Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-08-30

| ''o'S" h'''c SuauS anu Io'lc VII IVH
my door, leaving my wife standing at il
and waving her hand after me. He,
last look, so sweet and becoming, wen,
10 my heart. | felt as If | could 70
through fire aud water for her. ani
we'd at the country town on cool DC.
tobcr evening. The inn was crowded,
for the cou;, was to commence on the
following day.
knew no one, and wondered how
stranger. a mere youngster was Ia
make way in such crowd, and TO gel
business. The public room was lhrong.
ed with the idlers Of that county, who
gather on such occasions. There was
some drinking going forward, with a
great noise and a itlle aI,erc a,ion.-
Just as | entered the room, saw a
rough bully Of fellow, who was parlly
intoxicated, strike an old man. He
came staggering by me, and elbowed
me as he passed. | Immediately knock.
ell him down, and kicked him into the
street. | needed no better iHnuluction
In moment | had half dozen rougl,
shakes Of the hand, and Invitations to
drink, and found myself quite a person.
age ir this rough assembage.
The mex: morning Court opencd-,
} took my seat among the lawyers, buI
lclt as mere spectator, not having AMI
ilca where business was 10 come (roH
In the course of the morning a man was
put to thu bar charged with passing
counterfeit money, ami was@askel if he
was ready for trial. He answered in
the negative. He ha | been confined in
a place where there were no LAWYERS,
ana had no opportunity of consulting
any. He was told to choose from the
lawyers present, ana be ready on the
following day.
He looked around the Court and Sc.
lcctcd me. | could not tell why he
shoull make such Il choice. |, bcari.
less younsster, Impractical at the bar;
ana perfectly unknown. felt diff lent,
yet delighted, and could have hugged
the rascal.
Before leaving the Court he gave me
one hundred dollars as 4 retaining fee.
| could scarcely believe my senses; j,
seemed like a dream. The hca,iness
of the fee spoke but lightly in favor OF
his innocence--bul that was no alia, of
mine. | was 10 be advocate, not Judge
or jury. | followed him to the Jail and
learned the particulars of the case; from
thence | went to the clerks office, AMI
toook minutes of the Indictment. then
examined the law on the subject, and
prepared my brief in my room. All this
occupied me until midnight, when |
went to bed and tricd'lo sleep. 1t was
all in vain. Never IN my life was
more wide awake.
A host OF thoughts and lancies crowl.
ed through my mind; showers Of gold
that had so unexpectedly fallen into my
lap, the idea of my poor lnte wife at
home, that | was to astoni>h her with
my good fortune! But the awful It.
sponsibili,y | had un craken, TO speak
for the first time in n strange court, the
expectations the cul prit had formed CT
my talents, all these, and crowd of
similar notions, kept whirling through
my mind. tossed about all night fear.
ing the morning would find me exhaus.
ted and incompctent-in worl, the
day dawnel on me a miserable fellow.
got up fcvcrish and nervous. |
walked out before breakfast, striving to
collect my thoughts, and tranquilize my
feelings. 1t was a bright morning-l
balhcl my forehead anI hanIs in
beautiful running stream, but could
not alIay the fever heat that ra led with,
IN. returned to breakfast, but could
not eat. A simple cup OF coffee formed
my repast. 1t was time TO go to court.
| went there with lhrobbing heart.
| believe if it had not been for the thot
of my little wife in her lonely house, |
should have given back to the man his
hundred dollars, and relinquishel the
cause. took my seat, looking, | am
convinced more like the culpri; than the
rogue l was to defend.
When the time came for me to speak
my heart died within me. | rose EN-
barrassed and dismayed, and slammered
in opening my cause. | went on from
bad to worse, and felt as if was going
down hill. Just then the prosecutor, a
man of talents, but somewhat rough in
his pthctce, made sarcastic remark on
something had said. 1t was like an
electric spark, and ran tinsling through
every vein in my body. In IN instant
my difficulty was gone.
My whole spirit was in arms. | an.
swered with promptncss and bitterness,
for felt the cruelty of such an attack
upon a novice in my situation. The
public prosecutor male kinl of aPol'
ogy. This, for man of reloublable
powers, was vast concession. | re.
newed my arguments with fearful glow
and carried the cause triumphantly, and
the man was acquitted.
This was ,he making Of me. Every.
body was curious to know who this
lawyer was, that had suddenly arisen
among them, and bearded the Attorney
General at the very onset. The sto'y
of my debut at the inn on the preceding
evening, when had knocked down
bully and kicked him out of doors for
striking an old man, was circulated with
a favorable exaggeration. Even my
bsardleas chin and juvenile coun'enance
was in my favor, for the people gave me
far more credit than | deserved The
chance business which occurs in our