Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-03-26
For Ths oxford Democrat.
Tho Boil OF Justice.

To illustrate the workings Of Gods Bell OF
| Justic~. I will relsts q well anthebticated
story OF Virginia plantation no. which oc.
CARED several years before the war.
spsnt q large part OF June and Jaly, 1881,
ON this plantation.
From the wharf st Fredficksburg, on
Mondays aud Tuesdays, one can take one
of the doe Baltimore boats and With hslf
hours ride throssh i've miles OF mag.
nincent Rsppshsnnoek River scenery,
land on this p1Autation. Your nrst sttsn.
tlou IL call.d % the lower nst, or ffst
bench, OF the broad river bottom, runnlng
along the broad river front three fourths
OF mile and back about q half mile.
Words OF mine are - utterly inadequate
Ia dsscrlt, the natural beauty OF these
bottom lands, I will pass over 10 the nert
bench, which II formed by snstgrsl ter
race or rise, sons nftssn feet hish. Near
the edge OF this IL the road leading from
Pfedricksburg aLunifsd nils down The
river 20 Chssspeskr Bay. Tbs second
bench IL q little broader and smoother Bot
of the same width - the nrst Across
this broad terrace IL an elevated plateau,
nftesn or twenty rods wide and about
seventy nys feet high. with sloplng sides
running parallel with the road and river
and half way ser ,ss the plsntstion. be
hind this is . narrow Geld runnlng up to
solid body of OAK woods, stretching seross
the entire norih.essterly eide Of the plsnts'
tloni thi. completes the outline de-crip-
tlon. Words 10 not seem IN convey COT
rect lie. Of the be,aiy Of this place or 10
oil up this outline properly bat ss they are
the only means svsllsbls. I must be COZ
t-nt Thl. pls,esa risias from this plain
seem, 10 hay. been moulded sni fsshiOa'
"a ny %. Great Architect for another
Eden IL had, long years sgo, been sm.
bslli-hsd by the hsni OF art. A large
brick m,n.lon va. ballt aud the yard VI.
paved With broad squares aud long brick
wsls. lesilng ~ the many other buililngs
snd sa.lllsrl.s % the m,nslon, no~sr aud
vsgstsols gardens we're plated With afils'
tic skill
Toe hand OF the l,nisc,pe gardener !.
conspicuous 10 those grand rows OF m'I ..
tic trees sbcifcling aud oyershtdO~ing The
balliings sDd groasis. The stables are
little beyond the gardens and the negro
quarters s,ill beyond these. boiii In arsgu-
lar row. Both the morning and evening
view. are grand. A bell suspended from
q hi.h po.t In ths yard. riggs oai In the
early morning. A. the rising sun lights
up the lsnd.c,ps. . troop OF eolorei men
mounted on mules. die down the hlil 10
the iild.. aud their strong musical voices
90 ringlng thfoagh the grove 10 song.
The spreading branches OF the tree. form
natural arches where 9 variety OF birds
unlts In greeting the morning sgn' with
Ons universal enoru- OF sOng. Looklnz
through these arches, the tall sunllt stse-
pie OF ST. George. church 81 ffsdsrieks'
barg. nss miles sssy, can b. seen, also |,
tall 4 * snn supporting the waving nag OF
stars sBi strip. on M,rysis historic hill,
where lG 600 ualou soldiers peacsfelly
slumber Dsnrstn IT, PROTECTING folds.
SDrfosfui Indeed L. the heart that would
not be mad oy the Inspiration OF Ihls
scene.
An afternoon View. while different, s
| scarcely lees Inspiring About thls TINE
I In the year IL wheat harvest
Towards night the Obl cue rays oi tns
sun light up lhsse srehss IN reverse OIL.
r.ctloa from the morning. mile Of
m,gnlncsnt ,ts stretch from below 10 tos
river shore, lyipg In two brOsi terraces.
the nearest Que covered with wheat
ani grss. broad uudulstlpg waves OF
grain aud grass s~~sp over thsss two
| hlndrcd acres ia be,utifal circles of wsyes.
| The sslfblnding rsap-r IL moving slous
drawn ny siI mules, dropping In ii- track
at regular Intervals its rhesye-, followed
/ by the "tOtsr-," (u.uslly colOrsd womsn)
sno carry them to TIE shocser., While
the harvest song la unmi-tskanly Afresn
dl,l-ct, n ats dOra the sumner ofrsLs.
