WAGNER AND THE BUTCHER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3065, 23 April 1881, Page 4

WAGNER AND THE BUTCHER.

(Translated from the French.) While tho author of ' Lohengrin' .ras in Naples it occurred to him that if_ his hair was cut shot it might ease the pain in his head. So he asked the barber to come next clay and perform the operation. The barber, good soul; could not reaist the temptation of telling everybody what ho was about to do for the illustrious man. He thought many people would wish for locks of his hair and; would be willing to pay for them. He did not misjudge, for he sold every hair of Wagner's head that very night, and the best of it was he got the money down. Well, the morning came and he went to Wagner's. Ho had already commenced operations when the door of the room opened and there entered Madame Wagner. 'Man, what are you about? This is sacrilege,' said Madame Wagner. With majestic step then the lady brought n casket of highly wrought silver and seated herself by the side of her peerless husband. ' 'Sow? she remarked to the barber, 'you may go on,' and as each lock was separated from its fellow, she holding the other end, carefully and tenderly deposited it in the casket. The poor barber ! His promises and the money in his pocket ! He could not conceal in his face that he was passing through the disappointment of his life. Madame Wagner looked and guessed the truth. ' Indeed,' she said all is not lost. Around the corner lives the butcher. Nobody can tell his hair from that of my husband. See the butcher.' The barber saw the butcher and was saved. And half of Naples slept that night with the hair of the butcher under its pillow.