Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-27

ately to Three Rivers, passing his fathers house
almost without calling, and entered the employ
of the Chief-Justice of the province, Sewall, as
a chore-boy. He soon manifested such genius
and aptitude for professional pursuits, that his
employer placed him in position to become a
Notary public, (Which iss subordinate rank in
the profession of law in tho Canadian provinces
similar to conveyancer \, England and final
ly an advocate at the BARI While employed in
this last capacity, the Court were constantly
annoyed by delays in the trials of causes, con-
sequent upon the absencGetiiea Of former cases
in the prottonotaFy rtt1G6e, ,snare being at that
time no printed reports of The former decisions
of the Kings Bench Court of the province.
During one Of these perplexing Interruptions in
cause in which young Burroughs appeared as
counsel, he took occasion to speak severely of
the confused manner in which the papers were
kept in prothonotary's Office. Whereupon
that officer, in rage at being thus handled by
a young advocate, rose and desired the Court to
employ Mr.. Burroughs to arrange the papers
i'll his Office Mr.. Burroughs nothing daunted,
replied he would be glad to do 50. This result
ted in an arrangement between him and the pro-
thonotory, then somewhat advanced in years,
by which Burroughs, for compensation under
took to rearrange all the papers in the office,
had then become massive, almost beyond con-
lecture to the clerk of the court where trials
are had according to the course of the common
law
The next term of the court, the judges no.
ticed wonderful change in regard to papers
called for being Immediately forthcoming, and
inquired of the prothonotary how this change
came about This gentlemen rose in open court
and declared that he deemed it his duty to de-
clare that it was owing altogether to the won
derfully perfect arrangement of his papers by
Mr.. Burroughs. The curiosity of the judges
was 50 excited, that they Immediately adjourned
to the prothonotarys office, in another portion
of the building, and examined for themselves.
The admiration of young Burroughs work was
such that, in the course Of the term they told
the old prothonotary that they deemed it pro-
per to make some marked notice of such dis
tinguished service to the Province, and had con-
cluded with his assent to appoint Burroughs an
assistant prothonotary, with the right to half
the emoluments of the Office, which vera enor-
nous, amounting to about twenty-five thousand
| nOun6s bupJroJ tho, NJ
dollars apnualy. To this tn -iposmbent readily
acceied, and in consequafca, Burroughs, in
twenty or thirty years, becsmo the wealthiest
man in Quebec, having been sole prothonotary
after the deceasc of his colleague, not long after
his own appointment.
The result of this change in the sons cir
cumstances, and his liberal use of his wealth
brought about strange metamorphoss in the
fortune of his fathers family. The time of
which | speak, his father was living in comfort,
and qniet, and Christian purity, at Three-Riv-
ers, maintained exclusively by himself.
He had one brother, a highly respectable
merchant in Montreal, and one sister, a useful
teacher of girls in that city, and one sister the
, Lady Superior of the Ursuline Convent at Three
Rivers, and all seemingly induced by his own
{ change of purpose, at period in life when
most persons scarcely begin to reflect.
If this narrative is worth anything, it is
chiefly, perhaps, from the consideration that it
is altogethe, authentic.
The strangest fctions in regard to Stephen
, Burroughs life, after he conformed to the Rom
sh Church, have been manu- qactured and circu-
lated chiefly, it is possible to conjecture to pref
udce the public mind against the belief in the
merits of conversion to that Church from Prot
estant communions, or Protestant families and
education. 1t was long believed in all simplici-
f ty Stephen Burroughs Immediately become d
| high digritary in that Church, and accumula-
/ ted wealth both out of the fees and perquisites
: of his office, but chiefly in pardoning sins and
granting absolution and acts of indulgence
than which nothing is farther from the truth
: or more absurd to one who learned the facts up
+ on the ground by personal observation. lnsteac
f of holding high position in the Church, he on
ly entered the portals of her sacred precincts al
: a penitant, himself seeking in great humility
Y pardon for the multiplied offences of long lifi
: of sin and wretchedness. Instead of rolling il
: wealth and luxury, he sutfsisted upon the boun
: ty of his son whom, he was panied to reflect, hi
s had labored to seduce from virtue and truth
! and who had been snatched from the burnins
# cinders as by miracle. Instead of being at
tended by a retnue of strangers, he was himsel
: the servant of all his personal wants, and pa
tiently waiting his departure from life of pail
1 and sorrow, and penitence, to one which, in tn
@ eye of Faith, he saw, as more consoling, NOR
f quiet, more abiding, but which was sadly dim
d med and darkened to his earthly vision by tn
recollection of grievous sins and atrociou
is crimes
Q Tho following appeared in New York Jour
IS nal twenty-five years ago. 1t contains man
IS interesting facts
q Take him for all in all, Stephen Burrough
70 was probably one Of the most singular men
20 whose virtues and whose errors were ever bles
# ing and cursing to himsclfin particular, and SC
RS cicty in general. Though guilty, during tn
F. spring, summer, and a portion of the autum
of his life, of errors and follies, equalled in nun
Of Der and variety only by their number, he ye
+ really possessed soul overaowing with benevc
Of lence, and heart easily melted by the voice c
n suffering. In him the principles of good an
n evil were so strangely mixed up, that it was
ficut to decide whether the doing of a crimir
$ al or charitable deed gave him the most sal
a- islaction. One who knew him well in his palm
er days of his iniquity, and could not, at tha