Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-02-07
MAJOR JOHN BRINDON.
The Heroic Manner in Which He Won
His Bride.
CHAPTER 4.

Major John Brindon, member o
the Arkansas Historical Society
was requested to read paper rela
tive to the days of the code within
| the memory Of men now living
The Major Cheerfully responded in
the following:
Arkansas had been a State some
ten years when ] became one of iiel
citizens. / was a very ambitious
young man. Devoted study. had
failed to win for me u name Ol
any distinction in the East, so. in
this wild country, / was determined
to make q living If nothing else.
Knowing nothing of the State, ]
had no particular point in view,
but mounted on a good horse, /
struck out for some place to suit
my fancy. One evening, when the
winters sun, losing its glare just
above the tree tops, sank down like
a ball of dull fire, 1 stopped at a
large double log house. The sur
roundings spoke of refinement. The
yard was q perfect wilderness OF
shrubs and flowers, and the fields
Tying adjacent bore evidence OF a
fine state oficultivation.
"Get down, sir get down" said
a polite old gentleman, coming out
to the fence. "Here, Abrain, take
the gentleman's horse. Come in and
have a seat" @
The room into which he ushered
me was large and comfortable, The
furniture was old fashioned, and as
l held out my hands TO the blaze, /
wondered how the great old brass
andirons had escaped the cannon
molder in the early days of the
American revolution. My host, L
soon learned, was Judge Blake, an
eminent jurist of that day. When
| told him that / had come 10
practice law, his face beamed with
pleasure.
"Young and ambitious, of course" ,"
said he. swell, 1 shall not dis
courage you. We have need of
youth and ambition in a country
like this. The ability that would
often go unrecognized in an older
State, many times meets with bril-
liant success in a country where or
atOry has peculiar charm and
where logic, although an audience
may be uneducated, find an appre-
ciative conviction. Let me intro
duee you to my wife and daughter"
| arose and bowed to a pleasant
middle-aged lady and girl of sur
prising lOveliness.
"Mr. Brindon will remain over
night with u.s." said the Judge.
"Houses are scarce in this section,
my dear sir" turning to me. my
wife brings the welcome news that
supper is ready-welcome news in
deed to me, for 1 have, AS no doubt
has been the case with you, ridden
several miles to-day. Come"
At the table the young lady,
whom they called Jassanine, sat
me. 1 had ample OppOr-
tunity tor studying her face. al first
a pleasure and then fascination.
She would occasionally steal a
glance at me, and my eyes, falling,
would rest on the cold roast of a
bear into which my appetite, de-
spite my admiration, Was making
OF an inciSIor. After
supper we sat around the log fire.
found Jassamine to be proud and
we'll educated, though she did not
effect that uper-retinelhent which
prompts so many young people to-
their surroundings.
''If you are going to practice law"
said the judge, II don't know of
better place than this. Our county
seat is about four miles from here.
1t is not much of II village, but its
legal business ia large. The letters
of Recommendation which you have
shown me''-which / had shown,
too, rather proudly-"will admit
you into the best sO:iety. The one
from Judge King should be treas
ured as a precious document. i
am going to town Tomorrow, and il
you desire it, will assist you in To-
eating"
1 thanked him warmly. fancied
Jassamine's eyes rested on me in