The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-11-05
WHOLE NUMBER 824


Of l., David / persuade him I would
not speak to him about it for the world ;
, besides, L do not think it would be best.
: He will not hear word from mother,
and il | were to speak, it would only
make him more angry, and most likely
to end in his forbidding me to see you or
speak with you.' .r. sg ,.r, r..
4 Would you obey, Hannah y asked
the young man earnestly. ri..l ia.
| do not think | could if I tried
she said thoughtfully; 1 should speak
before | thought. But you do not know
how angry father is He knows the
tree stood in your lot, but he thinks to
hold it by possession. Still, l do not
believe he would ever thought Of claim
ing it, if your father would have given
up his half of Dow Lot and take
share somewhere else. Father had set
his heart upon having the whole of that
meadow /; besides cousin Mary and her
husband are so vexed because Aunt
Becky did not give half of her property
to them instead of you, that they are
constantly telling father something to it,
ritate hm. wish that she had given
them the whole Of it, and left US in
peace l.i-.. r.-...ai 5.- .f.yil se,.a,76
Amen, i say, replied David, as no
opened the gate for her to pass into the.
house. But remember, Hannah, what
ever may be the result of this miserable
quarrel, it must not now or ever como
between us m. .t ...,,2 .. ,Jy,
Before twelve o'clock the next day,
the quarrel between the neighbors was
the whole town talk. The supposed
relation Of David and Hannah, together
with the fact that every other family in
the place was connected with one or the
other party by blood or marriage, made
it a very interesting and exciting topic.
The grounds of offence were so warm
ly and vehemently disputed, and like
that tree which stood where Eden's
Pleasance was,' the old oak caused strife
and discord between half the families in
the village. ..... p. ..-s, .rsIEgle.
The case was brought before one Of
the town magistrates, and notwithstand-
ing it was well known to him and the
witnesses that the tree originally stood
rn the farm of josiah Benton, and that
the fence had been moved to accommo-
date bis ncighbor, yet, in default of any
witness on the part of Benton to prove
that legal notification of ownership had
been made by him within certain num-
ber of years, decision was givensin Bar
ker's favor, on the ground that posses
sion for a given term Of years gives one,
the right of ownership. Benton found
himself obliged to pay beayy damages,
as we'll as the costs of the proecution.
His indignation knew no bounds. He
solemnly vowed that he would spend
every cent be possessed in the law be-
fore he would submit to such injustice.
He appealed the case, and engaged one
of the best lawyers in the city for his
counsel. Moses Barker grinned def
anco at these measure, and poured out
a heavy retaining fee in hard dollars IN
to the hand of another celebrated law
yer, with the remark that he guessed
he had got as much money to law 1t with
as some others The case would not
come on in nearly four months. Dur
this time, Benton, aided by his counsel,
was actively engaged in ferreting out the
residence o.Na man who had been pres
eut as witness when he had notified
Barker Of his claim to the watering'place
This man had cmigrated to the west.-
After much trouble aud expense, they
succeeded in finding HIM: but as it was
impossible for him to reach the city In
time to be present at the trial, the case
was put of. fl " ...
In the mean time, suspense, anxiety,
and disquiot, btooded over the two fam-
lilies, aud made them very unhappy
The men did not speak, but kept up, q
silent system Of petty annoyances, tno
mothers still talked 10 low, sad tones OF
the sorrows and trials of life while Da-
yid and Hannah, with the sangu'ne spar
il of youth, were daily planning some
mcans to bring about recouc'llat'on;
The case, at length came before me
court. Bentons western witness was