Year: 1873

man, not more than thirty, he was appointed
one of the common pleas judges for his native
county of Madison, New York, and gave
great satisfaction by his popular manners,
personal courage, and large humanities Nye
was always a favorite with the old democrat
ic leaders of the empire State, especially with
Martin Van Buren, and William l.. Marcy.
Although an extreme democratic partisan, his
ready humor and instructive generosity made
him the centre of a considerable following.
Few men surpassed him in private conversa-
tion or public speaking, as those who enjoyed
his society and heard his speeches during the
war, need not be reminded. But to the Incl
dent intended to relate: When he became
Judge of the Madison courts, he one day visit
ed the county prison in the character of an in
spector, and was surprised to find among the
inmates lad of twelve or thirteen years of
age, sent there to await his trial on the charge
Of theft Struck by his youthful appearance,
he asked him whether he was guilty Of the
charge laid against him, to which the boy at
once replied in the affirmative. He said his
father and mother were miserably poor, and
that in desperation he had broken into corn.
crib and supplied the family with corn. Be-
lieving from the lads manner that he was
worthy of being reclaimed, he called on a
neighbor and had him bailed out to make his
appearance at court. At the opening of the
sessions the lad and his surety were on hand,
and the young judge appealed to the district
attorney to enter mol pros, which that officer
sternly declined on the ground that the ac-
cused had confessed his guilt, and that the
ends of justice must be vindicated. "Well,
then," said Judge Nye, 81 will state the facts
to the jury and take the responsibility" The
Jury was empanneled, and the case came on,
and the district attorney presented the facts
with much feeling, after which the the judge
said that he would simply state what he knew
of the case without calling counsel for the de-
fense. After relating what he had heard in
the Jail from the lips Of the boy (and you may
be sure he did his best to correct the emphat-
ic presentation of the officer Of the law he
turned to the jury box and declared that he
did not believe there was a man of the twelve
that would coolly vote to send this young crea:
ture with blasted reputation out upon a. cold
and heartless world.


It is needless to say that an instantaneous
acquittal followed. After the adjournment of
the court the judge sent for the boy and found
that he and his parents we're very destitute,
but that he was naturally bright and intelli.
gent, ambitious to learn, in good health, and
had previously borne an excellent character.
Governor Marcy was at that time secretary OF
war under President James K. Polk. To
him, therefore, as one of his closest friends,
whose lead he had followed in the democratic
party from his first vote, Judge Nye wrote a
letter relating the story as have tried to tell
it, and asking him to secure for the lad the
appointment of cadet at the military acade-
my. In answer Governor Marcy said that he
regretted his inability to comply with this re-
quest that the possible vacancies at West
Point had been filled in advance both by the
Congressman and the President from the list
at large, but that he had it in bis power to
send him to the naval academy at Annapolis
The lad was accordingly entered among the
acolytes of that admirable institution, and by
good conduct and close application rose rapid
ly in the service. During the war he was one
of the ablest of Admiral Farragut's captains
and it was always very agreeable to sit by
and hear Nye, who himself grew rapidly in
the esteem and confidence of his country, re-
late this simple story, and especially the suc-
cess which had crowned his efforts to save his
protGge from a life of shame and set him for
ward in the path of honorable distinction


The rescued boy became in after years brave
and brilliant seamen, and Nye grew from
country Judge to be governor Of Nevada in
1861, and then Senator in Congress when
the territory becate State, beginning his term
in 1865, and closing it in 1873. So that it
may be said that in his case at least the best
way to help ones self is to help our fellow
creatures Washington Sunday Chronicle


THE W1FE.-In comparison with the loss
of a wife, all other bereavements are trifes
The wife, she who fills so large space in the
domestic heaven, she who is so busted, so un-
wearied-bitter is the tear that falls on her
clay. You stand beside her grave and think
of the past; it seems an amber-colored path
! way, where the sun shone upon flowers, or the
stars hung glittering overhead. Fain would
the soul linger there. No thorns are remem-
bered above that sweet clay, save those your
own hands may have unwillingy planted.
Her noble, tender heart lies open to your i'll
most sight You think of her as all gentle
ness, all beauty and purity. But she is dead.
The dear head that so often laid upon your
bosom now rests upon bosom of clay. The
hands that ministered so untringly are folded,
white, and cold, beneath the gloomy portals.
The heart whose every beat measured an cter-
nifty of love, lies under your feet. And there
is no white arm over your shoulder now ; no
speaking face to look up in the eye of love
no trembling lips to murmur, ooh ! it is so
sad" There is so strange a hush in every
room. No smile to meet you at nightfall.
And the clock ticks and strikes and ticks-it