Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-11-10

for my former rudeness. | could not
conjecture up an idea nor utter word.
| felt at one time tempted to do as | had
done when | robbed her of The kiss
bolt from the room and take flight; but I
was chained to the spo,. for really long
ed to gain her good will:
Al length | plucked up courage, on
seeing her equally confused with my.
relf, and, walking up to her, exclaim-
ed
/ have been trying to muster up some
thing to say, but cannot. feel that
am in horrible scrape. Do take pity
on me and help me out OF il!
A smile dimpled about her mouth and
played among the bushes of her cheek.
She looked up with shy, arch glance of
the eye, that expressed volume OF
comic recollec,ions; we both broke into
laugh, and from that moment all went
on well. s ....
Passing The delightful description that
succeeded, we proceed 10 The denoue.
ment of Ringwood's love affair-,he
marriage and settlement.
That very autumn was admitted to
the bar, and month after was married.
We were young couple, she not much
more than sixteen and I not twenty, and
both almost without dollar in The world.
The establishment was well suited to our
circumstances; low house with two
small rooms, bed, table, half dozen
chairs, a half dozen knives and forks, a
hall dozen spoons--evervt thing BY the
half dozen, we were so poor; but then
SO happy.
We had not been married many DAYS
when court was held in country
town about twenty-five miles distant.
II was necessary for me to GO there, to
put myself in the way of business-bu,
how was to 60! had expended all
my means on our establishment, and il
was hard parting with my wife SO soon
after marriage. However. go must.-
Money must be mace, Or we would soon
have the wolves at our door. accord.
ingly borrowed horse; and borrowed
little money, and rode off from my door
leaving my wife standing ati', and wav-
ing her hand after me. Her last look.
SO sweet and becoming, went to my
heart. | felt as if / could go through
fire aud water for her. arrived at the
country town on cool October even
ing. The inn was crowded, for court
was to commence on the following day
at eight o'clock. q
knew no one, and wondered how /,
8 stranger, mere youngster, was to
make way in such crowd, and 10 get
business. The public room was throng-
ed with the idlers of that country, who
gathered on such occasions. There
was some drinking going on, with great
noise and little alteration. Just as
entered the room, saw rough bully
of fellow, who was partly intoxicated,
strike an old man. He came swagger.
ing by me and elbowed me as he passed.
| Immediately knocked him down and
kicked him into the street. | needed no
better introduction. In moment had
no less than half dozen rough shakes
of the hand and invitations to drink, and
found myself quite parsonage in this
rough assemblage.
The next morning the court opened
l took my seat among the lawyers. but
felt as a mere spectator, not having aay
idea where business was to come from.
In the course of the morning, 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 been confined in a
place where there were no lawyers. and
had no opportunity Of consulting any.
He was told to choose from the lawyers
present, and be ready on the following
day. He looked around the court and
selected me. / could not tell why he
should make such choice. l. beard.
less youngster, unpracticed at the bar
perfectly unknown. felt deficient, yet
delighted. and could have hugged The
rascal.
Before leaving the court, he gave me
one hundred dollars in bag, as retain
ing fee. l could scarcely believe my
senses, it seemed like a dream. The
heaviness OF the fee spoke but lightly in
favor of his innoeence--but that was no
affair of mine, was to be advocate, not
judge or jury. / followed him to the
jail and learned the particulars of the
case; from thence ] wenr TO the clerks
Office and took minutes Of the indict-
ment. then examined the law on The
subject, and prepared my brief notes in
my room. All this occupied me until
midnight, when wen, 10 bed and tried
to sleep. II was all in vain. Never in
my life was ! more wide awake. A
host Of thoughts and fancies kept rum
ming through my mind; showers Of gold
that had 80 unexpectedly fallen into my
lap, the idea Of my poor little wife at
home, that | was to as.onish her with
my good iortune! But the awful res
possibility had undertaken, to speak
for the first time in a strange court the
expectations the culpris had formed Of
my talents, all these anda crowd of sim.
liar notions kept whirling through my
mind. / tossed about all night, fearing
the morning would find me exhausted
and inco,npetent-in word, the day
dawnsd or me miserable fellow.