The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-10-10
CHAPTER XXI

On the rendition of the verdict in
the case just tried, the court announced
Its readiness to sit in ordinary. After
some preliminary skirmishing, Tor
rance said to his associates:
"Will you open the case, Dabney%
'By no means, Mr.. Torrance. You
are the one to do that"
Passing his hands for q moment or
two over his eyes, he rose, and thus
began:
'May it please your honors, have
lived long enough to note many results
Of human actions done in secret whose
discovery seemed to me the ordering of
the Divine Being, who Wills not that
certain among the special objects Of
his care shall long be outraged with
impunity. Yoar honors, some of whom,
] know-perhaps all-are more familiar
than am with texts Of Holy Scripture,
may recall some in which widows and
orphans are mentioned in terms OF De-
culiarly tender commiseration. Some
times, not very often, yet sometimes,
in the strivings Of this lower life, when
men are in conflict with men, equals
with equals, one more skillful or moro
enduring or more fortunate in scci-
dental circumstances seems to be al
lowed to prevail without justice, while
the other is left to his hopes of bet
ter day. But when the battle Is be-
tween the strong and the weak who
are fitted to WELD no sort of weapon
of warfare, and who can only stand
and be smitten, oftentimes interference
comes from sources unforeseen, so sud-
denly unexpected and so abundantly
eficacious that we think we can refer
them only to the omnipotent God"
His words In solemnest tones, and
his look, as he lifted it with reverent
inquiry towards Heaven, inspired
everybody with awe. After moments
pause he continued:
"On this day, trust, signal mani
festation of such interposition will ap-
pear, one which possibly may be as sur
prising to the propounder of this al
legged will as to anyone else here pres
ent. A few minutes ago proposal
was submitted to that person for a set
tlement upon terms which promptly,
and apparently with angry disdain, he
declined. 1t therefore becomes the
duty of the counsel for Mrs. Hannah
Amerson to present such showing as
may serve to convince him for the bal
ance of his life that 1t comes not with
in the limits Of his powers to oppress,
nor within that of his wariness to de-
fraud grossly, those whom the Creator
in specialist fondness styles his little
ones May it please your honors, l
knew Pearce Amerson right we'll. Al
though a firm, perhaps rather willtul
man, had never suspected him of be-
ing unnatural In such affections as the
Creator, for purposes Of protection to
the dependent young. has implanted In
the being OF parents OF every sort and
degree, nor, as believe, had any
among his acquaintance regarded him
rs capable Of adding to q gross injus-
dce to one Of his own offspring gross
or duplioity. l was much surprised,
therefore, after his decease, when I |
heard that In his last will and testa-
nent he had bequeathed well nigh all |
his large estate to that one Of his chill
iren who stood least in need OF such |
partiality. But when / was told Of |
some Of his expressions uttered more
than once upon his bed of death, while
yet his understanding was clear to COM
prehend their meaning, said to my
'elf: No, Pearce Amerson, whatever in
1rmities he had in common with all
was not q man to die with q
lie upon his lips; and then / thought
hat even If he had done SO, there is
many son who in case SO monstrous
would have been quick, like the sons
If the drunken Noah, TO cover up the
shameless nakedness of such father !
TO my associate counsel, who has pre-
pared this case with consummate pru- !
ieDce and skill, as soon as he was re-
aimed as counsel, came suspicion of
raud. Together we have been search
ng for its hiding place, and it has been