The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-02-19
The Crescent Supplement.
From the American Metropolitan Magazine.
THE JURYMAN,

Lett an orphan In his infancy, the paths of life were
rough and lonely at the outset. He had violent
temper and good heart. The first was often reused
into activity, and punished with energy kindred to
ITS own; the last remained almost undeveloped for
want OF genial circumstances and reciprocated af.
lection One sOftening CLEAN fell upon his early
path, and he loved it like the sunshine without
comprehendIng the great law of attraction that
made II so very pleasant When he attended school
IN the winter months, he always walked home with
little girl named Mary Williams. On the play
ground he was with her, always ready TO do battle
with anybody VINO disobliged her Their comrades
laughed, and called him Mary's beau; and they
hushed and felt awkward, though thew had no
idea what counting meant. Things had arrived at
tins state of half-reyeaed consciousness, he being
fourteen years old and Mary twelve, when her
friends removed to the West, and the warm, bright
influence passed out of his life. He never rightly
knew whether he was in love with Mary, but years
atterward, when people talked TO him about marry
ing, he thought OF her, wondering where she was,
and whether she remembered him. When he drove
ms cows home from pasture, the blackberry bushes
on the way brought up visions of his iavore school
mate with her clean cape bonnet thrown back, her
glossy brown hair playing with the winds, and her
innocent lace smiling upon him with friendly greet
ing. ." She was the best and prettest child ever
saw, he often said TO himself; g wonder whether
she would be as pleasant now" Sometimes he
thought of going to the West and seeking her out.
But he knew not where TO find her; his funds were
small, and his courage fell at the thought, 1" Oh, it
is many years ago since were children together.
Perhaps | should find her married. Gradually
this one ray of poetry faded of his SOUL and all
his thoughts fell into The prOsaic mould. His
lot was cast with rough people, who required much
work, and gave little sympathy. The image of his
little mate fioated farther and farther away, and
more and more seldom her clear blue eyes smiled
upon him through the rainbow of the past Or
from the air-castles of the future. In process of
time he married, after the fashion that large
proportion of men do; because it convenient
TO have wife, and there was woman of good
character in the neighborhOOd willing to marry
whoever first offered her respectable home Her
character bore the stamp of harmless mediocrity.
She was industrious and patient, but ignorant dull
and quietly obstinate. The neiahbors said she was
we'll suited 10 him, he was so rOug and passionate
and IN the main he thought so himself; though her
imperturhable calmness sometimes lretted him
rock chafes the lashing into foam The child
that born to them they both loved better than
they had ever loved and according to their light
they sincerely stroye to do their duty. His bodily
wants were well supplied often at the cost Of great
WEAKNESS and sef-sacrifice but their own rude
training had given them few good IDEAS concerning
| the culture of an immortal soul. The infant did
more for them, than they for him. Angelic influ-
ences, unseen and unhGaad amid the hard struggles
of their outward life, became visible and audible
through the unconscious innocence Of their little
one. For the second time in his life, a vision of
beauty and love cleaned across the rugged path of
that honest, laborious man. Vague impressions of
panorama of the Universe. His heart sometimes
welcomed bright flower in the sunshine,
cluster of lilies on the stream; he marveled at the
spendor of the rainbow, and sometimes gazed rev.
erently al the sinking rest in his rich drapery
of purple and gold But these glimpses of the
Infinite; their beauty did not seem TO appertain to
INN II did not enter like magic charm into the
sphere of his own existence, did the vision of
Mary Williams and his own little Joe. The dor
mant tenderness there in him leaped up at the
nt his haI, and pf he
fingers made dimple in the fathers heart. Like
the onbursts Of Spring, after long cold Winter,
was this revelation of infancy 10 him. When he
plodded home, after hard days work, il rested
him body and SOUL to have the little spring into
his arms for kiss, or toddling along, fitting
ms little porringer of milk, in eagerness to eat has
supper on fathers knee.
But though this new influence seemed TO have
an almost miraculous power over his nature, it
could not quite subdue the power of temperament
and habit. As the darling babe grew into boy
hood, he sometimes cherished with injldicious
fondness, and sometimes repealed by bursts of pas
sion, that made him run and hide himself from
the over-indulgent father. Mr. Barker had him
self been educated under the dispensation of pun
ishment, rather than attraction, and he believed in
it most firmly. If his son committed a fault, he
thought ofno other cure than severity. II neigh
Dor did him an ill turn he would observe, in pres
ence of the boy, " will watch my chance to pay
him for it, If the dog stole their dinner, when
they were at work in the woods, he would say,
" Run after him, Joe, and give the rascal a sound
beating.' When he saw the child fighting with
some larger lad, who had offended him, be would
praise his strength and courage and tell him never
10 put up with an insult. He was not aware that
all these things education, and doing far more
form his sons character than anything he learned
at school. He did not know it, because his thoughts
had never been directed toward IT, The only mo-
raj instruction he received was from the minister
of the parish and he usually preached about the
hard heartedness of the Jews two thousand years
ago, rather than the and temptations of men
and boys, who sat before him.
OnceAe received an admonition from his neigh
Dor, Goodwin, which, being move and unexpected,
offended him as an impairment interference with
his rights. lie was riding home with Joe, then
lad of thirteen, when the horse took fright al piece
ofwhite paper, that the wind blew across the road.
Mr.. Barker was previously in an Ill humor, because
a sudden squall of rain had some fine hay, all
ready for the barn. Pursuing the system on which
he had himself been educated, he sprang TO The
ground and cudgeed the poor beast mercfuy !
Mr.. Goodwin who was passing by, inquired the |
cause of so much severity, and demonstrated |
against il assuring him that horse was never |
cured of bad habits by violence. He spoke mildly |
but Mr. Barker was irritated, and having told him
10 mind his own business, he continued to whip the
poor frightened animal. The humane neighbor
turned away, saying, " That Is pad lesson tor
your son, Mr.. Barker"
eff you say much more, will fog you, instead
of the horse" muttered the angry man. = ii isn't
his horse. What business is it 10 HIM ~
lie did not reflect in what narrow circuit he
mailing up the sympathles OF his child, by such
words as these. But when he was re-seated in the
wagon he did not feel altogether pleased with him
self and his inward uneaslness was expended on
Il thorse. The poor bewidered animal, covered
with foam, and breathing short and hard, tried his
utmost to do his masters will, as far as he could
understand it. But and terrified constantly
in expectation of the whip, he started at every
sound If he went too fast he was refined in with
a sudden Jerk that tore the corners of his mouth l;
if he went too slow, the cruel crack OF the whip
made him tear over the ground, TO be again
restrained by the violent jerk.
The sun was setting, and threw radiant glow |
every tree and little shrub, jeweled by the re-
cent shower. Cows grazed peacefully In verdant
hoows, birds sang, little brook rippled costly by
the wayside, winds played gently with the flowers,
and kissed the raindrops from their faces But all