]
It will be seen from the picture of a person with and without a wig that
its use made a plain face presentable. There is a good election story of
Daniel O'Connell. It is related during a fierce debate on the hustings,
O'Connell with his biting witty tongue, attacked his opponent on account
of his ill-favoured countenance. But, not to be outdone, and thinking
to turn the gathering against O'Connell, his adversary called out, "Take
off your wig, and I'll warrant that you'll prove the uglier." The witty
Irishman immediately responded, amidst roars of laughter from the crowd,
by snatching the wig from off his own head and exposing to view a bald
pate, destitute of a single hair. The relative question of beauty was
scarcely settled by this amusing rejoinder, but the laugh was certainly
on O'Connell's side.
An interesting tale is told of Peter the Great of Russia. In the year
1716, the famous Emperor was at Dantzig, taking part in a public
ceremony, and feeling his head somewhat cold, he stretched out his hand,
and seizing the wig from the head of the burgomaster sitting below him,
he placed it on his own regal head.
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