The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-03-14
( I,
sumterville South, arolina, March Il, 1910

i tthrough my heart. and o voice like the
chime Of some silver whisper said or
! SIN 5Sslln il my eaT and anda brain, Thou shalt
not die, but live for her!' This may
have been. an illusion, the effect of q
partial delirium caused by fcyer; but
my love mas no illusion, and the voice
uttered an oracle which fact subsequent
tlyyeri6ed. I need not only paint that
face: you have seen it--myswife's!"
II For that face and queenly form he
Exchanged his heirships and wealthy
home-.for she was poor, and had ex-
perienced o. misfortune which the world
will not, and perhaps should not over
look. His friends never forgave him
as to that unequal marriage. He cared
not. She supplied we'll for him the
! place of i ell friendship, beauty, and
! goodness. Indeed, her love and devo.
tion formed q complete equation with
his own. Her affection in its strength
and tenderness seemed maternal as we'll
as conjugal. She was muscular, state
ly--an earthly Juno; and during his
| monthly attacks of disease, bore him
about habituaily in her arms, or cradled
him in her lap, as if he were o child
for he apas almost child, both in the
weakness and delicacv of his frame.
a pathetic anecdote will illustrate
the noble feelings which actuatod this
welded pair through life. While prac-
tising at the bar Of Nashville, Lacy re-
ceiyed the fee Of a thousand dollars to
appear in a great criminal cause. Be-
fore going home, he went to a jewellers
shop, and laid out the entire sum for q
superb diamond necklace for his wife.
She wore the costly present with all tho
pride ola woman for she was :hen ex-
tremely fond of dress. When the
cause came on for trial, he opened
with one Of his magnificent displays, a
sun,burst of light and fire; but, at the
end Of half an hour, faintcd away, and
was carried to his home in state of
terrible exhaustion. AS soon as the
wife beheld his condition, she uttered q
wild cry, and exclaiming stIt is my fool
ish vanity which has done this'' tore
off the glittering necklace and trampled
its jewels under her feet, and no per-
suasion or entreaty by the husband
could ever again induce her to wear any
other than the cheapest and plainest Of
clothing. Sho needed no other. Such
awife could not be adorned by neck
lace woven Of stars!
The reader must perceive at glance
that being Of such fragile mould as tho
above incident proves Lacy to have
been, could not hope for success in ci.
ther the walks of forensic OF political
ambition; and yet he was so constituted
that be could not rest without some sort
of superiority. BY the advice of
friends he turned his attention toanoth-
cr field. General Jackson, who loved
him as son, gave him letters of strong
recommendation to the leading men Of
Arkansas, then about to organize state
government. This might be said to
have been equivalent to a blank com.
mission for Office, and accordingly he
was elected q judge of the Supreme
Court. His exquisite literary taste,
combined with his studions habits and
deep learning, rendered his written op-
inions models of judicial truth and beau.
ty that might have reflected credit on
the reports of any civiliscd land, while
his popular manners and stainless rcpu.
tation made him for while the univer-
sal fayorite. Two untoward events,
however, happened to darken his pros
poets, and drive him from that bench of
which he was the sole ornament. lie
was caucd by ruffian duellist Of her
culean strength, and had the moral
courage afterwards not to seek revenge
in the blood of his foe. This was an un.
pardonable disgrace in tho view of the
Arkansas code Of honor. But more
fatal to his fame still was o decision
he delivered in favor the Real Estate
Bank, a private corporation that the
legislature absurdly supposed they had
the constitutional power to break down.
For his opinion to the reverse--an opin.
ion which was highly complimented by
Chancellor Kent and Judge Story-the
same enraged body Of lawmakers at
tempted to remove him by address
Judge Lacy anticipated the measure Of
his enemies by resignation, and sool
settled in New Orleans.
:. Here he lost hi wife-an event whichs
threw over his affectionate spirit cloud
of despair that clungto him till the last
, lie died without children. AS bias