The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-07-07

to the bar, and a month afterwards wa
married. We were a young couple
she not much more than sixteen and
not quite twenty-and both almos
without dollar in the world. The es
tablishment was well suited to our cir
cumstances; a low house with twt
small rooms, bed, and table, hal
dozen chairs, half dozen knives ane
forks, half dozen spoons-every thing
by the half dozen---a little DELPHI ware
everything in small way we were 81
poor, but then so happy.
We had not been married many day:
when a court was held in country
town, about twenty-five miles distant
1t was necessary for me to go there
and put myself in the way of busines:
but how was to go2 | had expend
ed all my means on our establishment
and then it was hard parting with my
wife so soon after marriage. However
90 must. Money must be made, OIL
we would soon have the wolf at ouI
door. | accordingly borrowed horse
and borrowed little cash, and rode of
from my door, leaving my wife stand.
ing at it, and waving her hand at me
Her last look, SO sweet and becoming,
went TO my heart. felt as if could
90 through fire and water for her.
arrived at the country town on a cool
October evening.
The inn was crowded, for the court
was 10 commence on the following day.
knew no one, and wondered how /,
a stranger, mere youngster, was to
make way in such a crowd, and to get
business. The public room was throng-
ed with all the idlers in the country,
who gather on such occasions. There
was som drinking going forward, with
a prea nj oise and little altercatlon.-
Just as: entered the room, saw a
rough bully of fellow, who was partly
iutoyica ted, strike an old man. He
came swaggering by me, and elbowed
me as he passed. | Immediately
knocked linn down, and kicked him in
to the street. 1 needed no better intro
duction. I'm moment had hall a
dozen rough shakes of the hand and in
vitations to drink, and found myself
quite a parsonage in this rough assem-
blage.
The next morning the court opened
Il took my seat among the lawyers,
bot felt as mere spectator, not having
any idea where business was to come
from. In the course of the morning a
man was put to the bar, charged with
passing counterfeit money, and was
asked if he was ready for trial. He
answered in the negative. He had
heen confined in place where there
were no lawyers, and had not had an
opportunity of consulting any. He was
told to choose from the lawyers present.
and be ready for trial on the following
dav. He looked around the court and
selected me. could not tell why he
should make such a choice. |, a beard
less youngster.- -nnpracticed at the bar
perfectly unknown. felt dlffident, yet
delighted, and could have Rugged the
rascal. 4 a
Before leaving the court, he gave me
one hundred dollars in bag, as a re-
tanning fee. | could scarcely believe
nv senses, ii seemed like dream
The heaviuess of the fee spoke but
lightly in favor of his innocence-but
that was no affair of mine. ! was to be
advocate, not judge Or jury. | followed
him to the Jail, and learned from him
all the particulars of the case; from
thence weut to the clerks office, and
took minutes of the Indictment. |
then examined the law on the subject,
and prepared my briet in my ROOM
All this occupied me unlil midnight,
when I went to bed and tried to sleep.
1t was all in vain. Never in my life
was more wide awake. A host of
thoughts and fancies kept rushing
through my mind the shower of gola
that had so unexpectedly fallen into my
lap, the idea of my poor little wife at
home, that was 10 astoniSh with my
good fortune! But the awful response
bility had undertaken, to speak for
the first time in a strange court, the ex-
pectations the culprit had formed of my
talents, all these, and a crowd of simi-
lar notions, kept whirling through my
mind. [ tossed about all night, fearing
the morning would find me exhausted
and imcompetent-in word, the day
dawned on me a miserable fellow.
. got up feverish and nervous. l
walked out before breakfast striving
TO collect my thoughts, and tranquilize
my feelings. It was bright morning
II bathed my forehead and my hands
in beautiful running stream, but i
could not allay the fever heat that
ragged within. | returned TO breakfast
but could not eat. A single cup of
coffee formed my repast. 1t was time
to go TO court. I Iwent there with a
throbbing heart. | believe if it had
not been for the thoughts of my little
wife in her lonely house. | should have
given back the man his hundred dol
lars, and relinquished the cause. |
took my seat, looking, am convinced,
more like cuipritthan the rogue was
to defend
When the time came for me to speak,
my heart died within me. rose en-
barrassed and dismayed, and siammer-
ed in opening my cause. i went on
from bad 10 worse, and felt as if IIwas