Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-09-27

60 5ft4If ff5staF Isl i 8
: 'At her own house q fortnigl
: since y
! when did you lastsse her previou
{ to that neeting?,@ i9slfF 81 gsDb
y ; The plaintiff hesitated--a lon
pause ensued: the question was re
peated, and the answer at lengtl
was
!; On the fourteenth day Of May
HI t5s1 rs ao3ifi.a'st4 .tTtFl
! when she was just three week.
DID, added Burr. Gentlemen con
tinued be, turning to US, 4 have
brought this lady here as an impor.
tant witness, and such, / think, she is
The plaintiffs counsel has pleaded
eloquently in behalf of the bersaved
husband, who escaped the perils Of
the Sea, and returned only to find his
home desohte. But who will picture
to you tho lonely wife bending over
her daily toll, deyoting her best years
to the drudgery Of sordid poverty,
supported only by the hope of her
husbands return3 Who will paint
the slow progress Of heart-sickness,
the wasting anguish Of hope defer
red, and the overwhelming agony
which came upon her when her last
hope was extinguisAed, and she was
compelled to believe herself widow?
Who can depict al this without AVA
kening in. your hearts the varmest
sympathy for the deserted wife; and
the bitterest scorn for the mean pitiful
wretch, who could thus trampls
on the heart of her whom he had
sworn to love and cherish2 We need
not inquire into his motives for acting
10 base apart Whether it was love
Of gain, or lioentiousness, or self
Indifference, matters not; he is too
vile thing to be judged by such
avs as govern men. Let US ask the
Titness-she now stands before US |
With the frank fearless brow of the
.rue-hearted woman-let us ask her
which Of these two has been her IA
her
Turning to the lady, in a tone
whose sweetness was in a strange con-
rast with the scornful accent that
lad just characterized bis words, be
,esought her to relate briefly the
of her early life. A
light flush passed over her ptoud and
face as she replied
My recollections are Of q smalfs
ll-furnished apartment, which my
ister and myself shared with my
mother. She used to carry out every
evening the work which
'ad occupied her during the week,
nd bring back employment for the
one. Saving that wearisome
isit to her employer, and her regular
at church, she never left
he house. She often spoke Of our
ather, and Of his anticipated return,
ut at length she ceased to mention
i'm, though ! observed she used to
Eeep more frequently than ever. 1 then
hought she wept because We were
o poor, for it would sometimes happen
bat our only supper was q bit OF dry
read, and she vas accustomed to SOW
" the light Of chips which she kin
led to warm her famishing children,
'ecause she could not afford to pur-
base a candle without depriving US
f our morning meal. Such was our
overty when my mother contracted
second marriage, and the change to
IS was like . sudden entrance into
PARADISE. We found q home and .
ather.'
She paused.
Would you excite my own child
gainst me?' cried the plaintiff, as be
npatiently waved his hand for her to
. silent.
The eyes of the witness flashed ,
re as be spoke.
you are not my father exclaimed
be, vehemently. The Law may deem
ou such, but I disclaim you utterly. t.
What! call you my father! you who
# your wife to toll, and your children
. beggary? Never! never! Behold
hers is my father pointing to the /,
gitated defendant, there is the man
tho watched over my infancy-who ,
'as the sharer Of my childish sports, :
ndthe guardian Of my inexperienced
'outh. There is he who claims ,
1y affections and shares my home; ,
here i my fasAer. For yonder
elfish wretch, I know him not. The
est years of his life have been spent Ft
a Awless freedom from social ties;
It him seek eise1Aete for the COM