The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1852-05-26

IL all and each of the pursuits OF hu
man life, there are at various points along
the pathway obstacles which oppose oul
progress, and which call for strength Of
will and steadiness Of purpose TO over
c-ome-saIient points that pro- act in SHARP
angles across the way, to turn us from our
purpose, or to conceal The objects that lie
before us in our future course.
Every man, unless he is more than usu.
ally fortunate. or possesses more than
the usual amount of foresight, must expect
TO meet with revcrsCs and d~isappoint'
ments. Young professional men have
perhaps more TO meet in the way of oppo.
silion aud Encouragement, than any other
class in community. The wares and
merchandise Of a skillful mechanic, il really
superior will recommend themselves. lie
has only to manufacture and expose for
sale, and his goods will tell their W sto-
ry; but the professional man, before he
can act, must wait until he is called. No
man of common prudence desires 10 risk
his life or fortune in the hands Of an I'M
skiIlful or dishonest man, and hence, fire.
quenlly, the modest and retiring, though
drealIy competent and eserving young At
torney or Physician, has often 10 wait for
employment, until he is tempted 10 aban.
don his profession in dispair. Nor are
the instance of sudden and rapid rise as
frequent as we are all led TO suppose
The ability 10 combat successfully in the
Intellectual arena, is not intuitive. How.
ever brilliant may be the mental qualifca-
lions of man, they must be trained and
disciplined; and when we see n of these
rare minds eleyaling its possessor step by
SEP above his fellow men, we are apt 10
forget the many years of preliminary men.
tal discipline through which he has passed
years of toll, perhaps of poverty, and
almost of despair.
| have in my mind at this moment, o
case in point Counsellor NJ, late Of
tie Massachusetts bar, for a long time en-.
joyed an enyiable reputation and a lucra.
tive praclice-was honored by his conSlit,
uents with many important trusts, and has
often been cited as an example Of rapid
progress and quick success. Nothing
however is really wider from the truth,
thanIhat Counsellor NJ. rose rapidly in
his profession; and little do the world a
large know of The slow and painful man.
ner in which he pursued his preliminary
literary and professional course, and little
do they suspect that he was sound prac.
teal lawyer, and had been ten years in the
profession, before the circumstances oc.
Cured that called him into public notice,
gave him as an extensive reputation, aud
introduced him into a higher and more lu'
crative sphere Of practice. His Office al
that lime was located in the great manu-.
featuring city OF New England, some
twenty ht miles from Boston. lie was
seated one day in his Office examining a
recent volume of Reports, and comparing
the cases it contained with the principles
of English common law, when a young
man entered whom he remembered to have
seen in some way connected with one O
the manufacturing corporations. lie was
an intelligent, good looking man, appa.
renlly of about the age of 25 years, and
dressed in the garb of the better class o.
operatives in The mills. lie was posses
sed of that independent and self relian.
air, that distinguishes the American me
chanic from the laboring classes of al
the rest of the world, and indicates a de
gree of intellectual cultivation, which is a
the same time the pride Of our ci zen
and the safety Of the Republic. Their,
was an expression Of deep anxiety upoI
his countenance as he exchanged the com
pllmenls of the morning, and proceeded a
once 10 say
"Counsellor, | wish 10 consult with 30
on a matter of deepIimportance, i%nvOlyin
the integrity and happiness of a poor viz
tuous and honorable family. A youn
woman by the name of Lucy Kendall
who is engaged as a weaver in the mil
and indeed in the very room OF which
am foreman, is accused of grand larcen.
under circumstances Of the most grav
suspicion. Public opinion is very muc
7 against her, but | am satisfied she is innC
cent Of any crime. The net of circuu
stances seems 10 be almost inextricabl'
but she must be saved in some way, an
at any hazard"
The Counsellor suggested that perhap
she was really guilty Of the charge.
mo, no" be answered, ii, is imposs
blel lhave known her from a child. W
wero school mates together in one Of tn
lille villages among the granite hills {
New Hampshire. Her father was a ma
Of considerable property then. and wa