Evening star., 1898-12-24
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Christmas Incident That Turned a
Wonan's Hair White.

This is a Canadian Christmas story and
its truth is vouched for by one of the prom
inent society women of Richmond whose
snow-white hair is in strange contrast
with her youthful and pretty face l give
1t to you as she told 1t to me- using her
language as near as I can recollect it, Be-
fore giving you the details, however, I
want to call attention to the fact that it
Is we'll known medical possibility for the
color of the hair to change in q single
night from intense nervous excitement l
mad known this lady for some time before
becoming sufficiently acquainted with her to
ask the reason for her snow white hair A
PANIED look passed over her face as she
told me the story, rather reluctantly but
still pleasantly.
My early life was spent at Kingston,
Canada. My father had moved there just
after the war to engage in the lumber
business, and | was quite girl when the
fifteenth amendment was added to our
Constitution. Just outside of the city prop
er II you have ever visited the place you
Will recall it, is the Dominion Insane Asy-
lum and all of the crazy people in that
section of the country are confined here.
The place had Il strange fascination for
me and 1 used to frequent it not a little
1t was during the holidays of 1870 that /
became engaged to be married to my hus-
band l was very fond of sleigh riding and
the heavy snow storms which usually set in
during the early part of November fur
n;shed me with all of the opportunity de-
sired. Fred was very attentive in those
days and owned a fine pair of horses and
one of the dearest little cutters in the
world. We had sleigh rides almost every
night. 1t was on Christmas eve that my
hair turned white, or rather Christmas
morning, 1 don't remember which Any
how, Fred came early in the evening and
suggested trip to a small village about
forty miles distant where we were to have
supper and return by moonlight. After
bundling up warm we set out on the long
trip and We're soon sliding along at a great
rate. The snow was little heavy from
recent fall and the road wasn't always dis
tlngulshable. but we knew the direction,
and being full of enthusiasm kept along
without any regafd for beaten paths. We
arrived at our destination, had nice warm
supper and started back about 0 O'clock
we had traverseG half the distance when
the sleigh struck fallen tree, which was
Hldden by the snow, and that is where my
story commences. The sleigh was broken
almost In two, and the horses, which were
going at rapid rate, became frightened
ana when we recovered from our snow bath
were lar away racing toward home. Here
was a predicament. Twenty or twenty
lVe miles from home, with the Ihnrmome-
ter dallying with the zero and no haLitation
IN slght l had whole lot of confidence
IN Fred, and after looking over the situa-
tion calmly he decided that the only thing
Tor us to do was to walk on in the hope of
hndlng shelter. We had walked perhaps a
mile, when away off in the distance a light
ward 1T was the home of Prof Dastig
whose meteorological researches are well
known in scientific circles. We were given
hospitable welcome and Fred set out for
nome to assure my father that l was all
right and return for me as soon as he
could "
Inc folks were getting ready to retire
and the professor kindly turned over to me
his little brick office jusega few yards from
the house, where 1 was to sleep until the
mex next morning or until Ffed could return
strc9re lne 9fee was as said onesstory brick
old,tashoned four Hpster bed, such as you
nnd IN some old homes in Virginia. A nice
wood fire was built and[I bade them all
examined the room and found everything
to my comfort, and being tired and worn
out, retired without following my usual
custom of looking under the bed. 1 don't
know how long had been asleep, or
whether l was asleep atAall, when l dis
tinctly felt the bed <movA upwards. 1 sat
upright and rubbed my eyes and thought
perhaps was dreaming But no, the bed
moved again, and simultaneously 1 heard
the clanking of a chain. I thought perhaps
IT might be the big mastiff dog which the
professor owned and was about to call to it
when discovered that whatever it was it
was coming out. 1 moved toward the other
side Of the bed as cautiously as I could
ana my heart beat very rapidly. You can't
estimate the horror / felt when discerned
tne hgure of man emerge from the other
side of the bed with closely cropped hair
ana the most repulsive face. He was
chained both hand and foot. My blood al
most froze in my veins, but had presence
of mind enough TO get out of the bed and
move behind the tall head board. From this
point of vantage / watched this creature.
He went Immediately to the fire and sat
down. warming his hands and feet and ut
tering inarticulate sounds of satisfaction I
imagine the poor fellow was very cold
But he was not as cold as my heart and 1
fancied that he could hear 1t beat, for 1t
was playing tattoo within me. and I was
almost ready to faint. I guess I watched
this man for ten minutes, although it SEEM
ed as many hours, when finally he arose and
went to the door. This was ON my side of