New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-03-22

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the conflagratioil CT Moscow
" And yet, young Gratius tells us in the next
breath, that he never knew such a SANDER in
the course CT NJ practicei Wonderful, indeed !
seeing that his practice has all been done within
the last six hours. Why, to hear him talk, you
would suppose that he was an old Continental
lawyer, grown gray in the service. His
p-r-a-e-t-i-c-ei Why, he is just in his legal
swaddling clothes! His practicei But Idon't
wonder he can't see the absurdity of such talk
How long does it take one of the canine tribe,
after birth, to open its eyes?
He talked, too, of outside influence; of the
public expectations, and all that sort of dema-
gogueism. observed no evidence Of any popu-
lar demonstrations in his favor, unless it be
tailor saw stamping bis feet; but whether that
was because he had sat cross-legged so long he
wanted exercise, or was rejoicing because he
had got orders for a new suit, or prospect OF
payment for an old one, the gentleman can
possibly tell better than / can. Here Hicks
left.] However, if this case is TO be decided by
the populace here, the gentlemen will allow me
the benefit of q writ Of error to the regimental
muster to be held next Friday at Remnants dis
tillery.
But suppose he meant to brighten you into
verdict by intimating that the mob, frenzied
by his eloquence, would tear you to pieces If
you gave verdict for defendant; like the
equally eloquent barrister out West, who, con-
Guiding a case, said, Gentlemen, my client is
as innocent of stealing that cotting as the sun
at MONDAY, and if you give it agin him his
brother, Sam ketchins, next muster will maui
every mothers son Of you l hope the Sheriff
will see to his duty, and keep the crowd from
you, gentlemen, if you should give US verdict !!
''But, gentlemen, l am tired of winnowing
chaff; have not had the reward paid by Graft
ano for sitting his discourse-two grains of
wheat to the bushel. 1T is all froth-all wind
all bubble!"
Kasm left me here for time, and turned
upon my client. Poor Higginbotham caught it
thick and heavy. He wooded him, then skinned
him, and then took to skinning off the under
cuticle. Hig never skinned beef so thorough
ly. He put together all the facts about the
Witnesses hearing the hogs squealing at night !;
the different marks of the hogs the losses in
the neighborhood; perverted the testimony and
supplied omissions until you would suppose on
hearing him that it had been fully proved that
poor Hig had stolen all the meat he ever sold in
the market. He asseverated that his suit was
malicious conspiracy against the Methodists
and Masons to crush his client. But all this l
leave out, as not bearing on the main subject
myself
Hecame back to me with renewed appetite
He said he would conclude by paying his vale
dictory respects to his juvenile friend, as this
was the last time he ever expected to have the
pleasure Of meeting him.
:" The poetic young gentleman had said, that,
by your verdict against his client, you would
blight forever his reputation and that Of his fam
| ily--that you would bend down the spirit oil his
manly son, and dim the radiance of his blooming
daughters beauty. Very pretty, upon my
word! But, gentlemen, not SO fine, not so pc-
| etical by half, as precious moroccan of poetry
| which adorns the columns Of the village news
paper, bearing the initials of j. G. r. As this
| admirable production has excited great deal
| of applause in the nurseries and boarding
schools, must beg to read it, not for the in
struction Of the gentleman-he has already seen
it; but for the entertainment of the jury. 1t is
| addressed to R-B-, young lady of this
place Here it goes"
Judge my horror when, on looking up, saw
him take an old newspaper from his pocket, and,
pulling down his spectacles, began to read, in
stage-actor style, some verses had written for
Rose Bells album, Rose had been worrying
me some time to write her something To get
| rid of her opportunities, l had scrubbed off a
| few lines and copied them in the precious vol
| ume. Rose, the little fool, took them for some
| thing very clever (she never had more than a
thimbleful of brains in her doll-baby head ]
and was SO tiekled with them that she got her
brother Bill, about fourteen, to copy them off
as well as he could, and take them to the print
ing Office Bill threw them under the door. The
printer, as big fool as either, not only publish
ed them, but, in his internal kindness, pulled
them in some critical concentrations of his own,
referring 10 The gifted author" as sc one of the
| most promising Vi the younger members of our
bar"
The fun, by this time, grew fast and furious.
| The country people. who have about as much
sympathy for young town lawyer badgered by
| an older one, as for a young cub beset by ours
and who have as much idea or respect for poet
ry as for witehcraft, Joined in the imirth with
glee. They crowded around old Kasm, and
stamped and roared as at a circus The judge
| and sheriff in vain tried to keep order. Indeed
his honor smiled out loud once or ttcice !; and
to cover his retreat, pretended to cough, and
| fined the sheriff five dollars for not keeping ST.
lence in court Even the old clerk, whose imme-
mortal pen behind his right ear had worn the
hair from that side of his head, and who had
not smiled in court for twenty years, and boast
ed that Patrick Henry couldn't disturb him in
making up O judgment entry, actually turned
his chair from the desk and pat dorm his pen
afterwards he put his hand to his head three
times in search of it; forgetting, in his atten-
ton to Old Kasm, what he had done with it.
Old Kasm went on reading and commenting by
turns; l forgot what the ineffable trash was.
wouldn't recollect it if could. My equanimity
will only stand phrase or two thatstill fingers
in my memory, fixed there by old Kasm's ridi-
| Guile. had salu something ABOUT my - BOSOM
anguish about the passion that was consum-
ing me and, to illustrate it, or to make the line
jingle, put in something about Egypt's Queer
taking the asp to her bosom which, for the
sake of rhyme or METRE called the venomous
worm-how the COMPOUNDED thing was brought
in | neither know nor want to know. When ole
Kasm came to that, he said he fully appreciated
what the young bard said-he believed it. HI
spoke of venomous acOrn,s. Now, if he (Kasm,
might presume to give the young gentleman ad
vice, he would recommend SWANS patent yer
mifuge. He had no doubt that it would eifec
tually cure him of his malady, his love, ant
last, but not least, of his rhymes-whch woult
be the happiest passage in his eventful history
l couldn't stand it any longer; l had borne i
to the last point of human endurance. When i
came only to skinning, l was there; but when h
showered down acquafortis on the raw, and thel
seemed disposed to rub 1t in,~l fed. " Abii
erupi, eyasi." The last thing heard was Of,
Kasm calling me back, amidst the shouts of thu
audience-but no more.
The next information received of the case wa
a letter that came to me at hatcher, my ney
residence, from Hicks, about month after
wards, telling me that the jury (on which
should have stated old Kasm had got two inf
dels and four anti-masons) had given verde
for defendant, that before the court adjourned
Frank Glendy had got sober, and moved for
new trial, on the ground that the verdict wa