The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-30
Mr.. Justlce Story.

MIR. Justice Story.
The following extract we copy from the second
volume of tho Life and Letters Of Joseph Story,
edited by his son. and Just issued in a beautiful
style Of Typography by Messrs LrrTLE s. BaowE,
Of Boston, and for sale in this city at w Nj. Mon.
RIsoN's:
"From the time this work Commentaries ON
Bailments' was completed, nay father had been
engaged upon his Commentaries the Consitu.
ton Of the United States and towards the latter
part OF the year 1882 he completed the manuscript
and began TO print-haying been only about year
and half in writing the three volumes of this
learned and elaborate work. When ii is consid.
cred that this was accomplished in the intervals be-.
tween his double duties professor and judge
each of which would TO be sufficient TO occu-
Ply, il not to exhaust, an intellect of energy
and power his fertility OF mind and great
ces, as well as his power OF enduring continuous
labor, appear extraordinary. During the period
occupied in the writing of these Comms ntaries on
the Constitution, three months Of his time Ind
been spent in attendance on the Supreme Court at
Washington, where he had borne hs full part in
preparing the judgments OF the court; he had also
attended all his circuits in Maine, New Hanp.
shire, Rhode Island, and Massac husetts, and writ
ten the opinions OF that year, reported in the first
volume Of Summers Reports; he bad corrected
and printed his Commentaries ON Bailments, care
fully examining every proof and revise; he had lee
tured from two 10 three hours every other day in the
Law School while he was at Cambridge; he had at
tended at the moot courts and, besides all this,
Mount Auburn, the notice OF Chief Justice Parker
had conducted an extensive correspondence and
had been i'll nearly a month.
''The secrets by which he was enabled To accom-.
plish so much in so short time were systematic
industry variation of labor, and concentration of
mind. He was never idle. He knew the value of
those odds and ends OF time which 30 often
thrown away useless, and he turned them all TO
good account His time and his work were appor-
toned, 30 that there was always something ready
for the waste time to be expended upon. He
ried his labor--never oyerworking himself one
subject, never straining his faculties too long in
one direction, but recreaiing himself by change of
occupation lie enlargement d'etudc est iouiours
relachemcnt pour moi said D'Agueseau OF him
self; and 30 my father found it. He never suffered
himself TO become nervous or excited in his stu
dies but the moment that one employment be-
gan to irritate him, he abandoned it for another
which should exercise different faculties. When
he worked, it was with his whole mind. and with
concentration of all his powers upon the subject
in hand Listlessness and half attention bring lit
tie to pass What was worth doing at all, he
thought worth doing well
"And here it may be interesting to state his per.
sonal habits during the day. He arose at seven in
summer, and at half past seven in winter--never
earlier. IL breakfast was not ready, he went at
once to his library, and occupied the interval, whe
Their II was five minutes or fifty, in writing. When
the family assembled he was called, and breakfast
ed with them After breakfast he sat in the draw
ing room, and spent from half to three quar- ters
OF an hour in reading tho newspapers of the day.
lie then returned to his study and wrote until the
bell sounded for his lecture at the Law School Az
ter ecturing for two and sometimes three hours,
he returned to his study and worked until two
O'clock, when he called to dinner. TO his din
ner (Which, on his part, always SIMPLIFY he
gave an hour, and then again betook himself to his
study, where, i'll the winter time, he worked as
long the daylight lasted, unless called away by
visitor or obliged to attend a moot-court. Then
he came down and joined the family, and work for
the day was over. Tea came in at about seven
O'Clock, and how lively and gay he then, chat
ting over the most familiar topics of the day, or
entering into deeper currents of conversation with
equal case. All of his law he left up stairs in the
library; he was here the domestic man in his
home. During the evening he received his friends,
and he was rarely without company; but, if alone,
no read some new publication of the day--thc re-
views, novel, an English newspaper sometimes
corrected proof-sheet, listened to music, talked
with tho family, or, what very common,
played game of backgammon with my mother
This was the only game of the kind that he liked.
Cards and chess he never played.
''In the summer afternoons he left his library to-
wards twilight, and might always be seen by the
passer by sitting with his family under the port-
co. talking or reading some light pamphlet or
newspaper, often surrounded by friends, and MAX
ing the air ring with his gay laugh. This, with
the interval occupied by tea, lid last until nine
O'Clock. Generally, also, the summer afternoon
was varied three or four times week, in fair weas
Their, by drive with my mother of about an hour
through the surrounding country in an open
chaisc. At about ten or half past ten he retired
for the night, never varying half hour from this
timo."-pol. H., PIP. l0l-lO4.