From thence there
were no more revels the wassail cup was put
aside and the serious business of occupied
all his time. In little while he was at the head
of splendid army. and setting out for Den
mark gained his first great victory over his
hereditary foes, the Danes, on the same placid
little land-locked sea, where years after Nelson
fought his historical naval battle. And at
thirty six years of age Charles yielded his
life to his ambition while inspecting the trenches,
one night, investing FREDERICKSBURG. There is
no more pathetic historical story than is fur
nished by his life spanning these years from
| eighteen to thirty-six. His earlier years were
marked with splendid suecess-his later with
defeat, humiliation and DEATH 1 do not purpose
to write history of this peculiar genius, the es
innate of whose merits have long since been
passed upon by the most considerable of his lit
orary contemporaries: out Is III Dy some natural
instinct, or through some deusIon, that when
the very spots where famous men have
lived we are far more moved than when we hear
Of the things they have dones Heretofore. to
me Charles was only shadow outline, standing
out on the historical page with such pre-emnent
massiveness Of character. with such contrariety
of purpose, such wonderful genius. that never
realized the fullness of such an entity. Here it
is different 60 to his tomb, the palace, the
museum, the park. l find inanimate some
thing which speaks more eloqUently Of
him than the pages Of Voltaire. 1t was
this thought had with me when l took up the
little lock of hair and placed my fingers on the
remnant of the laurel wreath. which his soldiers
placed upon his head before starting back to
Stockholm with his dead body through the SHOWS
of a Norwegian winter. He drained his country
of its youth and its wealth, but had he lived, the
the fearful sacrifice might have been recon-
pensed in destroying the Muscovite power which
Peter the Great was building up to be the stand
ing menace to the peace of Europe 1t was Or
dered otherwise, and slowly Sweden is recover
ing from the great tax put upon her by the am
bition of Charles. The people Of Sweden
hero wOrShipers, as IS testified by the many
statues erected in honor of her kings and emil
nent men. and standing but little ways apart
is that of Charles XII and Gustavus Adolphus.
[ never look up into the sturdy. resolute face of
Adolphus but that [ am reminded that it
to his heroism and his courage that saved
the Northland to Professionalism and was as well
the sword arm Of Martin Luther's faith He
too fell in battle, and was likewise brought back
to Sweden, and now lies but step away from
Charles yet, after all, the world owes him the
greatest tribute And now. American writer,
competent to do the work, is hore gathering ma
teral for the life of Gustave Vassar, the founder
of the line which produced these two heroes, and
then he proposes, [ believe, writing the lives
of each. What rich field for the biographical
historian and how appropriate that representa-
tive of our own country should pay these great
men-the national heroes of Sweden--this trib-
uteg And here ends my story of the lock of
hair. NJ.