Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1885-07-09
From Courier-.yourRal.
From C0Uricr-JOuTRdl
PEN PICTURES
or Notable Characters IN ImcricGn
Public Life.
T,co Marshall .iaecdotes.
by +" SAvoYARD.p

Tlro Marshall iaecdotes.
With one or two anecdotes will close
this sketch of this most gifted man. Mar
shall went into the town of Versailles one
day when John j. Crittenden had an ap-
pointment to make stump speech. Mar
shall asked and received division of time
and the wool-pulling" began. Many Ia
dies were present, and to show their di
pleasure with Marshall's course, as well as
to compliment Crittenden, they covered the
latter gentleman with flowers and waved
their handkerchiefs in approval. Critten-
den acknowledged the ecomplimentin grace
ful and happy manner, and Marshall rose
to reply He was more than usually elo-
quent and made splendid speech. AT its
close he turned to the ladies and said
No bouquets for me- Ladies, | was
born at that early day in kentucky when
the esthetic had not supplantcd the utilita-
rian, when girls, instead of cultivating the
useless graces that attract the frivolous,
practiced those habits of usefulness that hit
ted them to be wives of brave men and moth
ers of sturdy children. In that primitive
day the maiden had no bowers where Flora
held her court, but OH the contrary, they
planted and nourished ample beds of mint
and tansy. In the early morn the patriarch
of the household took down his stirrup'
cup aud brewed a beverage whose basis was
old Bourbon, such as Bacchus never offered
to Olympian deity, and all the family, from
eldest to youngest, partook Of it in copious
draughts, and, ladies, you never heard Of
child dying of worms in that day. If Fan
nestock had lived then he would have starved
10 death"
Shouts Of laughter greeted the conceits,
and the ladies prccipitateIy He'd.
One more anecdote There lived in Ken
lucky, thirty or forty years ago, man
named Pitcher. 1t would require the pen
of Fielding and the license that permitted
the portraiture, of Squire Weston to proper
" sketch his character. He was a rude,
uncultured, sapicnt man, with great natu-
raj abilities; scorpion tongue, laden with
the poison of asps. lie was as dissolutc as
John Wilks, and his temper is iittingly de-
scribed by OConne's epithet " ram-cot."
He was a sort of political Dalgetty, and,
with the vulgar herd, considerable force.
He had yanquished a very opponent who
would consent 10 meet him-eycn old Ben
Hardin. whom John Randolph said was
kitchcn-knifc whettled on Il brick-bat"
But in inyectiye, his most powerful weapon,
he found his master in Pitcher.
Such was the man who was pitted against
Marshall They met at Louisville on Corn
Island. A lovely spot near the Kentucky
shore in the Ohio. The crowd assembled
lust at nightfall, AMI was composed of the
beauty, wealth and worth of the city. 1t
was in the early days of Marshall's career,
when his budding genius gave promise of
the richest fruition. The crowd was with
Marshall, though Pitcher had friends in the
throng. The season was in the mild Sep
tember,' when the harvest moon had filled
her horn, and would
Cause but a murmer and blush on the sa-
luted check Of the chaTiest maid.
In such a night
Troilus methinks. mounted the Trojan walls
And sighed his soul toward the Grccan tents.
Where Cressid lay that night
In such night
/ NIedea gathered the enchanted herbs
That did renew old Hsom.
Marshall delivered the greatest speech
even he ever made The audience was with
him, and he reveled in an ecstacy OF elo-
quence. He seemed inspired with more
than mortal power, and swayed strong men
and beautifully women as the storm the ripen-
ing harvest. In closing, he pictured the
scene before him, and made it as vivid to
his hearers as to his own prodigy of imagi-
nation. La Belle Rivere, the silvery moon
and its soft light and balmy air laden with
the delicate and delicious perfume OF a sea-
sons fruition. The vauted skies, studded
with countless sparkling gems, all passed IN
review and received the impress ofhis match
less fancy. His audience hung breathless
on III, -tultuItn- III blN hiN's W a. D~f~-
Of descriptive eloquence he turned to where
Pitcher sat, few feet Oft. Pointing his ex-
pressive finger and throwing into his clas-
sic and mobile features look Of unuterable
horror. he exclaimed: But, o God, there
is Pilcherw It Twas the devil in Eden.
The audience broke all bounds and cheered,
laughed and wept The orator sat down
and Pitcher, conquered once, declined to
speak. lie said afterward that at the mo-
ment the look came upon MarshalPs fea-
lures and his voice uttered those words. he
felt himself to be the vilest Of created beings.
SAvogARD.
Not a Sfngie cray Hair.
% Won may tauph and fhink me a vain thing"