The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-12-31
mar. Justice story

The following extract copy from the second vol
of the Life and Letters OF Joseph Story edited by
his son. and just issued in beautiful style oil ypogfa-
ply BY Messrs Little x Brown, OF Boston, and ior sale
in this city at w N. Mornsons
From the time this work E Commentaries on Bail
menls completed my father had been engaged upon
his Commentaries the Constitution OF the United
States and towards the latter part OF the year 1882 he
completed the manuscript and began 10 pnnt-haying
been only about year and hall IN writing The three
volumes OF This learned and elaborate work when II
is considered that this accomplished IN The intervals
between his double duties professor and Judge-eacb
of which would to be sufficient 10 occupy, if not TO
exhaust intellect even OF energy and powehls Ter
ity OF mind and great well as his power
OF enduring continuous labor appear extraordinary
During the period occupied in the writing OF these Com
menlares on the Constitution three months OF ms Time
had been spent IN attendance on Tue Supreme Court al
Washington, where he had borne his full part IN pre-
pairing the judgments OF the court he had also attended
all his circuits in Maine, New Hampshire Rhode Island,
and Massachusetts, and written the opinions o. tnal
year. reported in the first volume oil Summers Reports
he had corrected and printed his Commentaries on Bail,
menls carefully examining every proof and revlse ne had
ecured IRON two TO three hours every other day In me
Law School while he at Cambridge he had attended
at the moolcourts; and besides all this he had written
the address the conservation of Noun, Auburn The no
ce OF Chief Justice Parker had conducted an extensive
correspondence, and had been i'll nearly month.
"The secrets by which he was enabled to accomplish
SO much in SO short time were systematic industry va
ration OF labor, and concentration OF mind. he was
never idle He knew the value OF those odds and ends
Of time which are often thrown away as useless and
work apportioned, that there always some
thing ready for the waste time to be expended upon He
varied his abornever overlooking himself on sub
ect-never stralnng his faculties too long in one dec
lion, but recreating himself by change OF occupation
lie enlargement delude est toujoMS rsidehemsnt pour
found i, He never suffered himself to become nervous
or excited in his studies; but the moment that
poyment began to irritae him, he abandoned i for
another which should exercise different faculties When
he worked, it with his whole mind, and with con-
centraon OF all his powers upon the subject in hand
Lisessness and hall attention bring little to pass Wha,
worth doing at all, he thought worth dol ny well
And here it may be interesting to state his personal
habits during the day. He at seven in summer,
and at half past seven in wnter-never earlier II break
fast was ready, he went at TO his library and
occupied the interval whether 1t was five minutes or fifty
in writing: When the family assembled he was called
and with Them Alter break last he sat in ht
drawing ROOM and spent from half to thIee-quarier
OF an hour in reading the newspapers of the day
He then returned TO his study and wrote until III,
bell sounded tor his lecture at the Law School Al
ter ecturing for two and sometimes three hours, h
returned to his study and worked until two O'Clock
when he called to dinner. To his dinner (Which
on his part, always simplex he gave an hour
and then again betook himself to his study, where
in the winter time, he worked long the dayligh
lasted unless called away by visitor or Obliged TO at
tend moot court Then he came down and joined tn
family, and work for the day was over Tea came i
at about o'clock; and how lively and gay was b
then, chatting the most familiar topics OF The day,
entering deeper currents of conversation with equa
ease All OF his law he left up stairs in his library
was here the domestic man IN his home. During th
evening he received MS enus anu ne was rarely Win
out company; but if alone, he read some new pubca
ton OF the day-the reviews, novel an English news
paper; sometimes corrected proof-sheet, listened
music, or talked with the family, or, what yer
common, played game OF backgammon with my molhe
This the only game OF the kind that he liked Card
and chess he played.
In the summer afternoons he left his library toward
twilight, and might always be by the passerby sill
ting with his family under the portico, talking or read
ing some light pamphlet or newspaper, often surrounde
by friends and making the air ring with his gay laugh
This, with the nierva occupied by tea, would last unit
nine o'clock. Generally. ALSO the summer afternoon wa
four ~~e.k fan weather, Oy
drive with my mother OF about hour through the
rounding country in an open chalse AT about ten O
half past ten he retired for the night never varying
half hour from this time. "-Vot ii, PIP. lo1, lol.