The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1871-12-23
NUMBER &c.


Ebenezer Webster, father Of Daniel, was a
farmer. The vegetables in his garden suffer
ed considerably from the depredations af a
woodchuck, whose hole and habitation was
near the premises. Daniel, some ten or twelve
years old, and his brother Ezekiel. had Sat a
trap, and at last succeeded in catching the Tres
passer. Ezekiel proposed 10 kill the animal.
and end at once all further trouble with him.
but Daniel looked with compassion upon his
meek, dumb captive, and offered to let him 90.
The boys could not agree, and each appealed
to his father to decide the case.
"Well, my boys said the old gentleman.
will be judge. There is the prisoner"
pointing to the woodchuck, "and you shall
be counsel and plead the case for and against
his life and liberty"
Ezekiel opened the case with q strong argu-
ment, urging the mischievous nature of the
criminal, the great harm he had already done,
said that much time and labor had been spent
in his capture, and now if suffered to 60 at
large he would renew bis depredations andbe
cunning enough not to be caught again, and
that he ought now to be put to death that his
skin was of some value, and that, make the
most of him they could, it would not repay
half the damage he had already done. His
argument was ready, practical and to the
point, and of much greater length than our
limits will allow us to occupy in relating the
story.
The father looked with pride upon his son,
who became distinguished jurist in his man
hood
"Now, Daniel, it's your turn; I'll hear
what you've got to say"
1t was his first case. Daniel saw that the
plea of his brother had sensibly affected his
father, the judge and his large brilliant black
eyes rested upon the SOFT timid expression Of
the animal, and he saw it trembled with fear
in its narrow prison house, his heart swelled
with pity, and he appealed with eloquent
words that the captive might go free. God,
he said, had made the woodchuck He made
him to live, to enjoy the bright sunshine, the
pure air, the free fields and woods. God has
not made him or anything in vain the wood
chuck had as much right to live as any other
living things; he was not destructive animal,
like the fox or wolf was he simply ate few
common vegetables, Of which they had plenty,
and could well spare part he destroyed
nothing, except the little food he needed to
sustain his humble life; and that little food
was as sweet to him and as necessary to his
existence, as was to them the food on their
mothers table. God furnished their own
food He gave them all they possessed, and
would they not spare little for the dumb
creature who really had as much right to his
small share of Gods bounty as they them
selves had to their portion Yea, more the
animal had never violated the laws of his ma
tnre or the laws of God, as man often did, but
strictly followed the simple instincts he had
received from the hands of the Creator of all
things. Created by Gods hands, he had q
right from God to life, to food, to liberty, and
they had no right to deprive him of either.
lie alluded to the mute but earnest pleadings
of the animal for that life, as dear to him as
were their own to them, and the just Judgment
they might expect if in selfish cruelty and
cold heartedness they took the life they could
not restore again.
During the appeal, tears had started to the
old mans eyes, and were fast running down
his sunburnt cheeks. Every feeling of faith
er's heart was stirred within him, and he felt
that God had blessed him beyond the lot of
common men. His pity was awakened by the
| eloquent words of compassion and the strong
appeal for mercy and forgetting the judge in
the man and the father, he sprang from his
chair while Daniel was in the midst of his
argument, without thinking that be had al
ready won his easel, and turning to his eldest
son dashing the tears from his eyes he ex-
claimed
'6Zeke Zeke vou Let that woodclurk IN ~