Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-08-15
From the Boston Traveller.
Leaves from my PortfoliO....No. /.

Leaves from my POrtfoliO....No. /.
In one of our Eastern cities, Young mar
who had graduated but a year or two previous
from celebrated college, established himse
in the practice of law, in which profession i
was fOndlv hoped, by friends and relatives, thai
lie would soon stand high. His talents were
undoubted, and he had given already sigma
proofs of depth of knowledge, and a quick
ness of perception which betokcned him a
brilliant future. He met with welcome re.
ception from the brotherhood of law. and even
the IN gistrates, who presided over its myste-
reS. extended an encouraging hand to the
you'll. He hid neat lttle property, host OF
trends, and what to HIM was more than ALL n
happy and loving wife. " nat more could one
have desired;
With the first few cases, he was highly suc-
cessful, and business kept flowing in constantly
upon him. until at last he was retained in case
of considerable importance There was one
thing, however that caused him Inconvenience
and embarrassment. Whenever he arose TO
make an appeal of any length, or requiring anv
extraordinary display, he would be seized tn
an ineXplicabIe feeling Of nervousness. lie
could not account for it. His voice would trem-
BILE, his heart beat quick, his utterance become
confused, and the might of that genius which
had already attracted the admiration of men,
Us far as other than oratorical powers were
concerned, succumbed TO an indescribable
tremuouSncss, a bashtul dread of he knew not
what. lie was IN the habit of chewing tohlc.o
! md at such times he would endeavor to fort'v
his nerves by large doses or "Quils" of his
tdvorltc narcotic. but all in vain; and he finally
came to the decision that nature had never in
tended HIM for an orator, and as he was no ora
tor, he could never become distinguished in the
law, and therefore might as well relinqush its
practice at once.
The important case Just spoken of was soon
to come on for trial, and he determined to gather
all his energies and all his resolution on that
occasion, meaning, if he failed again that he
would leave the bar forever The dav came.
and all went on swimmingly till the moment
when, with a firm expression of countenance.
he rose to spe1k on behalf of his client, As
he opened his lips his firmness fed and after a
few preliminary remarks he paused, and took
out his tobacco box; he replcnshed his cheek
from its nnuscous contents, hoping it would
quiet his nerves. This, however. had as little
effect as that he had been taking all the morn>
ing with like intent. He mqnlgcd. however. to
maDe his way painfully and slowly through the
/ labyrnths Of his argument, and though the
acutencss Of his reasoning gained his clients
cause, yet, when the verdict was rendered in
his favor, he left the court with determination
( mover again 10 ontor it.
/ Two years elapsed. 4 celebrated Judge was
travelling ina distant part of the State, on
horseback. When near the gate of a beautiful
country seat, ornlmeuted with blooming gar.
dons, and surrounded with grain covered fields
he passed a gcntlcmln on hos back, whose
features seemed familiar to him. The rccogni-
ton was mutual for each turned in the ,dde
and after inoncntary glance, half doubt, hall
surprise, the stranger reIned up and shook hands
with the Judge. 1t az the Young LAWYER, who
had given mp his profession and invested hi
money in large and profitable farn--,he very
farm which the Judge had Just been passing,
and which had attracted his admiring attention.
The young lawyer would take no denial, and
the Judge, nothing 10th, soon had the pleasure
of an Introduction to the lady Of the lawyers
home and found himself comfortably domlclled
for the night
" But how was it," said he, in the course OF
conversation, "that a lawyer, whose talents
promised to make him an honor to our bar, so
suddenly left that profession IN which he must
inevitably have become wealthy ana dIslih>
guished2"
The lawyer farmer told the judge all the
dlnculteS under whcn ne hdu I"uO''H, ~,
the cause of his relinqushing the laws ne
Judge listened attentively, and afterwards kept
profound and thoughtful silence OF some mo-
ments.
MY friend" calculated he. "your case Is
not hopeless" =,
Not hopeless, sir? Would that could
believe it,"
81 repeat it, you may yet conquer all those
difficulties. Pardon me. sir, II should venture
to give you some advice