, 1864-03-12
Miss Todd, RI. D.

The days of my clerkship were ended my
examination was over; | was admitted !;
wrote rayself " Nehemiah Hubbs, Attorney"
put up my little bright sign, in my native
village began my professional career. No
did not either | am mistaken; l intended
to pursue the honorable practice of the no
Bile profession to which had dedicated my
talents and learning in the place OF my birth,
but never was truer word penned than the
me-honored proved: " A prophet has no
honor in his own country" believe II L
had remained in the village of Green Brier
till my head was white, they would have
thoug ght of me as nothing but boy, and
would have feared to trust me. Even after
my sign was up, nobody called me Mr..
Hubbs [ was still 90 Ne" with the old and
Young, and ''Ne" | would have been to this
day, had remained in Green Brier.
Only one case claimed my attention dur
ing the three months Of my patient continu-
ance in Green Brer, after being admitted to
the bar, and that was the case of an unjust
ly lmpounded pig feloniouly abstracted, your
honor, from the small but secure spot which
my client had trustingly disposed him in,
and maliciously driven to the public enclo-
sure called a pound, for the vile purpose,
doubtless, of compelling my client, in his
poverty and destitution,, to pay the enor-
NOUS fee which has been demanded Of him,
in order to extricate the animal from his un-
pleasant position and restore him to the bos-
ON of his family !"
By this meant the clients family, the
pig having none of his own it was figure
of speech undoubtedly, the family not inhab-
iting an Irish cabin, but still it rounded off
the period, and sounded well to me, as re-
peated over and again my maiden speech,
pacing up and down the floor Of my little
office In this Iny first case, L was success.
full SO far as to rescue the impOunded animal
ard save my client from the payment of an
unjust demand but it brought no silver to
my pockets, neither, to my surprise, did 1t
seem to bring honor to my name. The elo-
ouence of my speech did not form the theme
as l fondly hoped it would, of paragraphs in
the village papers, or discussion at the cor
ners of the streets, neither did it bring to
nv Office the rush of clients, for which each
day | vainly made ready. 1t was plain that
should never rise to distinction in Green
Brier. and so l came to the sudden determi
nation to remove from that pleasant spot, aud
settle in some great city where nobody knew
or ever had heard of me where, above all,
there is not a soul to call me " Ne"
There [ was more successful, and soon
had the opportunity of forming very ad-
vantageous partnership. Business increas-
ed money began to come in slow at first,
but after time more plentifully, and all
things seemed prosperous in my outward
circumstances But alas as we are So Of
ten told POLITICALLY there is no sweet without
its bitter, no rose without its thorn; and
trouble came to me in the shape of disease,
insidious and slow in its approaches at first,
long feared and suspected but at length be-
trayed itself SO plainly that [ could not any
longer blind myself to the truth.
Yes | was without doubt a victim of
the disease of the heart, not metaphorcally,
dear reader, for never had that organ beat
with quicker pulsation at the approach of
mortal woman so far as the genter sex was
concerned, was perfect stole; but that
there was an organic disease about my heart,
[ could not doubt, and if ever the symptoms
disclosed themselves unmistakably, they did
so in my case. There was futtering, palpi-
tation, irregular action, and at length pain
l could not work; life had lost its zest the
fear of sudden death was ever with me 1
could enjoy nothing If had anything to
leave it to, 1 would have made my will, for
was quite sure now that l should either