Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-09-24
THE WIFE's DEFENDER.


shall never forget my first vision of
William Denton. 1t was at the court
house, in Little Rock, Ark, in the sum-
mer of 1884. The occasion itself possess
sed terrible interest, we'll calculated to
fix in the memory all the circumstances.
A vast cOncOurse of spectators had as
sembled to witness the trial of young
and beautiful girl on an indictment for
murder. The Judge waited at the moment
for the sheriff to bring in his prisoner,
and the impatient multitude eagerly
watched the door for the expected advent,
when suddenly stranger entered whose
remarkable appearance riveted universal
attention. Here is the 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, inter-
sected by large blue vein, fOrked like
the tongue of a serpent; eyes reddish
yellow, resembling watchful eagles, as
brilliant, as fearfully piercing; and
finally 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
altogether unconscious that he was re-
garded as phenomenon that needed ex-
PLANTATION, the singular being advanced,
and, with the naughty air of king TAX
ing his throne, seated himself within the
bar, crowded as it was with disciples of
Blackstone, several Of whom, it was
known, esteemed themselves far superior
to these old and famous masters. The
contrast between the disdainful cOun-
tenance and Outlandish gard of the
stranger excited especially the visibility
of the lawyers, and the junior members
began suppressed litter that soon grew
louder and louder around the circle.
They doubtless supposed the intruder to
be some wild hunter of the mountains,
who had never before been in the halls Of
justice.
Instantly the cause and object of the
laughter preceived it. Turning his head
gradually that he might give each
Laughter a look of infinite scOrn, he
calculated the single word, "Savages."
No pen can describe the unspeakable
malice, the defiant force which he threw
into that term; no language can express
the internal furOre of his utterance, al
though it hardly exceeded whisper.
But he accented every syllable as II it
was separate emission of fire that
rible emphasis on the "s' both at the be-
ginning and end of the word. 1t was a
a mixed sound, intermediate betwixt the
grOwl of a red tiger and hiss of rattle
snake -"Savagesp' 1t cured everybody
~ thu dicpooifiou IN lounh
The general gaze, however, was then
diverted by the entrance of the fair
prisoner, who came in surrounded by her
guard. The apparitiOn was enough to
drive even cynic mad, for hers was a
style of beauty to bewiIder the tamest
imagination and melt the coolest heart,
leaving in both imagination and heart a
cleaning picture, enameled with care
and fixed in frame of gold from the
bars. 1t was the spell OF an enchant-
ment to be felt as we'll as seen. You
might feel it in the flashes of her cOuD-
tenance, 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 ring
lets, flowing without 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 watt
ings of birds wing in the sunny air;
in her figure, slight, ethereal-a sylph's,
or a seraph's, and more than all, the ever
lasting smile of the rosy lips, so frank,
so serene, so like starlight, and yet
thrilling to the soul as shock of cleo
tricity.
As the unfortunate girl, so tastefully
dressed, 80 Incompatible to personal
charms, calmly took her place before the
bar OF her judge, a murmur of admira-
tiOn arose from the multitude, which the
prompt interposition of the court could
scarcely repress from swelling into a
deafening cheer. The murmur was fol-
lowed by a loud, unearthly groan from a
solitary bosom, as some one in mortal
anguish. ALI eyes were conferred on the
stranger, all were struck with surprise
and wonder, for the featured writhes as
If i'm t0rture-tOrtuIe that his rain of
tears could not assuage. But what could
be the cause of his sudden emotion?
Could any connection exist between him
and that fairy girl, more beautiful than
blossom of summer, and in cOunten-
ance celestial as star?
" ! N..|.H 81