Brookville American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-03


to tho Bar, and month afterwards
was married. We were n young cou-
plc, she not above sixteen, | not quite
twenty, and both almost without u
dollar In tho world. Tho establish
ment which wo set mp was suited TO
our cir .'umstances, log house with
two small rooms, a bed, table, n hall
dozen chairs, half dozen knives and
forks, n half dozen spoons-everything
by half dozens; little delit ware
ever ything In small way; wo worc so
poor, but then so happy.
"Wo had not been married many
dayswhe a court was held In u coun-
" town, distant about twenty-five
miles. II was necessary for me 70 80
thero and put myself In the wny q
business. but how was l 70 Rof -. .naV
expended al my means 4 eur ca''p'
lisamonf. and thon il was hard parting
Essitli nlywife 30 soon. attyr m"ff,aSe' ~
However, 90 | must Iohcy mnst. fc
made. or We should have tue won ~
our door. / accordingly borrowed y
horse, and borrowed n little cash, and
rode off from my door, leaving my
wife standing at IL and waving her
hand after me- Her last look, 40
sweet and becoming went TO my hoart'
felt as if could go through hro
and water for her. / arrived NJ the
country town on cool October evo'
ming. The inn was crowded, Tor the
court vas 10 commence on the ioliow'
ing day.
81 knew no one. and wondered now
!, q stranger, and mere youngs'or'
was 10 make my way in such crown
and get business. The public room
was thronged with all the idlcrs In
the country who gathered together
on such occasions. There was some
drinking going forward with great
noise and little alteration Just as
! entered the room, | saw rough
bully OF fellow, who was partly intox-
cated, strike an old man. He came
staggering, by me, and elbowcd
me MS he passed Immediately knock.
cd him down and kicked him into the
street. / need d no better introdnc-
ton. In n moment | had half q dozen
rough shakes of tho hand aad invita-.
tions TO drink, and fonnd myself quite
II parsonage in that rough assem-.
bago
"Thc next morning court opened i
took my seat among the lawyers, hnt
felt as mere spectator, not having
any idea whore business was TO come
from. In the course Of the morning
n man was put TO the BAR charged
with passing counterfeit money, and
was asked If he WIS ready for trial
He answered in the negative. Tie had
been confined in n place where there
were no lawyers, and had not had nm
opportunity Of consulting any. lie
was told 20 choose counsel from the
lawyers present, aud bo ready for trial
tho next day. lle looked around the
room and selected mo. | was thun-
dcrstruck ] could not tell why he
should make such n choice. |. n board.
less youngstcr, unpractiscd NJ tho bar;
perfectly unknown. / folt difllent
yet delighted, and could have Rugged
the rascal.
"Before leaving tho court ho gave
me one hundred dollars in bag for
retaining fec. / could scarcely be.
licve my senses; Il seemed like dream.
Tho heavincss of the fec spoke but
lightly of the mans innocence-but
that was no affair Of mine. | was TO
bc advocate, not judge or jury.
followed him TO the Jail, and learned
all tho particulars OF the case; from
thence | went to the Clerks Office and
.ook minutes of the Indictment. ]
then examined the law on tho subject,
and prepared my brief in my room.
All this occupied me till midnight.
when | went to bed and tried to sleep.
il was in vain; never in my life was
more wide awake. a host Of thoughts
and fancics camo rushing into my
mind; the shower Of gold that had so
unexpectedly fallen into my lap the
idca of my poor little wife ut home,
that ! was To astonish her with my
good fortune. But the awful response
blitv / had undertaken. To speak
ior the first time in y strange court,
and the expectations the culprit had
formed of my talents; all these, ar / Il
crowd of similar notions, kept VII !.
ing through my mind ! tossed about
ali night, fearing morning would find
mo exhaust d and incompetcnt--in a
word, the day dawned upon me mis-
cradle fellow.
"I got up fevcrish and nervous. j
walked out before breakfast to collect
my thoughts and tranquiize my feel.
ings II was bright morning-the
mir was pure and frosty--l bathed my
forehead and my hands in a beautiful
running stream, but | could not allay
the fever heat that ragged within.
returned TO breakfast, but could not
ent. A single cup of coffee formed
tho repast; it was time to g to court,
and I went there with n thrObbing
heart. | believe if it had not been
for the thoughts of my dear little wife
in her lonely house, should have
Given back tho man his dollars. and
relinoui,hed the cause. took my
seat, looking, am convinced, more
like culprit than the rogue | was to
defend,
"Whcn the timeca for me tospcak,
nv heart died within me. | rose en-
barrassod and dismayed, and stammer.
ed in opening the cause. | went on
from bad TO worse, and felt as If was
going down. Just then the public
prosecutor, n man Of talents, but some
what rongh in his practice, made sar-
castle remark on something | said. 1t