Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-05-01
miscellaneous.
JOHN TAYLOR,
The Timon Of the Backwoods Bar and Pulpit.
By CHARLES srNNERFlELD.


Lean never forget my first vision OF
John Taylor. 1t was in the courthouse
of Lewisburg, Conway Co., Arkansas,
in the summer Of 1898.
The occasion itself possessed terrible
interest a vast concourse of spectators
had assembled to witness the trial of a
young and beautiful girl, on an indict-
ment for murder. The Judge waited at
the moment for the sheriff to bring in
his prisoner, aud the eyes of the impa-
tient multitude all centered on the door,
when suddenly stranger entered whose
appearance rivcted universal attention.
Here is his portrait; figure tall,
lean, sincwy, and straight as an arrow
a face sallow, bilious, and twitching in
cessantly with nervous irritability; q
brow broad, soaring, massive, scanned
with wrinkles, but not from age, for he
was scarcely forty; eyes reddish yellow
like the wrathful eagle as bright and
piercing; and finally, mouth with lips
of cast iron, thin, curled, cold and sheer
ing, the intense expression of which
looked the living embodiment of an I'M
brcathed curse. lie was habited in a
suit of new buckskin, orGamenicd after
the fashion of Indian costume, with hucs
of every color of the rainbow.
Elbowing his way slowly through the
crowd, and apparently unconscious that
he was regarded as phenomenon needing
explanation, this singular being advan-
ced, with the naughty air of king as
cending the throne, seated himself with
in the bar, thronged as it was with the
disciples of Coke and Blackstone, several
of whom, it was known, esteemed them
selves far superior to those old and fa-
nous masters.
The contrast between the outlandish
garb and disdainful countenancc of the
stranger, excited, especially, the risibili-
ty of the lawyers, and the junior mem
bcrs began suppressed litter, which
grew louder and soon swept around the
circle.
They doubtless supposed the intruder
to be some wild hunter of the mountains
who had never before seen the interior Of
hall Of justice. Instantly the cause
and object of the laughter perceived it,
turned his head gradually, so as to give
each laugher look, his lip curled with
a killing smile Of infinite scnrnz --his
tongue, protruding through his teeth,
literally writhed like serpent, and
CALCULATED its sap-like poison in a single
word
"Savages" T3le*o
No pen can describe the defiant force
which be threw into that term no pencil
can paint the internal turore of its ut
terancc, although it hardly exceeded a
whisper. But he accented every letter
as if it were a separate emission of fire
that scorched his quivcring lips-laying
horrible emphasis on at the beginning
and end Of the word.
d" Savagcs !"
1t was the growl Of a red tiger in the
hiss Of rattlcsnake.
I" Sayages %
The general glare, however, was i'm
mediately diverted by the advent Of the
fair prisoner. who then came in surround
ed by her guard. The apparition was
enough to drive a saint mad for hers
was a style to bcwilder the tamcst imagi-
nation, and melt the coolest heart, leav-
ing in both Imagination and heart a
cleaning picture, enameled in fire, and
fixed in frame of gold from the stars.
It was the spell of an cnchantmcnt to be
felt as well as seen. You might feel il
in the flush Of her countenance, clear as
sunbeam, brilliant as an iris; in the
contour of her features, symmetrical as
If cut by the chisel Of an artist; in her
hair, of rich auburn ringlets, flowing
without braid, softer than silk, finer
than gossamer in the eyes, blue as the
heavens Of Southern summer, large,
liquid, beauty; in her motions, graceful,
swimming like the gentle waftures OF o
birds wing in the summer air; in the
figure, slight, ETHEREAL, sylph's or seraph's :;
and, more than all, in the everlasting
smile Of the rosy lips, 80 archcd, so Sc
rene, so like starlight, and yet possess
ing the power Of magnetism 10 thrill the
beholder's heart
As the unfortunate girl, 50 taacfully
dressed 50 incompatible as 10 personal