The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-01-24

| .ldicics ofHe psde,.--A man, ahnut for.
~ years of age, with a care worn cosnte
nance, was placed nj the bar, having had
Wticlcs Of peace exhibited against him by
his WIFE. on the wife being Vailed, n clean
decent looking frfnalr slowly assembled the
hox, CHANGING !, wiailul eye at the prisoner
~ she moved up the steps. When she had
bren sworn pht turned round her head, aud
booked second Time ,lpun Der hushan,s -
| The Chairman or,ierpd the articles to be-
read. While the officer of the Court WAS
dong this, she took n handkerchief out Of
her pocket, covered her lace, and "wept
BITTERLY The articles chhrgcd the hus-
bond with hasing beat and abused his wife
1T stser3h different times, particularly on
| Tie day therein nained, when he strnck her
several times, knocked herdown and tlrca-
tered 10 kill her. When the indictment
had hecn read over, and the Chairman be-
gan to examinethe complainant IA To the
| facts, al her formr affections Tor the hps,
band Of hr1 bosom, aud the father of her
childpcn, rushed into her soul, she sohhed
aloud aud she eo.ld ohly Hrticulate, and
| that apparently. III tile utmost agony OF
mind, " have mercy upon him DO pray
have mercy upon him :" Why, said the
! Chairman, you have exhibited articles Of
the peace against your husband, and now
you beg the court to have mercy on him.
The articles say he k,ncked you down and
threatened You with further Violence
prisoner---" didn't hnotk her down, on
" pushed her and shn fill on the he'd. y
oh, exclaimed the wife, 1t Is taisf, my
dear husband, YOU lNoW you did, my dear
husband Pray do have mercy on him ~
Chairma,--." What 10 you wish me 10
do ?" only wish trcplicd she, still sob
bing aloud) that we may 1--we comfortably
Together" "Then do you wish me asked
the Chairman In discharge him, that he
may 30 home with you 2" The wife, on
hearing this proposition from the worthy
Daronct, t,ising her voice much higher
than she had spoken before, hastily ex-
claimed, II you please, sir ~ The court
! then consented To discharge the husband,
when the wit. retired from the box crying
as heartily for Joy, as she bad but few mi
Mates before done with sorrow The last
exclamation Of this distressed female drew
forth thoughtess hurst of laughter ftom
several persons in court, though we 'are
| well convinced thai majority vi the hear
ers looked upon her situation with very dit
ferent feelings, and 50 far sympathized with
her misioriunes, that like Corporal Trim,
when relating the story Of young lie Fe-
Vre to my Uncle Toby, could almost have
cred with her for company" The hus-
bind was then released on entering into his
own rccosniaance for the sum Of eco 10
keep the peace towards his wife for one
year. Loneon paper.
-exsxe--
Reptile Contest. The following deserir
top of = rnnIcsi between fho hlp.l snah"'
aud another spceies, ~ extracted from the
letters ofan American larmer:
Gone Of my constant walks, when am
al leisure" @ys the gentleman, " is in my
low lands, wbrre ! have heplcasnre of see
ing my cattle, horses and colts Exuberant
grass rcplcni5hcs all In the riddle of ihe
tract, have cut u ditch EIGHT feet wide !;
on each side Of this, IrarefuIly sow every
year some grains Of hemp, the plants from
which rise TO the height Of fifteen feet, so
strong and full Of limbs Ms 20 resemble
young trces These produce natural ar
bGrs, rendered often still more compact by
the assistance Of an annual creeping plant,
which we call vine, that never fails to cn-
|
produces very desirable shade. As | wac
ore day sitting, solitary and pcnsiye, in this
primitive arbor, my attention was engaged
! by n strange sort Of rustling noise at some
PAGES distant.
81 looked all around without distin-
gushing any thinr,uniil climbed up one of
the great hemp stalks /; when, to my asto-
, nshment, bclitld two snakes Of ronside-
rablc length, the one pursuing the other
with great celebrity through hemp stubble
| field. The aggressor WAS Of the black
kind, feet long the fugitive was water
snake, nearly Of equal dimensions. They
soon met, aud in the fury Of their first en-
counter, appeared in an instant firmly twis-
ted together, and, whilst their united tails
beat the ground, TINY mutually tried, with
open Jaws, 10 laceralc each other. What
II fell aspect did they present Their
heads were compressed to a small size
their eyes flashed fire; aud after this con
| nct had lasted five minutes, the sccond
found means 10 disengagc itself from the
| first, and hurried towards the ditch. Its
Antagonist instantly assumed a new pos
ture, and half creeping, half erect, with n
majestic nen, overlook aud attacked the
/ 'lIlfl dShHIs winch F1d''h ilS'h VI IL bIHlidf
attitude, and PREPARED 10 resist. The scene
was uncommon and beautiful for thus OPP
posed, they fought with their jaws, biting
each other with the utmost rage but, not
nfthstandng this appearance of mutual
courage ond fury, the water snake still
seemed DESTROYS of retreatng towards the
ditch, ts natural element.
This was no sooner perceived by the
kccncyed black one, than twisting its tail
twce round a stalk of hemp, and Selling its
adversary by the throat, not by means Of
It's jaws, but by twisting its own neck twice
round that Of the water snake, he pulled it