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10 Patrick Henry Patrick Henry 11
was creeping over the Colonies, and the names of a few pounds of tobacco. And the instinct of the
George Washington and young Tom Jefferson were · gambler was in the breast of the Rev. Dr. Mac-
mentioned. Young Tom Jefferson, who so far for- Farland, just as it is in we'uns of today, and besides
got his station in life as to consort with characters the clergy had nothing to lose. The Rev. Dr. Mac-
beneath his standing, characters such as that lout, Farland took the chance.
Patrick Henry.
When the gaunt backwoodsman served his notice
Patrick Henry needed tobacco. Now, the clergy
of appeal, acting as attorney for the clergy, a smile
were paid their salaries as ministers of the Gospel
of derision greeted him on all sides, but their humor
in tobacco. What more natural than that Patrick was confined to that day in his presence, for they
should go to the house of a clergyman with game saw him no more until the day of the trial. Nor
and fish to exchange for tobacco. The young Rey.
even if the roan horse had the power of reason and
Dr. MacFarland had a large and growing family of ability, could he have told aught of Patrick prepar-
small children, hence he needed food for his large ing 'his case. He fished, and he roamed the forests
family and Patrick became more or less of a steady
as he always did, only at times there would come
tobacco customer. The . Rev. Dr. MacFarland was
a steadfast and fixed look in his merry blue eyes and
much wrought up. The clergy had a claim against his face would become set an9 stern, the giant brain
the government for salaries, which were regulated
was working.
by law. The case had been decided against them
and the Rev. Dr. MacFarland was poring over The day of the trial came, the courtroom was
the papers, arguments and decisions in the case, crowded to suffocation. The clergymen had many
and what more natural than that the Rev. Dr. Mac- sympathizers among their parishoners, who felt it
Farland should seek comfort from even the back-
their bounden duty to be present. The opponents
woods fisherman and go over his troubles with him? of the act to pay larger sums of money to the clergy
Patrick was at first amused, then interested. The
were there, disgusted at the loss of time over a case
giant brain ability of the almost outcast was begin-
that had already been decided. Still they were
ning to work. "Minister," said Patrick, "I'm no there-there to jeer with the idlers who knew of
lawyer, though they gave me a license. But I could Patrick Henry. One there was whose calling com-
win that case." The Rev. Dr. MacFarland, like all
pelled him to be there, though he would have given
his clergy, was grasping at straws. Their learned
worlds to be elsewhere, and that was the father of
counsel . had decided not to appeal. The time to Patrick Henry, an associate judge on the bench.
make the appeal to a higher court had nearly
The trial was simple, the facts had all been gone
elapsed. The Rev. Dr. MacFarland knew he and
over before; 'they were merely repeated in a slipshod
his brother clergymen could pay Henry his fees with manner by the new attorney, which caused the ad-
