Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-11-27
THE SLAVE WIFE;
OR THE SUDDEN DUEL


At the close of the Mexican war, the city of
Brownsville, on the Texan bank of the Rio
Grande river, and Immediately opposite to
Matamoras, sprung up suddenly as If by magic,
developing the full growth of an urbane COM
munty within the course of few months.
This singular flow of migration and rapid adj
vancement in business was the result of the
living spirit Of American enterprise, the COM
mercial passion of restless people, ,.eager alike
for glory and gain.
Among the many adventurers who swarmed
to the Rio Grande in the first prime of its
golden promise was young lawyer, one Glenn
Parks, recently from South Carolina. AL
though desccaded from an ancient line of an
cestors, and bearing in his veins the blood of
the Revolution, and having received classi-
cal education, yet his fathers vices having
squandered an immense fortune the son was
left poor, to fight the fierce battle of life, re-
lying altogether on his own resources, without
hope of aid or comfort from kindred or friends.
Nature had endowed him with handsome
person, excellent judgment and true courage.
On arriving at his new sphere OF action,
young Parks encountered an unexpected diff
fculty. He discovered that there was very
little lucrative business transacted in the
court, and this had already fallen into the
hands of few advocates, who managed adroit-
IS TO monopolize every case of the smallest
Importance. 1t was evidently impossible to
Sit down and patiently wait until matters would
mend by the doubtful evolutions of time or
chance. The price of board and lodging were
dear, and his wardrobe needed removal ION even
before he was fitted to appear in the forum at
all. In this crisis of his fate he conceived
plan that looked in the light of reason, wild
sad visionary. He sold off his books at auc-
ton, and with the proceeds opened garden,
within mile of the city, for the purpose of
supplying the market with vegetables, which
happened at that period to be extremely
scarce, as the natives OF the soil wanted both
the will and the wisdom to turn the rich allu-
vial of the soil to any account. AS the expe-
rment fourished, and Mexican labor was very
cheap, the ex-attorney urged his operations
still further, and the little garden soon expand
ed into field. To sum up the general result
IN single sentence, the end of three years
found him not only independent, but wealthy.
Having amassed sufficient fortune to satisfy
his desires, he thought of selling out and re-
curing again to the profession which he had
been forced to abandon, when an incident oc.
CURED to change his purpose. A family by
The name of Gracta, assumed to be of Spanish
origin, arrived at Brownsville, from New Or
leans. They were apparently in affiuent cir
eumstances, intelligent, polished in their man.
ners, and remarkably handsome in their per-
sons. They were all dark featured, as is the
TACT with the race from which they claimed
their descent. Indeed, they made it matter
Of boast that a slight tincture of Moorish blood
colored the current in their veins. Wealth
possesses golden key to unlock the most ex-
elusive doors, and beauty has the force of fire
10 melt the hardest heart-so that the new ad-
dltion to the society of the Rio Grande, as
one might well imagine, caused the utmost
enthusiasm, and hailed an era in the
history of frontier life.
There was one member of this comely
vhn INN Aiafu u1-
pecial favorte in the community, and drew
lie admiring attention of every observer BY
me powers of her unspeakable loveliness.
NAY Gracia was one of those rare cOmbina-
tons OF graceful form, luminous features, and
tplrltual expression, that resembles the fault
less ideas Of Imagination, or the radient pic
tares OF perfection which glitter in the bright
Hieams of early youth, rather than the shapes
VI hesh and blood that breathed common air
and mingled with the things of earth. Her
email, regular, exquisite face, revealed a CON-
p,exlon somewhat dark in its tints, but liter
any translucent, where ,the warm blood could
pe seen spreading its rich, rosy snffusion- like,
aaiadng blush of maiden modesty. Her eyes
~ " ,ne deepest jet, appeared to swim in sea
"a hght-wild, waving and mixed with liquid
a'e. Her long, dark hair flowed freely around
oust and bosom of indescribable symmetry.
Pulher voice possessed the most marvellous
sascihation of all. It vas clear, silvery and
,,ilsing, with gertle cadence in its tone, at
,ae lall OF each sentence, like the lisping mur
~ur OF soft winds among the pine tops.
-, iemales of any description we're scarce in
Ss Ts community, and this beautiful creature,
duo uo seemed to have dropped, as it were, sud-
,Hy N'uly from the clouds, before the end of six
asUnlhs, had refused half hundred excellent
n. sssa However, the little boy Cupid, who
sches out every fair form as mark for his
A'fg arrows, found this beautiful one at last,