The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-04-24

LEAVES
FROM TIE LIFE OF 4 LAWYER.
ny A xKxnra OF TIE MAINE BAn.
LrAr rnE vissr.
I am no litcrai,s. One cannot be VIII
Is constantly occupied with the cumbcrsom
du,ies Of n profession like that Of law. Ye
fecfjnst in the luiinor to narrate some
my expert nces in professional life, AIT
will not 10 tedious. feel delicate how
ever. hbout speaking IN the first person II
nn article Of this kind, (not intended to b
o-biogmphical'irany sense,) and wer'
master Of the requisite legerie,nain,
would munnge to make all my allusion
hero si,hou, introducing myselfas an actor
would associate my readers and third per
sons with all the scenes. l'u, PROFESSIONAL,
though don't know but ] should bt
obliged to spare my readers-lawyers ha'
biluayy consider those whom they are serv.
ing, no matter in what capacity, as thei'
client; and Lord Brougham says; 'rhe law
yer in the discharge Of his dury, knows bu
one person In all the world, and TINT per.
son i Ills client ; or principal. l suppose,
which could be moro widely expressed ia
the ientinenr Dules sl deeoram est pro
eiientSbus mor. The sceues, more or less
completely sketched, and in the sequel, arc
some Of them plotted in vacatiod, and
cannot be 80 free with my disparngemcn'
rs to suppose my but myself the chief per.
former. had one Unit, | had almost said
qualification. at the commencement Of my
career, in common, SO far rs | lave since
IecIlnblc to obscrvofvi,h the best part Of
the Fofes.ion {; lineup that orex,rnvnsance,
or ID Sishness in money matters. I would
venture to morulzc here upon this trait Of
character, were II pot ilW. ,ny present
allusion to !. has alrcaiiy ;slsges,ed the aw.
l,l c,nbarrassments which It occasionetl in
my own case, which cannot better dcs
cribe than by making an extract from, my
diary. OF date subsequent to my admission
to tho bar: =
Jufr l2, 10 A.M.-lhnxe just lnadc inroad,
upon my last six ,shillings in the matter
Of cup of ten, and plate of brown bread
and hi,ier, ut n bakery, aud am tcetotnlly
Inis'fahle. can't look over my, papers
hut Spesky lourd.bill stares mo In tho face
tho arrears at my last l'oafling.placc and
to insure the payment Of WHICH, I-'Ieft a
p,rt of library; an,l this bill;'so help INC
Lord Coke. !. have no means of paying,
anl no Iupes that any accident will enable
INC to do so for months to'corne. Tho
hodks must rcn,ain, and my bruins go inin.
gry Cor my sio,nnclis sake and my oIten rc'
psntc,l infrn,i.ios Of pocket. owe bill
at tho tailor's, which would fain discharge.
My intellectual brow has sweltered all sum
mcr, like slave slowed in the hole, under
the pressure "rn heavy black beaver. How
often ,lo meet my more fortunate confcd'
crates looking as fresh Ms green corn, under
the broad rSpmnsc Of stmws and leghor''s
which to-Sh back the sunshine like magic.
Bn, l,erc, fine tyegpt six dollars. which
have fecciIed fr services rendered.
and which makes mo almost ashamed TO
20 on will, thi3hosfid enumeration. or !
would speak Of my last Pairofsiioes, patch,
ed aud tnppe'l, n,cnded aud Hacked. till
they would scarcely a,lorn the veriest clodi
hopper and then my landlndy and wash
won,an-and tho first Of August my office
rent Horrors! Let me not think OF IT,
but why should quote from tho desI'airing
and naddcned HAMLET? ~ would rather my
mother would murder tho whole royal fam.
lily ofDenmark!"
Here this entry is interrupted, however,
ill enough has been said to show that the
trait have mentioned, however profession.
al, is not always source Of happiness and
guol hnmor 10 tss.'Psssessor. will not
therefore, venture TO characterize II ns n
qualification. nor give myself much crctlit
for having it
Opposed TO this, had what may with
some propriety l'c called dis qualification:
not physical nor even mental difficulty,
specifically speaking, yet something, as the
xcruel will show, WHICH .prpyed serious
obstacle in the way Of my early success.
grant VIC should not bc too forward in
speaking of obstacles. .lunless il is to state
how we oycrcame ,hel.l after tho example
of,he gren, lawyer OF Athens. yet rancy
that even Delnoslhenes, niter having con-
qaercd his ir,petimcn, anil .upgraceii'l at.
titmlc. would have hesitGled d>bei6re the nw.
rul magnitude Of this impossible breach,
this lion in the way, or what ever you
please to call il, which confronted mo in
my rar'y professional Efforts. was IN love-
Perhaps | cannot l'elter tleve'op this chapter
in my experience tl,an by Introducing a let.
ter of mine to INV college cluu,n. written in
my eighteenth yeur, Turing Temporary resi-
deuce i, ihn country fdrpy healR. The
letter is hastily written, anil rca's as follows
onir'ing ,late etc: =.
mr Df.n JACK: | am r's'ica,ins ~. this
beautiful village, and nm a, happy asa
cricket, unJ.plnostts bfttk i'on expos''r
to the sun. Ne, le, lac .Iias'cn to tell yo"
Of an adventure. ir in,y call il 80, though
I sl,u idcr nj the h ,rsllness Of the term, j
have made tho acquaintance Of tho most
charming girl in the universe! You may
laugh and say I am in love, hut ! never
was IN love. and am not NOW; though "m
completely clVrmed with the tra''sccnde''t'
ly beautiful aud lovely NJ. lido believe
that nature meant Us to hc fast TRENDS.