The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-10-24
Written for the sunday Times
A Romance of the BackwOods;
OR AN INCIDENT IN ARKANSAS LIFE.

OR AN INCIDENT In ARKANSAS LIFE.
| shall never forget my first vision of
VIII! Denton. 1t was in the court house at
Little Rock, Arkansas, i'm the summer of
1884. The occasion itself possessed ter
rible interest, well calculated to fix in the
memory all its circumstances. A vast con
course of spectators had assembled TO wit.
ness the trial of young and very beautiful
girl on an Indictment for murder. The
judge waited at the moment for the sheriff
to bring in his prisoner, and the eyes Of the
impatient multitude eagerly watched the
door for the expected advent, when sud-
denly stranger entered, whose rmarkable
appearance rivetted universal attention. -
Hero is his portrait done as accurately as
pen can sketch it:
A figure tall, lean, sinewy, and straight
as an arrow; brow massive, soaring, and
smooth as polished marble, intersected by u
large blue vein forked like the tongue of a
serpent; eyes reddish yellow; resenblig
wrathful eagle's-as brilliant, as fearfully
piercing; and finally, a mouth slight, cold,
and sDeerins-the living embodiment of un-
breathed curses. He was habited in leath
er, ornameuted, after the fashion of the In
dian costume, with heads of every color in
the rainbow.
EibowIng his way proudly and slowly
through the throng, aud seemingly alto
sether unconscious that he was regarded as a
phenomenon that needed explanation, the
singulur being advanced, and, with the
naughty air of king taking his throne,
seated himself within the bar, crowded as
1t was with the disciples Of Coke and Black
stone, several of whom, it was known, es
teemed themselves far superior 10 those old
and famous masters.
The contrast between the disIlainful coun-
tenance and outlanGish garb of the stranger
excited especially the risbility of the law
yers, and the junior members began sup
pressed litter, which soon grew louder and
swept around the circle. They doubtless
supposed the intruder TO be some wild hur-
ter OF the mountains, who had never before
seen the interior of hall of Justice.
Instantly the cause and object of the
laughter perceived il. Turning his head
gradually, so as to give each laugher ii look
of infinite scorn, he calculated the single
word-"Savagesn ~
No pen can describe the unspeakable
malice, the defiant force which he threw IN
to that term; no language can express the
internal furor of his utterauce, although it
hardly exceeded whisper But he accent
ed every letter as III were separate ennis
sion of fire that scorched his quivering lips,
laying horrible emphasis on the S both IL,
the beginning and ending Of the word
"SavageSn'
1t was a mixed sound intermediate be-
twixt the growi of a red tiger and the hiss
of rat,esnake-" Sapagesr 1t cured
everybody of the disposition to laugh
The general gaze, however, was then d.
verteG by the advent of the fair prisoner,
who came in surrounded by her guard
The apparltion was enough to drive even q
cynlc mad, for hers was style of beauty
to bewlder the taclest imagination and melt
the coldest heart, leaving in bo,L imasina-
tion and heart cleaning picture, enamel
led with f,e and fixed in frame of golI
from the stars. 1t was the spell Of an en-
chantment to be fell as we'll as seen. You
might feel it in the flashes Of her counte-
nance, clear as sunlight, brilliant as the iris;
in the classic contour of her features, syln-
metricnl as if cut with an artists chisel; in
her hair of rich ringlets, flowing without a
braid, softer than silk finer than gossamer;
in her eyes, blue as the heaven of a soutl-
ern summer, large, liquid, dreamy; in her
motions, graceful, swimming, like the gen
tie wattures Of birds wing in the suury
air; in her figure, slight, cthereal--a syIpha
or seraph's; and more than all, in the ev-
erlastng smile of the rosy lips, so frank, SO
serene, so like starlight, aud yet thrilling
the soul as a shock of electricity.
As the unfortunate girl, so tastefuIly
dressed, so incompatible as to personal
charms, calmly took her place before the
bar OF her Judge, murmur of admiration
arose from The multitude, which the PROMPT
InterposltIOn Of the court could scarcely re-
press from swelling into deaiening cheers
The murmur was followed by loud, I'M
earthly sroan from solitary bosom, as of
some one in mortal anguish. All evcs 2:,
centered on the stranger, and all were struck
with surprise and wonder, for his features
wrlthed As If in torture-torture that his
rain Of tears could not assuage. But what
could be the Cause of his sudden emotion.
Could any connection exist between him.
the apparently rude hunter, and that fairy
girl, more beautiful than blossom OF sum
rner, and IN Countenance celestia! as a star!
The Judge turned to the prisoner--"Em
ma Greenleaf the court has been informed
that your counsel, Col. Linton, is sick, and
cannot attend. Have you employed any
other!"
She answered in a voice sweet as the
warble Of the nightingale, and clear as the
song of the skyIark-"My enemies have
brbed all the lawyers, even my own, TO be
sick; but God will defend the innocent!''
At this response, so touching in its SIM
pie pa,hos, portion of the auditors huzzed
applause. and the rest wept. On the in
stant, however, the leather robed stranger,
whose aspect bad previously excited SO
much merriment, approached the prisoner,
and whispered something in her ear. She
bounded several inches from the floor, UT.
tered wild shrek, and then stood pale
and trembling as if in the presence of a
ghost from the grave. All now could per-
ceive that there must be some mysterious
connexion between the two and the scene as
sumed the profound interest of a genuine
romance. The stranger addressed the court
in accents sonorous US the tone of an organ
Inlay it please your honor, will defend
the legal rights of the lady,"
"What!" exclaimed the astonshed luds
care you licensed a,torney!"
"The question is mmaterial and irrele-
yant," replied the stranger, with Il sneer,
''as your statute entities any person to act
as counsel at the request of party"
''But does the prisoner reques! :" asked