Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-01-06
EV ENING STAR.
JOHN TAYLOR,
The Timon of the Bsckv oods, Bar and Pulpit
cuIc
BY CHAs. sUNMERFIELp.

BY CHAS. sUNMERPIELp.
I can never forget my first vision of John
| Tsylor. 1t was In the court house at Lewis
burg, Conway county, Arkansas, in the sum.
| mer of 1888.
The occasion itself possessed terrible inter.
| est. A vast cOncOurse OF spectators had as
| sembled to witness the trial of a young and
beautiful girl, on an indictment for murder.
The Judge waited at the moment for the
Sheriff to bring in his prisoner, and the eyes
Of the impatient multitude all centered Oh
| the door when suddenly stranger entered
| whose appearance rivited universal attention
! Here is his portrsit--a figure tall, lean, Elm
| ewy and straight as an arrow face saiioW,
| bilious, and twitching incessantly with ner-
| vous irritabiIity a brow broad, soaring, mas
| siye, scanned with wrinkles, but not from age
| for he was scarcely forty eyes reddish yellow,
l like the wrathful eagle as bright and piercing
| and finally, a mouth with lips of cast iron,
| thin, curled, cold and sneering. the intense
| EXPIRE ssion of which looked the living embodi-
| ment Of an unbreathed curse. lie was habit
| ed in a suit of new buck skin, ornamented at
| ter the fashion Of Indian costume, with hues
| Of every color of the rainbow.
Elbowing his way slowly through the crowd
| and apparent unconscious that he was regard
/ ed as phenomenon, needing explanation, this
| singular being advanced, and with the naughty
| air of king ascending the throne, seated him.
| self within the bar, thrOnged as it was with
| the disciples of Coke and Blackstone sevelsl
| Of whom, it was known, esteemed themselves
| as far superior to those old and famous mas
] ters
| The contrast between the outlandish garb
and disdainful countenance of the stranger,
| excited, especially, the visibility of the law
/ yers, and the junior members began a sup
| pressed 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 tho interior of a hall o;
| Justice. Instantly the cause and object Of
the laughter perceived it, turned his head
| gradually so as TO give each laugher look,
| his lips curled with a killing smile Of infinite
| ScOrn; his tongue protrdding through bis
teeth, literally writhed like a serpent, and
| CALCULATED its sap-like poison in single word
Sayages
No pen can describe the defiant force which
| he threw into that term; no pencil can paint
! the Internal fUr0re Of his utterance, although
| it hardly exceeded q whisper. But he accent
| ed every letter as if it were a separate ennis
| sion of fire that scOrched his quiyering lips
| laying horrible emphasis on both at the be-
| ginning and end Of tho word
"Savsges ~
Itwa the growl Of red tiger in the hiss OF
| q rattesnake.
| - >GCT0sS -
The general glare, however, was immediate
| ly diverted by the advent of the taIr prisoner
| VINO then came in, surrounded by her guard.
| The apparition was enough to drive a saint
mad for hers was a style to bewilier the
| tdmest Imagination and melt the coldest heart,
| leaving in both imagination and heart gleaIn-
| ing picture, enameled in fire and fixed in
| frame of gold from the stars. Ii was the spell
| of an enchantmeut to be felt as well as seen.
V, ~ 81 - . h l. ~ Aa-
nance, clear a sunbeam, brilliant as the 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 heaven of a SOathern
summer large, liquid, beamy; in rer motions,
graceful, swimming like the gentle waftuTes
Of birds wing in the summer air; in tho
figure, slight ethereal, sylph's or seraph's;
and, more than all in the everlasting smile OF
| the rosy lips, so arched, so serene, SO like
| starlight and yet possessing the power OF magic
or Of magnetism to thrill the beholder' heart.
As the unfortunate girl, sotastefully dressed,
| so incompatible as to personal charms, calm
| and smiling, took her place before the bar of
hex Judge, a murmur Of admiration arose
| from the multitude, which the prompt inter
position of the cpurt, by a stern order of 9 ai-
| lence," could scarcely repress from swelling
| to a deafening cheer.
| The Judge turned TO the prisoner.
Emma Miner, the court has been informed
| that your counsel Col Linton, is sick. Have
| you employed any other :"
| She answered in a voice as sweet as the war
bic of the nightingale, and as clear as the song
| of the skylark
My enemies have bribed all the lawyers,
| even my own, to be sick; but God will defend
| the innocent"
| At this response, so touching in its simple
| pathOs a portion Of the auditors buZZed APP
| pIause, and the rest wept.
On the instant, however, the stranger, whose
| appearance had previously excited such mer-
rImeut, started 10 his feet. approached the
| prisoner, and whispered something in her ear.
| She bounded six inches from the floor, uttered
| piercing shrek, and then stood trembling as
| if in the presence of ghost from eternity
| while the singular being, who had caused her
| unaccoultable emotion, addressed the court,
| in his sharp, ringing voice, sonorous as the
sonnd of bell metal
"May it please your honor, will assume
| the task of defending the lady,
What '" exclaimed the astOnished Judge,
| fare you licensed attorney"
The question Is irrelevant and inmate
| rial" replied the stranger, with a yenomous
| sneer, " as the recent statute entities any per
son to act as counsel at the request of party"
"But does the prisoner request it!' inquired
| the Judge.
"Let her speak for herself" said the stran.
ger.
81 do" was the answer, as q long drawn
| sigh escaped, that seemed to read her very
| heartstringS.
The case Immediately progressed; and as it
had tinge of romantic mystery We will epito-
| mize the substance of the evidence.
About twelve months before the defendant
had arrived in the village, and opened an es-
tablishment OF millinery. Residing in room
connected with her shop, and all alone she
prepared the articles of her trade with un-
| wearied labor and consummate taste Her
habits were secluded, modest, and retiring,
and hence she might have hoped to avoid no.
toriety, but for the perilous gift of that ex-
traordinary beauty, which too often, and to
the poor and friendless always, proves a
curse. She was soOR sought after by all those
fre-fies of fashion, the profession of whose
life, everywhere, is seduction and ruin. But
the beautiful stranger rejected them all with
unutterable scOrn and lorthing Among these