The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-11-12

A LEGA- ASEcDorE.-The following anecdote
used to he related by the Hon. jeremiah Mason,
of New Hampshire, and it is said to have oc-
CURED at Portsmouth,
There is well known custom prevailing in
our criminal courts. assinging counsel to such
prisoners as have no one to defend them. On
one occasion. the court finding man accused
of theft and without counsel said to a wag OF
lawyer who was present Mr.. --, please
withdraw with the prisoner, confer with him,
and give him such counsel as may be best for
his interests" The lawyer and client withdrew
and in fifteen minutes the lawyer returned i'll
to court alone.
"Whcrc is the prisoner" asked the court
"He has gone your honor told me to give
him the best advice | could for his interest and
as he said he was guilty. thought the best coun-
sci could offer him was 10 cut and run which
he took at once"
AKTLEss SIMpILcIrY.-A certain little boy Of
this city. who recently lost his father, found
himself dcbarred thereby from attending school
as formerly, and in the iullness of his faith, he
determined to seek the wherewithal at that foot
stool to which lie had doubtless been taught to
look for other and higher blessings.
"In the simplicity of his heart he sat down
and gravely wrote letter to his Redeemer
thinking perhaps that so formal mode of pre-
tention. What was the surprise of our worthy
Postmaster, William \. Friend Esq. on discov-
ering among the contents Of his lctter-bOX one
morning lately a missive directed to "Jesus
Christ y Opening it. he read the story of the
boy wants, and, with noble kindness which
we are not selfish enough to deprive our read
ers of the pleasure or profit of hearing, he de-
posted in the envelope the amount required and
directed it to the young supplicant. We have
never heard story that in SO short compass
contains more instructive and interesting les
son. 1t combines singuarly fcicitous union
of fine Illustrations of the great pillars of re-
lgion. faith, hope and charity and we would
not wish to know the man who could hear this
"plain unvarnshcd tale" without feeling him
self and his kind ennobled by the recital.-Pe-
tersburg VA Dem.
4 beautiful CoMPARIsoN-We do not Won
der that the leaves and trees and boughs have
ever been the material whereof poets have man
ufacturcd comparison and imagery. One of the
most beautiful we ever remember to have seen
was by DR.. Cheever. THAT tree. full leaved,
and swelling up into the calm, blue summer
air. Not breath is stirring and yet how it
waves aud rocks in the sunshine. Its shadows
are hung lavishly around it birds sit and sing
in its branches. and chdcn seek refuge beneath
them. Human affections are the leaves, the fO-
liage of our being-they catch every breath,
and in the burden and heat of the day, they
make music and motion in a sultry world
Stripped Of that foliage, how unsightly is hu-
man nature"
BEAUTIFUL ExTRAcr.--The annexed beautiful
lines are taken from Sir Humphrey Davy's Sal
monia:
IL envy no quality of the mind or intellect
in others. be it genius. power. wit or fancy put
if could choose what would be most dcignt.
full. and believe most useful to me, should
prefcr a firm religious belief to every other
blessing. for il makes me adsciple Of goodness,
creates new hopes when all earthly hopes van
isb. and throws over the decay, the destruction
of existence. tae most gorgeous of all lights
awakens life even in death; and corruption and
decay call up beauty and divinity makes an
instrument of fortune. and scale the ladder of
ascent to Paradise and far above all earthly
hopes, calls up the most delightful visions Of
palms and amaranths. the gardens of the blest,
the security of everlasting joys where the SEN
sualist and skeptic view only gloom, annihila-
tion and despair aa.r
"Oh dear!' said a fashionable girl, when she
first behelda a cucumber, Il always thought such
things grew in slices" ,..-,r. ~ ..,r.
In the early part CT the eighteenth century,
farmer from little village near Tadcastle was
condemned to suffer the extreme penalty Of the
law for COW stealing His wife called to see
him few days previous to his execution to
take her last farewell, when she asked him
"My dear, would you like the children to see
you executed !" .- ' .igHHo2
"Nor' replied he, what must they come for p!
"That's just like you," said the wife, "you
never wanted the children to have any enjoy
ment ?" .4.' Hi'A ''a" ''r rir