Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1866-02-23
VI 1 = & r. IL. Ny.
A RIDE ON THE ICE

rage Vo~. lover Of good living. a fast
man IN every sense Of the word. and gener-
ally written do~n a rascsL
HAD a lau-ssit With Mr. Miller. and
wished to imPCaeh has testimony. SO feAn-
"a on the neigbbors. one after another. 70
ascertain ~hat the feeling was With regard
to his iruthfilness. Il being an important
case. and one IN which Miller himself vas
an important witness. desired % 6nd a
stroog array % substantial men. and men
Who kns- him vel. 70 90 into court and
swear tia; BE- ~as not 10 b. believed on
oath. To my surprise. found no nan
Wiling 20 give the testimony I desired.
While they ~erc al wiling TO acknowlcdse
the looseuess Of his habits. and the reckless
ness q his general life. no one ~as wiling
20 ehargc him With Being a liar. On the
contrary. they al declared thar they would
sooner believe has testimony than that %
uAny a said church going man among them.
foand him universally beloved .. a neigh
Jor. No one had 80 good reputation for
being kiad IN sickness. or 80 generous TO
the needy
% - yoa cannot swear 20 his untr,I;hfsl-
nesss- ! said 10 Mr. Doane. an old nan.
upon whom I called near the close of the
aay.
As here Vas no ho,el IN thas immesliafs
neighborhood. be invited ne % spend the
night II has bou-e-an invitation which !
gladly accepted. We sat in the twilight.
on The wide serandab. and looked cot west
ward upon The beautiful Counecticut.
" No. sir. cannot. IL may seem strange
% you that a man vbo - known a. . drunk
ard and a gambler. sboal4 not also be
kDo-n A. hAr Bat wcrc called 20 give
rns testimony. ! sh0uld swear that more
truthful man never kad dealings With me
HIS word - as god a. his toad
- IL -as Singular anomaly IN the char
aetsr of tho man. 4 rrulaTked. 81. that be
should b. 30 dissipafed. and yet 80 kind
and truthful. I can account for this state
Of tsings onls by suPposing that b. Ia. lard
Lis ncighbors under obligations 70 hrn. T.
eAnnot b. because Of any intrinsic merit IA
the man.-
o. True. sir. true. be has 90 conducted
that bi' neighbors are under obligatious %
him. But ho~ could a man v.fh no intrin-
80 merit thus win the hearts Of q whole
commonly Ans~cr mc that. sir,"
Do yoa mean 70 saY that BE- Is an hon
orabic nam
d" In many respects. zee. lie has a warm
heart. wrth all his faults. and b. would
scorn % tell a be-. as yoa uosA seorn to
play Or n.oaey."
'' And yet b. has violated the solemn
oath -hich be took Et the marriage altar
l do not understand it~
d" cannot Ans~cr for the vow h. took
therc. sir n b. has violated t. then it l.
dark sPot upon bts soal. That dark spots
ar there 10 not DENY but I say there
ar bright spots. too. AL our character-
arc miNed more or les. and his perhaps
more than those II men IN gcreral IL
not safhcicnt reason for accusing a man
81 ever oouooivaile criun~. merely because
b. % guiity 0f sone For the evil that b.
does. iet him suaer I Do rot wish % de-
fcnd it. bot a. ! nov hiu, O. De hind. and
truthfui. ard cosrsceous 81 vel. I shan
never become party to making hf-i ont a
Tiilain in those things wherein 7 kno~ him
% he honest. A. censurc bis faults. 80
! viii driend BE virtues
'' Perhaps g1H arr under obligations to
BIN. among otbers. ~ saii. not liking fbc
maaner in ~hich tbc man vas spoken o.
'' loa are qaiie rigtt. sir. an. and 81
y1u lro not Co mllA oe.lPisI 4ith toar
bus.ness. viii 'cii rbrrein. IN single in.
Stance af ieasf
'' ] have an tban.ianoe of is.sure. assure
yol. ani shall bear you 9th pieasare.
Only Do roc 20 your admirat.on oi the vi
lain lead 700 to say COO much iu be- frai.e .~
it vas certainly in bai taste ior u.e io
make fiis remark but tli become 1l.-
Fu'ted 9Th hesr.ng 20 ma,h sard IN pra..c
oia nnsn ~hom Z believed o. bc thcrorziir
BAL
lhf ot uan proceeded a. farors
hol rrake of uiv being Under offi-.-
tors to ~ferhen Miller. sad SPEAK 9Th
reference f. falf rot to iIastrs,e b.. truth
iairrss There a. .ashinr ia uhst Ian
ABBOTT 'o cav t1a...-r t.. serarfv. ff Gov.
e~ tte qaesuoa of e,H cation. noihinr
m1rc
it sas siesen years ago. Q tl.iuk. in
Apr lt.f A. re icg broke ln in the