The Placer herald., 1871-02-11
THE WIFE'S DEFENDER.

From the heene, (N H. Sentinel.
shall never forget my first vision of Will
liam Denton. 1t was in the Courthouse in
Little Rock, Arkansas, in the summer of
1884 The occasion itself possessed ter
rible interest, well calculated to fix in the
memory all its circumstances. A vast CON
course of spectators had assembled to witness
the trial Of q vonn1 and very beautiful girl
or an indictment for murder The Judge
waited at the moment for the sheriff to bring
in his prisoner, and the eyes of the impatient
multitude eagerly watched the door for the
expected advent, when suddenly stranger
entered whose remarkable appearance rivert
ed universal attention. Here is bis portrait,
done as accurately as pen can sketch it.
A figure tall, lean, sinewv and straight as
an arrow a brow massive, soaring and smooth
as polished marble, intersected by large
blue vein, forLed like the tongue of a serpent; F;
eyes reddish yellow, resembling wrathful
eagles, as brilliant as fearfully piercing; and
finally mouth slight, cold and sneering-
the living embodiment of unbreathed curses !
He was habted in leather, r,--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 altogeth-
er unconscious that he was regarded as a
phenomenon that needed explanation, the sim
gular being advanced, and with the naughty
air of king taking his throne, seated him
self within the bar, crowded as it was with
Coke and Blackstone, several of whom, it
was known, esteemed themselves far supe-
rior to those old and famous masters. The
contrast between the disdainful countenance
and outlandish garb of the stranger excited
especially the rsibility Of the lawyers, and
the Junior members began a suppressed litter
which soon grew louder and swept around
the circle. They doubtless supposed the in
truder to be some wild hunter of the noun
tains who had never before seen the interior
of hall of justice.
Instantly the cause and object of the laugh
ter perceived it. Turning his head gradu-
ally, so as to give each laugher look of in
finite scorn he calculated the single word,
"Savages!'
No pen can describe the unspeakable NAL
ice, the defiant force which he threw into
that term; no language can express the in
fernal furore of his utterance, although it
hardly exceeded a whisper. But he accent
ed every letter as if it were separate ennis
sion of fire that scorched his quiverng lips,
laying horrible emphasis on the IS" both at
the beginning and end of the word 1t was
a mixed sound, intermediate betwixt the
growl of a red tiger and the hiss of rattle
snake" -"SavagesF' 1t cured everybody of
the 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 cync
mad, for hers was style of beauty to bewil
der the tamest Imagination and melt the
coolest heart, leaving in both imagination
and heart cleaning picture enameled with
fire and fixed in a frame of gold from the
stars. 1t was the spell of an enchantment to
be felt as well as seen. You might feel it
in the flashes of her countenance, clear as
sunlight, brilliant as the iris; in the classic
contour of her features, symmetrical as if cut
with an artists chisel in her hair of rich
ringlets, flowing with a braid, softer than
silk, finer than gossamere: i'll her eyes, blue
as the heaven Of southern summer, large,
liquid, dreamy; in her motions, graceful,
swimming, like the gentle waftures Of
birds wing in the sunny air; in her figure,
slight ethereal-a sylph's or a seraphs and
more than all, in the everlasting smile of the
rosy lips so frank, so serene, so like star
light, and yet thrilling the soul as shock
of electricity.
As the unfortunate girl, so tastefullv dress
ed, 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 interpos-
ton of the court could scarcely repress from
swelling into deafening cheers, The muir
mur was followed by loud, unearthly
groan from solitary bosom, as of some one
in mortal anguish. All eyes were centered
on the stranger, and all were struck with
"