The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-04-02
NO. AZ.
"What is her age y''


"Sbe was thirty years old on The
10th day of April" ea i,
when did you last see her ?"
AT her own house about q fort
night since"
"When did you see her previous t.
that meeting ~
4 The plaintiff hesitated--a long
pause ensued-the question was re
peated, and the answer at length was
"On the l4th day Of MAY, IL
"When she was three weeks old, ,
added Burr.
''Gentlemen," continued he, turning
to us, II have brought the lady here
as an important witness, and such
think, she is. The plaintiffs counsel
has pleaded eloquently in the belief
Of the bereaved husband who escap-
ed the periIs of the sea, and returned,
only to find his home desolate. But
who will picture to YOU the lonely
wife, bending over daily toll, devoting
her best years to the druggery of sor-
did poverty, supported only by her
husbands return? Who will picture
the slow progress of heart sickening,
the anguish Of hope deferred, and f.
nally the overwhelming agony which
came upon her when her last hope
was extinguished, and she was COM
pelled TO believe herself indeed wild
ow. Who can depict all this without
awakening in your hearts the warmest
sympathy for the deserted wife, and
the utmost scorn for the mean pitiful
wretch who could thus trample on the
heart of her whom he swore to love
and cherish We need not inquire
into his motive for acting so base a
part. Whether it was love Of gain,
or Iicentiousness. or selfish indiffer-
ence. IL matters not; he is too vile q
thing to be Judged by such laws as
govern men. Let US ask the witness
she who now stands before us with
the frank. fearless brow Of true
hearted woman-let Us ask which Of
these has been to her father ?"
Turning to a lady, in tone whose
sweetness was q strange contrast with
the scornful accent that just charac-
terized his words, he besOught her to
relate briefly the recollections Of her
early life. A slight flush passed over
her proud and beautiful face as she
replied:
"My first recollections are Of
small. ill-furnished apartment, which
nv sister and myself shared with my
mother. She used to carry out every
Saturday evening the work which
had occupied her during the week,
and bring back employment for the
following one Saving this weari-
some visit to her employers, and her
regular attendance at church, she
never left the house She often spoke
of nv father and of his anticipated re-
turn. but at length she ceased to men-
ton him. though | observed she used
to weep more frequently than ever.
| then thought she wept because we
were poor, for it sometimes happened
that our supper was only bit of dry
bread and she was accustomed to
sew bv the light of the chips which
she kindled to warm her famishing
children, because she could not pur-
chase n candle without depriving US
of our morning meal Such was our
poverty when my mother contracted
a second marriage, and the change to
us was like sudden entrance to Par
adise. We found home and a faith
er." She paused.
"Would YOU turn my own child
against me?" cried the plaintiff as he
impatiently waved his hand for her
to be silent.
The eyes of the witness flashed
fire as she spoke.
"You are not nv father :" exclaim-
ed she vehemently. What call you
nv father-vou, who SO basely left
vour wife to toll, and your children to
beggarv, Never, Never, Behold
there my father :" pointing to the ag-
itated defendant. There is the man
who watched over my infancy-who
was the sharer of my childish sports,
and the guardian of my inexperienc
ed youth. There is the man who
claims nv affection and shares my
home; there is my father. As for
wonder selfish wretch, | know him
not. The best years of his life have
been spent in lawIess freedom from
her social ties; let him seek elsewhere
for the companions of his deerepitude,
nor dare insult the ashes Ofmy moth
er by claiming the duties of kindred
from her deserted children
She drew the veil closely around
her as she finished speaking, and
moved as if about to withdraw.
Gentlemen" said Burr, Il have
no more to say. The words Of the
law are expressed in the book before
YOU; the words of truth you have
heard from woman's pure lips; it is
for you to decide according to the re-
quisitiOns of nature and the DEGREES
of justice"
| need not say that our decision
was in favor of the defendant, and the
plaintiff went forth followed by the
of every honorable person
who was present at the trial.