Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-05-12
From the Southern Literary Messenger.
My Debut at the Bar.

My client was respectable butcher;
his opponent well io-do farmer. On
getting to the Court house, found the
court in session.. The clerk was Jus,
reading The minutes. My cdse-I can
well speak in the singular--was the firsl
set on the docket for that morning.
looked around and saw old Kasm, who
somehow had found out that | was in
shP case. with his green bag and half a
Library Of old books on the bar before
him. The old fellow gave me look of
malicious pleasure-like that of hun
cry tiger from his lair. cast upon an un-
suspeciing calf browsing near. | had
tried 10 put on a bold face. | felt that i,
would be very unprofessional TO lie, on
10 my client that | was at all scared,
slough my heart was running down like
a jack screw under a heavy wagon
My conscience--l had not practlced it
away then--was not quite easy. tried
to help feeling that it was hardly honest
to be leading my client, like FalIs.af his
men. where he was sure to be peppered.
But then i, was my only chance; my
bread depended upon it; and / reflected
iha. the same thing is to happen in every
lawyers practice. | tried to arrange
my ideas and excogitaie a speech; they
fitted through my brain in odds and ends.
| could neither think nor quit thinking.
| would lose myself in the first twenty
words Of the opening sentence, and stop
at particle; the trial run clean ou,. /
would start il again with no better luck;
then ihoughta a moment of the disgrace
of dead breakdown; and then | would
commence again with. "Gentlemen OF
the jury" etc., and go on as before.
At length the Judge signed the min
uies and took up the docket: Especial
case iliggenboiham VS. Swink; slander.
Mr. Glendy's for plaintiff. Mr.. X asm for
defendant. Is Mr.. G. in Court! Call
him, sheriff." The Sheriff called three
times. He might as well have called
the dead. OF course no answer came.
Mr.. Kasm arose and told the court .ha.
he was sorry his brother was too much
(s,roking his chin and looking down aud
.pauslng) indisposed, or otherwise engag.
ed, 20 attend the case, but he mus, insis.
on It's being disposed OF, etc.; the court
said it should be. then spoke up (al-
though my voice seemed to me very low
down. and very had to get up. that | had
just been spoken to in the case. | be-
lieved we were ready, if the case mus,
shen be tried: but should much prefer
il would be laid over. If the court would
consent until the next day. or even that
evening. kasm protested veheinently
against this, reminded the court Of its
tperemptory order; referred to The former
proceedings. and was going on to discuss
the whole merits of the case, when he
was interrupted by the Judge. who. turn.
ing himself TO me, remarked that he
should be happy 10 oblige me, but ,ha,
ne was precluded by what had happen.
ed; he hoped, however. that the counsel
on the other side would extend the de-
sired indulgence; to which Kasm imme.
diaiely rejoined that this was case in
which he neither asked favors nor mean,
TO give them. So the case had to 90
on.
Several members Of the bar had their
hats in their hands, ready to leave the
room, when the case was called up; but
seeing that ] was in ID alone, suffered