Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/279

 he next appeared to be in good humour; he leaned towards Mr. Henry; appeared charmed and dehghted, and finally lost in wonder and amazement. The pro- gress of these feelings was legible in his countenance.

" Mr. Henry drew a most affecting picture of the state of poverty and suffering, in which the people of the upper counties had been left by the war. His de- lineation of their wants and wretchedness wa^ so minute, so full of feeling, and with all so true,J:hat he could scarcely fail to enlist on his side, every sympa- thetic mind. He contrasted the severe toil by which they had to gain their daily subsistence, with the faci- lities enjoyed by the people of the lower counties. The latter, he said, residing on the salt rivers and creeks, could draw their supplies at pleasure, from the waters that flowed by their doors; and then he presented such a ludicrous image of the members who had advocated the bill, (the most of whom were from the lower coun- ties,) peeping and peering along the shores of the creeks, to pick up their mess of crabs, or paddling off to the oyster rocks to rake for their daily bread,^ as filled the house with a roar of merriment. Mr Tazewell laid down his pamphlet, and shook his sides with laughter; even the gravity of Mr. Page was affected; a corre- sponding change of countenances prevailed through the ranks of the advocates of the bill, and you might dis- cover that they had surrendered their cause. In tliis they were not disappointed: for on a division, Mr, Henry had a majority of upwards of thirty against the bill/'

��* At that day, (and perliaps still) the poorer people on the salt creeks, lived almost exclusively on fish ; passing- whole d-Avs, and sometimes weeks, without seeing a grain of bread.

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