The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1872-10-03
Daniel wcbs,er's rirst Plea,

{ Daniel Websier's s'irst Flea,
Ebcnezcr Webster. fat her of Dan.
icl. was farmer. Tho vegetables il
his garden suffered considerably from
lac dcprcdati,n ola woojchusk, whose
hole and babitatiou was near III,
: premises Daniel somo ton or twelve
years old, aud his brother Ezrkial,
bad set trap aud ut last succeeded
cathiis tho trcSpnsscr. Esckicl
proposed 70 kill the animal and eu1
At once nil further trouble with Lim :;
Gut Daniel looked with compassion
npon his meek, dumb captv", and
offered to let him 20 The boys could
not fg'ee, and each appealed to their
father to decide the case.
"Wcll, my boys said tho old gen.
tlcmon, 81 will bc iuioe and vot shall
o tha council g. rtead no case CIR
aud ag inst bis nIu 90 n liberty"
Ezskhl orencd the case with o
strong argImcut urging the mischiev-
Gus natui' pf the criminal, the great
harm - hal already done, said that
much time auj labor had been spent
in his capture, and now, ii sufIerod
TO 90 at largo, he would renew his
depred Itions, aud be cunning enou ,h
not to be caught again, and that no
ought now he put to death ,hat bis
kin was Of some value, aud thu,
make the most OF him they could, IL
would not repay half the damage ke
bn already done. His argument was
ready, practical, and to the poiunt,
and ui much greater length than orr
limit will allow Us to occupy IN re'a.
ting the story.
The father looked with pride upon
bis son, who became distinguished
j.rist in his manhood.
"Nov. Daniel, its your turn, now
II. hear what ynu'vc got T. saw
!, was hi- first case. nauiel saw
inAV.'he plea Of his brother had sens
bly, affected hle iltbor, the judge, aud
his large, militant b' clt eyes rested
upon tuo soft mos 3 expression Of the
auinai, aud be it trombled with
fear TO It's narrow prison house his
heart s"cIcd Via p.y, and bc ap-
pcalcL with eloquent words that tho
captive might 20 free God, no said
made the woodchucI,, lie mado him
TO live, to cujoy the bEght sunshine;
the pure air, tho fields and woods
God had not made anything 10 vain
the woodebuck had as much rigAt to
live Us any o hr living thing l%bc
wa not destructive animal, lko tl'S
wolf be simpIy ate few. common
vcgeti b :, of which they had plenty.
ana could well spare IA part he ,au.
etroycd nothing but the littlo foot be
ate TO sustain his humble life and
that lIltIc food was us sweet to HIM
and as necessary - his cxlstcucc NJ
was to them the food on their moth
or'S table. God furnished their own
food. lie gave them i'll they possess.
ed, AMI would they not spare little
for dumb creature who really had ,is
much riglt to his small share of God =
bounty as they had to their portion
Yea, moro the animal had mover vic
lated, the laws OF his nature W tho
Avs of God us man often did, out
ticily following tho simple instincts
he had received from the hands Of the
Creator Of all things. Created by
Gods hands he lad right to food
aud liberty, and they had no right to
deprive him of ciihcr. lie ALLUDED 10
rho mu'o b I 1jr est p'eading y. tho
animal for that life, was as dear u
him n were their own, and tho just
Judgment they might expect, Y in
Iseilih cruelty and cold.hearted1'es
they took the liit they could not fes.
tore again.
During the appeal the tears had
tarted 10 the old mans Dyes, ard
we're fast running down his sunburnt
checks. Every feeling Of n fathers
hcfrt was stirred within him, an ! ho
/, 1t that God had blessed him beyond
tho lot of common men. His pity
was awakened by the eloquent woi ds
of comp n hni the strong appeal
for mercy, and forgetting the jndgs
ln the man aud father hc spraug from
his chair, while Daniel was in. tho
midst Of his argument, without think
h, had already won his case, aud
turning to his Oldest son, daShing tho
tea fr,m his cycs, hO exclaimed
"Xckc. 4 k,. you let that woolehuck
/ go!'-[ Portfolio.
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