Year: 1860

ster-His First Suit abOut n WOOdchuek


Gained by ElOauence of the Heart.


Ebenezer Webster, father of Daniel was a
farmer, The vegetables In his garden suf-
fered considerably from the depredations of
wOodchuck, whose hole and habitation was
near the premises. Daniel, some ten or
twelve years old, and his brother Ezekiel,
had set steel trap, and at last succeeded in
capturing the trespasser. Ezekiel proposed
to Kill the animal, and end at once all further
trouble with him but Daniel looked with
compassion upon the meek, dumb captive,
and offered to let him go. The boys could
not agree, and each appealed to their father
to decide the case.


"Well, my boys" said the old gentleman,
81 will be judge. There is the prisoner
pointing to the woodchuck "and you shall
be the counsel, and plead the case for and
against his life and liberty"


Ezekiel opened the case with strong
argument, urging the mischievous nature Of
the criminal, the great harm he had already
done, said that much time and labor had
been spent in his capture, and now if he was
suffered to live and 90 at large, he would re-
new his depredations and be cunning
enough not to suffer himself to be caught
again, and that he ought now to be put to
death that his skin was of some value. and
that, make the most of him they could, it
would not repay half the damage he had
already done. His argument was ready,
practical and to the point.


The father looked with pride on his son,
who became distinguished jurist in his
manhood.


"Now Daniel, it's your turn; I'll hear
what you've got to say.


1t was his first case. Daniel saw that the
plea of his brother had sensibly affected his
father, the judge, and as his large, brilliant
black eyes looked upon the soft, timid ex-
preston Of the animal, and as he saw it
tremble with fear in its narrow prison-house
his heart swelled with pity, and he appealed
with eloquent words that che captive might
again go free. God, he said, had made the
woodchuck; he made him to live to enjoy
the bright sunshine, the pure air, the free
fields and woods. God has not made him or
any thing in vain the woodchuck has as
much right as any other living thing he was
not destructive animal, as the fox or wolf
was; he simply ate few common vegeta-
bles, of which they had plenty, and could
well spare part he destroyed nothing, ex-
cept the little food he needed to sustain his
humble life ; and that little food was as sweet
to him, and as necessary to his existence, as
was to them the food on their mothers ta-
BILE. -


God furnished their own food; He gave
them all they possessed; and would they not
spare a little for the dumb creature who re-
ally had as much right to his small share of
Gods bounty, as they themselves had to
their portion? Yea more the animal had
never violated the laws of his nature, or the
laws of God, as man often did, but strictly
followed the simple instincts he had re-
ceived from the hands of the Creator of all
things. Created by Gods hands, he had a
right from God to life, to food, to liberty;
and they had no right to deprive him of
either. He alluded to the mute but earnest
| pleadings ofthe animal for that life, as sweet,
as dear to him as their own was to them
and the first judgment they might expect, if
in selfish cruelty and cold-heartedness, they
took the life they could not restore again.
During this appeal, tears had started to
the old mans eyes, and were fast running
down his sunbured echeeks. Every feeling
ofa fathers heart was stirred within him;
he saw the future greatness of his son before
his eyes, and he felt that God had blessed
him and his children beyond the lot of COM
| mon men. His pity and sympathy were
awakened by the eloquent words of COM
passion and the strong appeal for mercy;
and, forgetting the judge in the man and
the father, he sprang from his chair (while
Daniel was in the midst of his argument,
without thinking that he had already won
the case,) and turning to his older son,
dashing the tears from his eyes, he ex-
claimed


"Zeke, zeke, you let that woodchuck golr