The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-10-20
Autobiography Of a Lawyer.
by VIM. b. OLIVER.

believe that started in life under th
auspices of my fathers aunt Deborah
maiden lady of sixty-four, who, in place c
father and mother whom | never saw, al
ternately petted and scolded me as long a
she was able. l escaped from both whel
l was eleven years old 10y running away
and, although she sent me ihnumerabl,
messages, when she discovered my where
abouts, to return to her, be sent to school
and fitted for college, undutifully refused
ever to go near her again.
l 'hired out with small farmer to de-
his chores for my board and clothes, and
| staid three years; at the end of which
time my rowing propensitcs moved me tc
run off from him. l had made my ar
rangements, and was even mounted on the
top of the Reading stage, when who should
come into the tavern yard but the farmer.
'Wherc are you going, boyP he called
out in o hard, and severe tone.
TO Boston, SIR
TO Bostonp
cannot describe the manner in which
he said this; but it woke up all the memo
ries of foggings which have left scars yet,
/ have no time to tell you how many more
than the immortal Fushos had. He was a
coarse, profane man, and he launched out
in strain of abuse that would have made
my blood run cold if had been afraid Of
him, and bade me get down instantly and
go home.
THANK you, SIR said, Il am engaged
to somebody else
AT this moment the stage started He
ordered the driver to stop and let me down
but he drove on, and am almost ashamed
to state that made significant gesture,
with my thumb upon my very decent Ro-
man nose, and called out, 'Good bye, sir
you shall hear of me some day. l went off
in the exultant triumph Of freedom.
was delighted with the fine prospect
which | enjoyed in my elevated scat
The driver was very kind to me, refusing
to take money for the whole journey, and
offering to find me stopping place in the
city.
At that time there was a very old house
in Howard street, in which Mr. Jones
kept boarders for number Of years.
Here he stopped the stage for me to get
down.
what shall l do, driverP / asked.
Just ring that bell, my lad,' he answer
cd, 'and somebody will come and let you
in
looked at the top of the door.
Il don't see any bell, sir said l timidly
The man burst into loud laugh.
Pull that knob, greenyn he said at
length, and straightway pulled again and
again, until Mr.. Jones, a queer looking fell
low, with one leg, and a dilapidatcd eye,
came to the door, and looked daggers out
of the remaining orb of vision upon the
luckless wight who had broken his bell
wire.
Let the youngster stay with you and
Ma'am Jones till ] come to supper, said
the still laughing driver-and / stayed.
Maam Jones was lady who would
have made good companion for Daniel
Lambert. Sheltered beneath her capacious
wig / could bid defiance to little Mr.. Jones
who dared not attack anything that Mrs
Jones might fancy for petting. The old
lady liked me very much; and this knowl-
edge, together with the daily sight of my
friend the driver, kept me contented and
happy through the winter. / secured the
knives, and performed series Of similar
dignified labors; but when boys of my own
age were round, sometimes thought,
while looking at their good, respectable
clothing, that it would not have been a
very bad plan for me to have accepted
aunt Dcborah's offer of sending me TO col
lege.
An opportunity offering to 90 to sea, l
prepared to 90, despite the entreaties, and
even tears of the fat iandlady. When she
found me determined, she provided me
everything needful for voyage, hugged
me to her capacious heart, and bade me
God-speed. Jones, who was so angry be-
cause / stayed there; was still more SO
when l went away; and, in his wife's alb
sence, tainted me about my new clothes,
which he more thar half suspected came
from her, although they passed as the dri-
ver's gift.
The servants all assembled to sec me go
away, and their hearty gcod-bye, Sam! a
safe return to you, old fellow was proba-
bly, more sincere than nine-tenths of the
greetings and good wishes that have been
spoken since that time.
shall say very little about my sea life.
1t did not answer my expectations at all.
never passed day without intolerablc
sea-sickness, and being slight, delicate
boy, the captain advised me as friend to
stay in future on the land. Going on
shore, the mate stepped forward and shook
my hand, saying,
well, Sam, you've killed sailor after
all
did not then know the meaning of the
phrase; but when / got back to the old
house in Howard street, my friend the dri-
yer, repeated it, and from him got the ex
PLANTATION of the term.
/ could not go back to my kitchen work
again after my voyage, SO l looked out dill
igently for some employment. An adver-
tisement in paper for printers boy
caught my eye, and applied and was re-
ceivod. Here was quite happy. made
myself favorite in tho Office, and fortu
nately succeeded in learning the business
so that my services would always command
fair remuneration.
At twenty -one, married Susan Russell
the daughter of my employer. ] am thus
/ -. =. h., Il