Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-07-01

was some drinking going forward, with great
noise and little alteration. Just as entered
the room, saw rough bully of fellow, who
was partly intoxicated, strike an old man. He
came swa ggering by me, and clbowed me as he
passed l Immediately knocked him down, and
kicked him into the street | needed no better
introduction. In a moment had half a dozen
rough shakes of the hand and invitations to drink,
and found myself quite parsonage in this roug h
asscmblage.
"The next morning the court opened took
my seat among the lawyers, but felt mere
spectator, not having any idea where BUSINESS
was TO come from. In the course of the morn
Ing man was put to the bar, charged with pas
sing counterfeit money, and was asked ifhe was
ready for trial He answered in the negative
lie had been confined in place where .here
were 10 lawyers, and had not had an opportuni-
ty of consulting any. He was told to choose
counsel from the lawyers present, and be ready
for trial on the following day He looked around
the court and selected me. was thundcrstruck
could not tell why he should make such choice
|, beardess youngster, unpractsed at the bar
perfectly unknown; felt dhident, yet delight
ed, and could have Rugged the rascal
81 Before leaving the court, he gave me one
hundred dollars bag, as a retaining fee.
could scarcely believe my senses, it seemed like
a dream. The heaviness OF the fee spoke but
lightly in favor of his nnocence-but that was
no affair of mine. was to be advocate, not judge
or jury. | followed him to the Jail, and learned
from him all the particulars of the case from
thence went to the clerks Office, and took min
utes of the indictment Then examined the law
on the subject, and prepared my briefin my room.
All this occupied me until midnight, when
went to bed and tried to sleep, 1t was allin vain.
Never IN my life was more wide awake. A
host ofthoughts and fances kept rushing through
my mind the power of gold that had unex-
pectedly fallen into my lap, the idea of my poor
little wife at home, that l was to astonsh her
with my good fortune. But the awful RESPONSE
in strange court the expectations the culprit
had evidently formed of my talents; all these,
and crowd Of similar notions, kept whirng
through my mind. J tossed about all night, fear
ing morning would find me exhausted and incon-
petent--n a word the day dawned on NE a mis-.
cradle fellow.
C ! got up feverish and nervous sfalked out
before breakfast, striving to collect my thoughts
and tranquillize my feelings. 1t bright
mornng--the air was pure and frosty bathed
my forehead and my hands in 4 beautiful rum
ming stream, but ! could not allay the fever heat
hot r1,i.l rot tn brao trf, h,,t
could not eat. \ single cup Of coffee formed my
repast. 1t was time TO go to court, and went
there with throbbing heart. believe if it had
not been for the thoughts ofny dear little wife in
her lonely house, l should have given back to the
man bis hundred dollars, and relnquished the
cause. l took my seat looking, am convinced,
more like culprit, than the rogue was to de-
fend.
" When the time came for me to speak, my
heart died within me. | rose embarrassed and
dismayed, and stammered in opening my
went on from bad to worse, and felt as if was
going down hill Just then the public prosecu-
tor, n man of talents, but somewhat rough in his
practice, made sarcastic remark on something
had said. 1t was like an electric spark, and
ran tingling through every vein in my body. In
an instant my dfidence was gone. My whole
spirit was in arms. answered with pronptness,
for felt the cruelty of such attack upon a
novice in my situation. The public prosecutor
made kind of apology. This, for man of his
redoubted pow ers, was vast concession. ! re-
ne we'd my argument with fearful glow, carried
the cause triumpbantly, and the man was ac-
quilted.
ssThis was the making Of me. Every body
was curious to know who this new lawyer was
that had suddenly risen among them, and beard
ed the Attorney General at the very onset. The
story of my debut at the inn on the preceding eve
nlnp, when had knocked down bully and kick
ed him out of DOORS for striking old man, was
circulated with favorable exaggeration. Even
my beardless chin and juvenile countenance was
in my favor, for the people gave far more cred
it than | deserved The chance business which
occurs in our courts came thronging upon me-
| was repeatedly employed in other causes, and
by Saturday night when the court closed, I
found myself with an hundred and fifty dollars in
silver three hundred dollars in notes, and horse
that afterwards sold for two hundred dollars
more.
"Never did miser goat more on his money
and with more delight locked the door of my
room, piled the money in a heap upon the table
walked around it, sat with my elbows on the la