Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-11-24

In such crowd, and get business. The pub
; Tic room was thronged with all the idlers O
The county, who gather together on such occa
slons There was drinking going forward, will
great noise and little alteration. Just as
entered the room, | saw rough bully of fel
low, who was partly intoxicated, strike an old
man. lie came staggering by me, and elbow.
ed me as passed. Immediately knocked him
down and kicked him into the street. kneed-
ed no better introduction. | had half dozen
rough shakes OF the hand and invitations 10
drink, and found myself quite a parsonage in
this rough assemblage.
The next morning court opened | took nv
seat among the lawyers, but | felt as mere
spectator, not having any idea where business
was to come irom.- In the course of the morn
ing man was put to the bar, charged with
passing counterfeit money, and was asked if
he was ready for trial. He answered in the
negative. He had been confined in a place
were there were no lawyers, and had not had
an opportunity of consulting any, He was told
10 choose counsel from the lawyers present.
and be ready for trial on the following day. He
looked around the court and selected me.
was ,hunderstruck could not tell why he
should make such choice. |, beardless
known. | felt diffident, yet delighted, and
could have hugged the rascal.
Before leaving the court, he gave me one hun
dred dollars in bag as retaining fee. |
could scarcely believe my senses, it seemed
like dream. The heaviness of the fee spoke
but lightly of the mans innocence-but that
was no affair Of mine was TO be advocate, not
Judge or jury. | followed him to the Jail,
and learned of him all the particulars in the
case from thence went 10 the clerks office,
and took minutes of the Indictment then ex-
amined the law on The subject, and prepared
my brief in my room. All this occupied me un-
Ill midnight, when ! went 10 bed and tried TO
sleep. Ii was all in vain. Never in my life
was | more wide awake. A host of thoughts
and fancies came rushing into my mind the
shower of gold that had so Unexpectedly fallen
into my lap The idea of my poor little wife at
home, that | was TO asioiLsh her with my good
fortune. But the awful responsibility had un-
dertaken, 10 speak for the first time in a strange
court, the expectations the culprt had formed
of my talents-all those and crowd of simi-
lar notions, kept whiring through my mind Il
had tossed about all night, fearing morning
would find me exhausted and incompetent in
word the day dawned on me miserable fell
low.
got up fererish and nervous | walked
out before breakfast, striving TO collect nv
thoughts, and tranqulize my feelings. 1t was
bright morning-the air was pure and frosty
i bathed my forehead and my hands in
beautiful running stream, but could not allay
the fever heat that ragged within. returned 10
breakfast, but could not eat. A single cup of
coffee formed my repast. 1t was time to 90 TO
court, and then | went there with throbbing
heart. believe If it had not been for the !
thoughts of my dear little wife in her lonely
house, should have wen back to the man
his dollars and rellnqulshed the cause. | took |
my seat, looking, am convinced, more like the
culprit than the rogue | was 10 defend
When the time came for me 10 speak, MY |
heart died within me- rose embarrassed
and dismaycd, and siammered, in opening my
cause. went on from bad TO worse, and felt
as if was going down. Just then the public
prosecutor, a man of talents, but somewhat
rough in his Practice made sarcastic remark |
on something had said 1t was like an electric |
spark, and ran iinging through every vein in
my body In an instant my difidence was
gone-my whole spirit was in arms-I answer
ed with promplness, for | felt the cruelty of
SucH all dildck upon novice IN my SITUATION
The public prosecutor made kind of apology
this, for man of his redoubtabe powers,
was vast concession. ! renewed my argu-
ment with fearful growl, carried the case tri-
umphanly, and the man was acquitted.
This was the making OF me- Every body
was curious to know who this new lawyer was,
hat had suddenly risen among them, and beard
ed The attorney general III the very onset. The
story of my debut al the inn on the preceding
evening, when had knocked down bully and
kicked him out of doors, for striking an old
nan, was circulated with favorable exaggera.
ion; even my beardless chin, and juvenile
was in my favor, for the people
,ave me far more credit than deserved. The
,hance business which occurs at our courts
anne ihronging in upon me. | was repeatedly
Employed in other causes, and by Saturday I
light when the court closed found myself {
With hundred and fifty dollars in silver, three
hundred dollars in notes, and horse that | af- !
erwards sold for Two hundred dollars more. ;
Never did miser goal more on his money,