Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-11-15

NOlVOh III tue dlIeTHOOn. DlmeOD en-
able, Esq, was sole counsel for the de
PENDANT. The plaintiffs proved thai
they had done all the work in the crop
The defendant rendered his execution
and levy to the jury, which, being ex'
amined was found to be all O. X,
Defendant then introduced the land.
lord, and proved by him that the ia,
ther, and not the sons, had rented the
premises that all the stock and farm.
ing implements were the property Of
the father. That there was crop enough
left on the place to satisfy the land.
lords lien and pay the rent exclusive
of the tobacco; and lastly, that the
plaintiffs were both minors. As usual,
Mr. Marshall requested me to open the
case. replied that if equipped with
the best set Of burglars tools ever in,
vented, | did not think I could effect
an opening in that particular case.
We'll, well, said he, do your best to
raise dust ! rather ruefully replied
that the ground was even too hard for
that. Nevertheless, l made few re.
marks to the jury-you may believe
that | did not trouble his honor--and
sat down. Mr.. Venable then put his
side of the case to the court and jury
and wound up with an apology to his
Honor and the jury for stultifying them
and himself by talking about SO plain
a case. 1t was the habit of Mr.. Mar.
shall when he was going to argue a
case, to pace the floor back and forth
to and fro-until the time came for
him to begin ; and you could usually
gage the interest he felt in the case by
his more or less rapid step in walking.
My attention was called to him as soon
as | sat down. BY the rapidity of his
step, by the swelling of his chest, and
the play of his nostrils, saw that he
was laboring under strong and unusual
excitement. At length it came his
time to close the case. He came for.
ward to the bar. His whole face, even
to his lips, was colorless, and his teeth
were firmly set together, His chin
quivered, his nostrils expanded, and he
seemed laboring for breath. The even.
ing was raw and chilly. The Novem.
Der sun, which had all day been OBJ
scured by gray clouds, suddenly flashed
out from a rift in the west, and with
its level rays, flooded the speaker with
a red sunset glow, while the court and
jury seemed to be swallowed up in the
deep shadows of the old courthouse,
their gloom intensified by the dark
tints of the black walnut wainscotting
and cob-webbed ceiling. The speaker
slowly poured out goblet of water,
and his hand shook as with an ague as
he raised it to his lips. For some Sec
onds he seemed struggling to calm him
self, There were not dozen persons
in the room unconnected with the case.
The Harrison boys, our clients, were
sitting inside the bar, in Mr.. Marshalls
rear. The defendant Farmer sat a few
feet in front of him. Amongst the
jury there we're four or five elderly
men, some of whom had been school,
mates of the elder Harrison and of Mr..
Marshall. He began Gin rather sub
dued tone and manner) to talk about
the old pioneers; of their early strug,
giles in the wilderness, aheir indomita
BILE courage, their untiring energies.
Then he began to talk about the child
rem, their peculiar discipline, and the
almost unsurmountable difficulties in
procuring even limited education in
the old field school houses of the period.
Up to this point the court and the Jury
seemed to be asking themselves what
has all this got to do with the case al
the bar. And though deeply interest
ed, that interest seemed to be mingled
with bewilderment. But soon the high
excitement and suppressed emotion o.
the speaker became contagious. From
such surroundings, amidst such obsta
Giles as these said he, Patrick Henry
Clay, Webster, Calhoun, every here
and statesman of this vast republic ha
mounted up to fame and glory HI
then turned his back upOn the cour