The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-04-18
MISC ELL A n = O is
JOHN TAYLOR.
fIa0A or TIE BACKWOODS BAR AND PULPIT.
ny cHAs. sUMMERFfKLD.

cah never forget my first vision or
John Taylor. 1t was in the court house
at Lewisburg, Conway co. Arkansas, In
the summer of 1888.
The occasion itself possessed terrible
interest. A vast concourse of spectators
had assembled to witness the trial OF a
young and very beautiful girl, on an indict-
ment for murder. The Judge waited at
the moment for the sheriff 10 bring in his
prisoner, the eyes of the impatient multi
tude all centered ION the door; when sud
denly a stranger entered, whose appear
snce rivited universal attention.
Here is his portrait! figure, tall, lean,
sincwy and strait as an arrow; a face, sal
low, bilious. and twitching necessarily
with nervous irrtability; a brow, broad,
soaring, massive, scanned with wrinkles,
but not from age-for he was scarcely for
"; eyes, reddish yellow, like the wrathtul
eagle, as bright and piercing; and finally,
mouth with lips of cast iron, thin curled
cold and sneering, the intense expression
of which looked the living embodiment of
an unbreathed curse. He was hablted III
4 suit of new buck-skin, ornamented after
the fashion of Indian costume, with hues
of every color Of the rainbow.
Elbowing his way slowly through the
crowd, and apparently unconscious that he
was regarded as 4 phenomenon, needing
explanation, this singular being advanced,
and with the naughty air OF a king ascend
ing the throne, seated himself within the
bar, thronged as il was with disciples OF
Coke and Blackstone, several of whom, 1t
was known, esteemed themselves as Tar
superior to those old and. famous. masters.
The contrast between the outlandlsh
rarb and dis6aiuful countenance of the
stranger, excited, especially, the visibility
Of the lawyers; and the junior members
began q suppressed litter, which grew lou
der, and soon swept around the circle
They doubtless supposed the intruder 20
be some swild hunter of the mountains,
who had never before seen the interior OF
! hall of Justice. Instantly, the cause and
object of the laughter perceived 1t; turned
his lhead gradually, SO as to give each
laugher look; his lips curled with a Kill
ling smile of infinite scorn; his yellow
eyes shot arrows of lightning; his tongue
protrudng through his teeth literally
writheG like serpent, and calculated ITS
asp-ike poison in single word: ''Sava-
ges!' No pen can can describe the def
ant force which he threw into that term,
no pencil can paint the Internal taror of
his utterance, although it hardly exceeded
whisper. But he accented every letter
as if it were a separate emission of fire that
scorched his quivering lips; laying horrible
emphasis on S, both at the beginning and
end of the word: "Savages" rs--
1t was the gro1ol of q red tiger IN the
hiss of a rattlesnake.
".Sauages"
The general gaze, however. was imme-
diately diverted by the advent of the fair
prisoner, who then came in, surrounded
by her guard. Incorporation was enough
TO drive a saint mad. For hers was 4
style of beauty 10 bewider the tamest
imagination, and melt the coldest heart,
leaving in both Imagination and a heart
cleaning picture, enameled IN fire and fix
ed in in frame Of gold from the stars
twas the spell of an enchartment to be
felt as well as seen. You might feel it in
the flashes of her countenance, clear as a
sunbeam, brilliant as the iris; in the con
tour of her features symmetrical as if cut
by the chisel of an artist; in her hair of
rich auburn ringlets flowing without a
braid, softer than silk, finer than gossamer;
IN the eyes, blue as the heaven of souther
summer, large, liquid, beamy; ir her mo-
lions, graceful, swimming. like the gentle
waftures of a birds wing in the sunny air;
in the igrre, slight, etherial-a sylph's or
seraph's; and more than all, in the ever
lasting smile of the rosy lips, so arched, so
serene, so like starlight. and yet possess
Ing the power of magic or ofmagnatism TO
ihril the beholder's heart. i
As the unfortunate girl, so tastefully
Dressed SO Incompatible as to personal
charms, calm and smiling, took her place
before the bar of her judge, murmur of
admration arose from TIL e multitude,
which, the prompt interposition of the
court, by a stern order of s.Silence." could
scarcely rePress from swelling to a deafeu-
ing cheer 6
The judge turned to the prisoner; "E M
ma Miner, the court has been informed
mat your counsel, Coll Linton is sick, have
you employed any other.' "
She answered in voice sweet as the
'%'arble of the nightingale, and clear as
s'e song of the sky-lark: "My enemies