Sunday dispatch. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1845-1854, 1852-03-21


Portrait Of blGck shtep hoao the larger
cheated the c0rpenter my acquaintance
Dah b1eS ripenS m0rveioNsiy.
The character Of Covert did not take INC
long to understand, particularly as Wiggles-
worth volunteered a good deal Of infOrms-
ton about him and what l could not help
seeing from day to day in the office, made up
the rest That he was an unprinci pied man,
with bOundless selfshness and avariee, SEEM
ed sure enough but whether he was cum
ming villain, or no, puzzled mo to tell
Covert, from what l had learned of Wig
ellsworth, had come reasonably by his swim
ding disposition His father had given him
lessons in it early, and he proved an apt
scholar. One Of his first tricks, when, IS
young man, he entered upon the practice Of
the laT, Was as foll0ws--the two arranging a
plan to this effect The father entered into
o contract with an honest carpenter, who
had got about enough ahead for him to take
such a speculation, to build house The
plan was decided on, the terms fixed, the
papers drawn ont, day being mentioned in
them with rigid conditions on which the
house was to be o0mpleted-and the carpen-
ter undertook the work. He had credit with
the lumber, hardware, and other dealers
for he already possessed some little property
Of his own, and he hoped TO satisfy mort
gage upon that, with the profits he ahOuld
make out of Coverts job for he did q good
deal of the work himself He had a hume
rous family, and he was very anxious to have
for them permanent home.
Well, the job went on swimmingly; the
house being enclosed, and great portion Of
the inside work done. But as it went on,
the Coverts discovered that they wanted adj
ditional improvements made inside--various
f1e fnishings, cornices. and etceteras. which
could gUfy be Done slowly. The carpenter
told the elder Covert that, in that way, the
house could not be finished at the time spe-
cited; the answer was, Ono one else being
by not to mind, but to 20 on and do the
work we'll, without troubling about the par
ticular day it should be completed.
Our carpenter was unsuspicious, and he
took the matter very easily, until the arrival
of the period mentioned in the contract
The next day as he was at work in the house
with his apprentices and Journeymen, he
WAS quite thunderstruck by the coming Of
two constables, who ordered the premises
to bs cleared, and then closed and nailed
them up
The two scoundrels had taken their pre-
cautions, and prepared their way, bat too
well; they had the law on their side, and
For trumpery claim of damages was estab.
lished, and not single dollar did Covert pay
for the work The lumber and hardware
merchants levied for their bills. on the car
penters own little property, all Of which it
took to pay them, and every dollar Of his
toll earned savings was st once swept away
Such formed one of Lawyer Coverts be-
ginnings in life, under the tutoring Of his
precious parcnt--wbo was withal a sanctihed
man, wore white neckcloth, and wouldn't
have taken the name of the Lord in vain, on
any account Whether the old fellow is
alive yet don't know; but the son is--damn
him
Covert--of course l am talking Of the
lawyer, now-had, among the forms of his
selfshnass, some political ambition. He had
been up once already, for the State Leesla-
ture, bus was defeated. At the present time
he took some pains to get q nomination for
the Assembly; our city members being then
elected by general ticket, and he expected to
be carried on the tide with the rest, for his
party had shown a handsome working ma
jority, as it is called; at the preceding con-
test.
Wiggleworth could not say much about
Covert's pecuniary condition. He told me
that the lawyer lived in good style, however.
ia an up town street. that, although coca.
sionally pinched for money, he managed tc
make both ends meet; and that his business
was tolerably extensive.
In his treatment Of me the lawyer was
civil, without paying any particular atteu-
tion He evidently didn't consider me worth
taking much pains about, either to gain my
friendship, or prevent my enmity; and
doubtless troubled his mind little concerning
mo It looked business-h like to have stu
dent in the office, and was occasionally ol
sOrae assistance IN copying, or hunting III
authorities.
AL this while my dislike to the profession
remained the same, and the conflict was from
time to time resumed IN my mlnG' W9etoel
to give IL up OF nog Govern nlmse1 Wa'
such an unl&Vorapie lllusIraVion OF tne CLASS
that 1t py no means heiPed 10 reconcile me Il
the prospeoS OF Jolng Unem.
lnez Visltso gun ollce TWO or 'hree tlne'
sieer Cne aaven'uFe .len JACK anu, some
now VIC sgrucA uP qllee an avg uSinssnGe 70
gether must confess was q little bash
rul az nrs!, puV neI manner was easy an'
5oclaOle w4ou9uU Neius ~ a1A LorwsI", anu
, young man u0es noe long reniaih pashAu
Wnen treated Alnuly oy pretty woman
One 0ay lnez nso 10 WalG nan an noug' lol
ur. ooFeres 'el'lIn. Olo n'gg.eswoADn " sa
IL ms cotner' UeePly ii1AnSrse0 j. some sPe
claliy ino1lcase copying N&t9anieI was GU
IN Sns !ong wAue Passsgo Way having a Toiol
WIN ms nog s,uu' as NJ one else seemed oi
4ano 70 10 Cno noanoIs, - 1 p.aceG cnaIr 10
Inez' SAT GOWN nssE Wy On alosner' ana 500,
mS0e qulee astonisnlSs progress I0r youtl
VINO Knew 50 ll'Sle r.i- % OLe sex we salKeg
laugneS' sPoAo u an.a IsnS.s a." 80 lYlIn ~
dress, and invited me to call and see her,