Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-06-17
General Literature.
Nv I.rCsDE.vT ~ .ERK.E.y'S.SS
LIFE.
DY JUDGE ARRIEGTON.

shall never forget my first vision of
William Denton. 1t was in the court
house at Little Rock, Arkansas, in the
summer of 1884. The occasion itself pos
sessed terrible interest, well calculated
to fix in the memory all its circumstances.
A vast concourse of spectators had assem-
bled to witness the trial of young and
very beautiful girl on an indictment of
murder. The Judge waited at the moment
for the sheriff to bring in his prisoner, and
the eyes of the i'm atient multitude eager
ly watched the door for the expected ad-
vent, when suddenly stranger entered
whose remarkable appearance riveted uni
versal attention. Here is his portrait done
as accurately as pen can sketch it.
A figure tall, lean, sinewy and straight
as an arrow; brow massive, soaring, and
smooth as polished marble, intersected by
a large blue vein forked like the tongue of
a serpent; eyes reddish yellow, resembling
wrathlul eagle's-as brilliant as fearfully
piercing; and finally a mouth slight, cold
and sneering-the living embodiment of
unbreathed curses He was habited in
leather, ornamented after the fashion of
Indian costume, with beads of every color
in the rainbow.
Elbowing his way proudly and slowly
through. the throng, and seemingly alto
gether unconscious that he was regarded as
a phenomenon that needed explanation
the singular being advanced, and, with the
naughty air of a king taking his throne
seated himself within the bar, crowded as
it was with the disciples of Coke aud Black
stone, several of whom, it was known, es-
teemed themselves far superior to those
old and famous masters.
The contrast between the disdainful
countonance and outlandish garb of the
stranger excited especially the visibility of
the lawyers, and the junior members began
suppressed litter which soon grew loud
er and swept around the circle. They
doubtless supposed the intruder to be some
wild hunter of the mountains, who had
never before seen the interior of hall of
justice.
Instantly the cause and object of the
laughter perceived it. Turning his head
| gradually, so as to give each laughcr u loo k
of scorn, he calculated the single word
"Savagesr
No pen can describe the unspeakable
malice, the defiant force which he threw
into that term; no language can express
the Internal JurOre of his utterance. al
though it hardly exceeded whisper But
he accented every letter as if it were a sep
arate emission of fire that scorched his
| quivering lips, laying horrible emphasis
| on the both at the beginning and ending
of the word. 1t was n mixed growl, inter
mediate betwixt the growl of red tiger
and the hiss of Il rattleshake-" "Savages."
1t cured everybody of a disposition to
laugh.
The general gaze, however, was then di-
verted by the advent of the fair prisoner,
who came in surrounded by her guard.
The apparition was enough TO drive even a
cynic mad, for hers was a style of beauty
to bewilder the tamest Imagination and
melt the coolest heart, leaving in both i'm
agination and heart cleaning picture, en-
amelled with fire and fixed in frame of
gold from the stars. 1t was the spell of an
enchantment to be felt as well as seen. We
might feel it in the flashes of her counte-
nance, clear as sunlight, brilliant as the
iris; in the classic contour of her features,
symmetrical as if cut with an artists chis-
ell; in her hair Of rich ringlets, flowing
without a braid, softer than silk, finer than
gosSamer; in her eyes, blue as the heaven
of southern summer, large, liquid, dreamy,
in her motions, graceful, swimming, like
the gentle walturcs Of birds wing in the
sunny ari in her figure slight, ethereal
a sylph's or a scraph's; and more than all,
in the everlasting smile of the rosy lips, 50
frank, so serene, so like starlight and yet
thrilling the soul as a shock of electricity.
As the unfortunate girl, so tastefuly
dressed, so incompatible as to personal
charms, calmly took her place before the
bar OF her Judge, murmur of admiration
arose from the multitude which the prompt
interpOstion Of the court could scarcely re-
press from swelling into dealening cheers.
The murmur was followed by loud un-
earthly groan from a solitary bosom, as OF
some one in mortal anguish. All eyes
were centred on the stranger, and all were