The next nvld between this snd the
river Is covered with corr With 10 tail
green st.lk. waving In the sunlight.
Isl. the former owner sui designer OF
which 4 wish to writs. lie csme from
proud sri.tocrstic virginis family, -lih .
long line of Eagli-h ancestry reaching
iOsn through two centuries. Whtn DC
w.. u ths Zenith ~ bis glory, thls plsnis'
ton was the model oos of the B,ppshar.
uOck aud be the model farmer, hi. wheat
stacks the largest aud most nemsrous, snd
hi. corn barn. the best died OF any In The
commaniiy. Ills farm Vas fully equipped
plth al abundance of tools, teams and
slaves, bat the latter were ruled With more
than sutOcf,tic powsr, bis house ~ss TIE
hs.dqa,rtsr- OF festivities accompanied
with mu.lc, dancing aud vine, aud bis
stable. were did ~lth horses and car.
ri.x,s OF visitors. lie hsi nne white
saddle horse on which 10 ride Into bis
n.Ii-, besides tso spans Of coach horses.
10 The midst of hi. luxury aud under
meath these festivities, there vas current
OF arl.tocrs,ie cruelty 10 bis slaves. Onen
Instead of the tones Of music there would
RAG out the tones OF anguish from bleed
iug victim. under the cruel lash. with
p...lng years came Increasing pride aud
cruelty. Oslsnsr sni oitsnsr occurred
th,.. scenes of cruelty a. the whipping
post. By . grsdu,l lapse from elsgsnes
20 brutality, the Angel Of Pity lsn in AZ
frish, ami h-r place was usurpsd by the
Demon % Cruelty. Oae day louder CRY
than usual srose, . cry Of mingled sgony
and terror; louder 10 rang oat un,il sn.
h,a.,ssi nature dsgensrstsd into low walls
.nd desp .obs and the lamp OF life went
oa,. TIE victim vas whipped ~ desth.
The palliag OF the bell rope OF Ia.,lee BY
the .urf ring sous and daughters of bond.
dsgs was nov answered. An ofiicsr sun
monsd the Auioerst 20 court BY pouring
out gold Ike water aud with solid phA-
l.nx OF able counsel be Was acquitted.
tn. case Was appealed 10 the eoat OF
Heaven, where the scales OF justice are
held with sn equal pOise, where neither
gold nor sloqaeaee default Justice. The
yerilc, w,s.-rhs increase of his house
shall depart snd bis goods shall ho~ away
In the day OF bis wrath. This i- the por'
tlon OF the wicked man from God, and the
hsritsg. appointed unto him ~ God.
Gods great bell OF jastlee WAS now
ringing In his sfdghted ear, retrloaiiSe
Justice Vas about 10 take place. The ca
p.n.s. OF his defence To save hlm from
prison swallowed up his gold, seeamulat'
log expenses aud thickenipg disasters en-
J clrcled him like . great anseonfs In the
, folds OF increasing deb, from which De
could not escape the blight OF dl.sipatloa
, h.i fallen upon bic household. Ths
tightening folds OF debt were closing
around hin, nrst incumbersns bis lands,
aud as these FOLDS grew tighter, his path
led downward - the point or bankruptcy.
, The rr.ults OF The war swept awsy his
slaves, who were ~ much basis OF prop
.rty A. the lsnd itself; be had 10 throw
overheard into this ms-.strom OF DEBT,
J nr-t one pair OF coach horses then the
other, then his farm stock and lastly ,s he
came near the point OF beggsry be gave ~
his riding horse.
. The climax soon came when the lssi
|, ye.tige OF his former glory was swsp'
away, and his "Etsn home" passed Into
the hand. OF strangers for $4,000. which,
.. the time OF tue murder. c.'ad not have
! been bought fOs less than $50 OOC. ana sn
J old msn With gray hairs snd face plouehed
With lines OF sorrow. went his weary, sor'
A ~ ia 49,