The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-10-14


| jerk, that tore the corners of his mout
| if he went too slow, the cruel crack
the whip made him tear over the groun
to- be again restrained by the violel
jerk.
The sun was setting, and threw o r,
diant glow on every tree and little shrul
jeweled by the recent shower. Cow
grazed peacefully in vepdant hollows
birds sang little brook rippled mel
rily by the waysides the winds playe
gently with the flowers, and kissed tn
rain drops from their faces. But al
this loVeliness passed UNDECIDED by hu
man hearts, because they had at tn
moment no inward beauty to harmoniz'
with Nature. Perhaps the familiar land
soape seemed quite otherwise to the poo
horse, than 1t would have done, bad ht
travelled along these pleasant paths gui
ded by wise and gentle hand.
Had Joseph continued to be little
Joe, his eager welcome and loving prat.
tie might soon have tanned the evil spiri:
in his fathers soul that night. But he
was a tall lad, who had learned to double
up his fists, and tell other boys they had
better let him alone, if they knew what
was good for themselves. He still loved
his father better thai anything else in
the world, but the charm and the power
of infancy was gone. He reflected back
the vexed spirit like a too faithful mir
ror. He was ne longer transparent,
unconscious medium for the influence OF
angels.
Indeed, paternal affection gradually
became hardening, rather than soft
enipg influence. Ambition for his son
increased the love of accumulation and
the qualification of this propensity mar
rowed his sympatkics more and more
Joseph Lad within him the unexpanded
germs of some noble qualities but be
Inherited his fathers passionate temper
ament with his mothers obstinacy; and
the education of such circumstances as
L have described turned his energies and
feelings into wrong channels. The re-
mark, It sn't his horse; what bust
mess is it to him ?" heard in his boy
hood, expressed the views and habits of
his later years. But this mental growth,
such as it was, pleased his father, who
often said exultipgly, "There is no dan
ger of Joe. He knows how to fight his
own way through the world"
Such was their mutual product of
when Mr.. Barker was sum-
moued to a jury, in a case involving
death. He was vezed to be called away
from his employments, and had never
reflected at all upon the fearful respon-
'ibility of q juryman. james Lloyd,
The prisoner, was very young man, and
his open, honest countenance gave no
of capacity for crime; but he
vas accused of murder, and circumstan
tial evidence was strong against him
1t was proved that a previous quarrel
had existed between him and the mur-
aered man, and that they had been seen
to take the same road, the prisoner in a
state of intoxication, the night the vio-
lent deed was committed. Most people
thought there was no doubt of his guilt;
others deemed the case by no means oer-
tain. Two Of the jury were reluctant
to convict him, and aciShcd to find the
evidence insufficient: the penalty was
so dreadful, and their feelings were SO
much touched by the settled look of mis-
cry upon his youthful countenance.-
Others talked sternly of justice, and
urged that that the Scriptures demand
I'd blood for blood. or this mum Der was
Peter Barker. From the beginning, he
was against the prisoner. The lawyer
who pleaded for him had once been en-
ployed in a law suit against Mr.. Barker,
and had gained the cause for his client.
The juryman aforesaid cherished a
grudge against him for his sarcastic elo-
Iuence on that occasion. Moreover, it
so happened that his neighbor Goodwin,
Who years ago had repro4ed his severity
20 the horse, took compassionate interest
n the accused. He often consulted
With his lawyer, and seemed to watch
he countenances Of the jury anxiously.
It was busy season of the year, and
he jurymen were impatient to be at
heir work shops and farms. Mr.. Bar
ler would not have admitted it, even to
himself, but all these circumstances
lelped to increase his hardness against
he prisoner. By such inconceivably
light motives is the conduct Of men of
en- swayed on the most important occa-
ions.
&c If the young fellow really did COM
nit the act" said one Of the jury, ";t
Gems likely he did it in state of intox-
cation. I was once drunk myself; and |
hey told me afterward that had quar-
eled with a man, and knocked him
own high flight of steps; but 1 had
o recollection of it. If / had killed
i'm, and they had hung me for it, what
n awful thing it would have been for my
oor father and mother. It taught me
lesson, for I was never again intoxica-
3D. Perhaps the poor youth might