Border Beagles: A tale of Mississippi

THE little town of Raymond, in the state of Mississippi, was tn the utmost commotion. Court-day was at hand, and nothing was to be heard but the hum of preparation for that most important of all days in the history of a country-village — that of general muster alone excepted. Strange faces and strange dresses began to show themselves in the main street; lawyers were entering from all quarters — "saddlebag" and " stalky" lawyers—men who cumber themselves with no weight of law, it can be contained in moderately-sized heads, or valise, or saddle-bag, of equally moderate dimensions. Prowling officers began to show their hands again, after a ten or twenty days' absence in the surrounding country, where they had gone to the great annoyance of simple farmers, who con tract large debts to the shop-keeper on the strength of crops yet to be planted, which are thus wasted on changeable silks for the spouse, and whistle-handled whips for " Young Hopeful" the ouly son and heir to possessions, which, in no long time, will be heard best of under the auctioneer's hammer The population of the village was increasing rapidly ; and wliat with the sharp militia colonel, in his new box coat, squab white hat, trim collar and high-heeled boots, seeking to find favor in the regiment against the next election for supplying the brigadier's vacancy; the swaggering planter to whom certain disquieting hints of foreclosure have been given, which he can evade no longer, and which he must settle as he may ; the slashing over seer, prime Cor cockfight or quarter-race, and not unwilling to try his own prowess upon his neighbor, should occasion serve and all other sports fail; the pleading and unpleading, prosecutor and prosecuted, witnesses and victims—Raymond never promised more than at present to swell beyond all reasonable boundaries, and make a noise in the little world round it.