Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-11-18
Sticking to tlle Point.

serves, only one smut the door tlgnt as he went
out of the Office. This one was Immediately
called back and employed.
A little while afterward another friend, O
successful lawyer, advertised as follows:
"WANTED-A young man to work in an
attorae5's office, and also to read law at his
leisure. Apply to John Smith. - Dunlap
Street. B."
1t was the conviction of my friend that what
is most desired In lawyer il a certain cool
Judgment, which holds on to the main point 10
given case, and allows no side issues to warp
the mind from its anchored position. L have
often heard him say, Sin the end, the lawyer
who, having bit the nail on the head, keeps
driving it in until it is countersunk in the con-
victon of both judge and jury. is the pcadc1
who succeeds best at the bar of Justice
always select for my students such young men
as have this quality and l most invariably find
it lodged in minds that are inclined to stick to
the point"
On the day following the publication of the
above notice, Mr.. Smith had in the forenoon
dozen applicants in person. He bade them
wait his pleasure; then, when they were all
seated around him. he addressed them as fol-
lows:
Before we proceed to business, my young
friends, L wish to tell you story
Ofcourse no one objected to this. And if it
seemed little odd 10 the lawyer, it was the
way cur beloved late President had, and there
was this circumstance at least to recommend it,
''On Dscon Whites barn. began Mr. S. ,
there perched one evening an owl. The deacon
was slightly supersitlous, and not fancyiDg the
hooting of the u9ubrious visitant, be took his
gun, ,stolc out softly, gos within good range, level.
led his gun at the omiuous intruder, and fred.
Now, the barn was old and full of chinks and
holes. and it being very dry time, the trcach
erous waddlng Immediately set fire to the hay
inside, and IN an instant the entire fabric was
in flames.
o, dear dear cried the deacon. how can
release all my COWS and oxen and yearliDgs and
my sheep and horses, in season to save them?
for the wind was high, and, as it always hap.
pens,i increased in freshness as the fire gained
in fury.
Help help! he shouted.
Did the folks hear him in the house ? ask
ed Alfred. Il shall call the applicants by their
Christian names.
Not directly, said MIR. Smith. The dea-
con lost 20 time in getting cut the cattle. lie
found them frantic with terror and unmanage-
able. While engaged in oosing stout young
bull, the latter suddenly turned his horns and
pierced him.
I'm gored I'm goredl' he exclaimed, in
agony, just as his terror stricken wife camo 10
the rescue"
Ibid be die?"
HE was injured seriously resumed Mr.
Smith. ''Feelipg faint, he was obliged to 70
and lie down. Tho woman ran for a DOCTOR
When she returned, the pitcous believing of
the tortured and dying cattle fell on her ears.
The thrilling thought quickly struck her, was
her husband possibly in the burning ruins?
Had be ventured beyond his strength again,
and fallen helpless vic1im
%, my husband my husband !''
Ibid he answer3" inquired Charley, with
anxious face.
"Was he in the fire?" asked David.
''Tbere was no reply" continued Mr.. Smith.
save from the osackling tmbers and means of
tho doomed animals. Presently she heard
the voice of her only 500 among the flames
Help! help! he cried.
The mother heart was ready to break. She
hastened to rescue her darling boy"
s'Did she save him?' asked Edwin.
20, hope she didn't get burned herself, :"
said Fraok.
'Pleasc tell US, sir whether they wore burn.
cd to death" pleaded Grant
"Well," resumed Mr.. Smith, "the poor
deacon died of his wound"
''Too bad," said Henry. HE was brage
man."
And his sou was badly burned"
20, awful" exclaimed Isaac"
And the windows clothes caught fire, but,
luckily, one of the neighbors (there were none
living very near) arrived at the scene of de-
Structlon Just in season to extngulsh the
fames"
Good good' exclaimed James. He
threw the buffalo in the wagon over her, |
suppose?"
You are right, said MIR. Smith. And
ne released one OF the best horses.
WAS he burned at alp" asked Karl.
Only little scosched said Mr. Smith.
And so the narrator went on until he had de
plcted the consequence in detail of the sad
event Then he paused His audience wero
silent Their sympathies had been deeply
touched Each one seemed silently pittyiug
the poor, afflicted family. But one boy sat un
moved through tha whole story, and said moth
ing. And now that the narrative was finished.
and pause had come, he deliberately looked
lntoMr. Smiths face in a straig ghtforWard
manner, and asked:
did he hit the owl2' ..:
This was the youth that struck to the point,
and tho one that the lawyer selected iropl the
twelve. The story had simply been M. .nulac-
tured for effect.
POPULATION OF New ENGLAND The Bos-
ton Journal says the population Of New Fog
land, By the census of 1870, as con, ,rastcd with
that OF 1860, stands as follows -
States 1860. 1870.
Maine, 62S,279 G30,42S
New Hampshire, 326,073 S19.97G
Vermont, SO, ,O9S $50, ,2S5
Massachusetts,, 1921 ,06G | ,44S, ,O55
Rhode Island, III 620 2l7,3l9
Connecticut, 400, ,l4T 537, ,q9S
Total 2135 oS2 2 4So 0O1