Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-07-12
MIS- E l. l. A N EO u s..
JOHN TAYLOR.
The TimOn OF BacIkwOOds,
Bar and Pulpit.
by CHARLES suMMERFIELp

BY CHARELs sUMMERFIELD.
can never forget my first vision Of
John Taylor. 1t was in the Cour;
House at Lewisburg, Conway county,
Arkansas, in the Summer of 1888.
The occasion itself possessed terrible
interest. A vast concourse of specta-
tors had assembled to witness the trial of
a young and very beautiful girl on an in
dictment for murder. The Judge waited
at the moment for the Sheriff to bring
in his prisoner, and the eyes OF an i'm
patient multitude all centered on the
door, when suddenly stranger entered,
whose appearance rlyited universal at
tention.
Here is his portrait; figure tall, lean,
sinewy, and straight as an arrow, n face
sallow, bilious, and twitching necessarily
with nervous irritation, brow, broad,
soaring, massive, scanned with wrinkles,
but not from age-for he was scarcely
forty; eyes, reddish yellow, like the
watchful eagle, as bright and piercing;
and finally a mouth with lips of cast
iron, thin, curled, cold and sneering, the
intense expression of which looked like
the living embodiment of an unbreathed
curse. He was habited in suit OF
new bnckskin, 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 phenomenon
needing explanation, this singular being
advanced, and with the naughty air of a
king ascending the throne, seated him.
self within the bar, thronged as it was
with the disciples of Coke and Black
stone, several of whom il was known,
esteemed thems selves as fair superior to
those old and famous masters.
The contrast between the outlandish
garb and disdainful countenance of the
stranger, excited, especially, the risibility
of the lawyers, and the junior members
began suppressed litter, which grew
louder and soon swept around the cir
Gle. They doubtless supposed the in
truder to be some wild hunter of the
mountains, who had never before seen the
interior of hall of justice.
Instantly the cause and object of the
laughter perceived it; turned his head
gradually, so as to give each laughter a
look, his lips curled with killing smile
of infinite scorn, his yellow eyes shot
arrows of lightning, his tongue proruding
through his teeth literally writhed like a
serpent, and calculated its asp-like poison
in single word .Savages!' No pen can
define the force which he threw into that
term, no pencil can point the Internal
furor of his utterance, although it hard
ly exceeded whisper. But he accen-
ted every letter as if it were separate
emission of fire that scorched his quiv-
ering lips, laying horrible emphasis on
s both at the beginning and end of the
word 'Savages!
1t was the gro,cI of red tiger in the
hiss of ratilesnake.
'Sauagesr
The general gaze, however, was inn
mediately diverted by the advent of the
far prisoner, who then came in surroun-
ded by her guard. This appari,ion was
enough to drive Saint mad. For hers
was style of beauty to bewilder the
tame Imagination, and melt the coldest
heart leaving in both imagination and
heart cleaning picture, enameled in
fire and fixed in frame of gold from
the stars. 1t was the spell of an en-
chantment to be felt as well as seen.--
You might feel it in the flashes of her
countenance; clear as sunbeam, brilliant
as the iris. in the contour 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 southern
summer, large, liquid. beamy; in her
motions, graceful, swimmingly, like the
gentle wafiures of the birds wing in the
sunny air; in the figure, slight, ethereal
IA sylph's or Sc raph's: and more than
all, in the everlasting smile of the rosy
lips, SO arched, so serene, so like STAR
light. and vet possessing the power of
magic or OF magnetism to thrill the be-
holders heart.
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, a
murmur of admiration arose from the
multitude, which the prompt interposi-
lion of the court, by stern order OF si-
lence, could scarcely repress from swell
ing into dreadful cheer.
The judg turned to the prisoner
"Emma Miner, the court has been in
formed that your counsel, Col. Linton.
is sick, have you employed any other!'
She answered III voice sweet as the
warble of the nightengale, and clear as
the song of the sky-lark. "My ene-
mics have bribed all the lawyers-even
my own to be sick, but God will defend
the innOcenil'
AT this response, SO touching in its
simple paihos, portion of the auditors
buzzed applause, and the rest wept.
| On the instant. however. the stranger,
whose appearance mad previously excl
ted much merriment, started to his feet,
approached the prisoner. and whispered
something in her ear. She bounded six