Smyrna times., 1872-05-29
Lawyers, Ministers and Doctors.

The lawyers are picked lot-'frst schol
arS, and the like: but their business is as
unsympathetic as Jack Ketchs. There is
nothing humanizng in their relations with
their fellow-creatures. They go tor the side
that retains them. They defend the man they
know to be rogue, and not very rarely throw
suspicion on the man they know to be inno
cent. But the lawyers are quicker-witted than
either of the other professions, and abler men
generally. They are good natured; or, if they
quarrel, their quarrels are above board. |
don think they are as accomplished as the
minister's but they have way OF crammlng
with special knowledge for case which leaves
a certain shallow sediment of intelligence in
their memories about a good many things.
They are apt to talk law in mixed company;
and they have a way of looking round when |
they make "A point, as if they were addressing |
jury, that is mighty aggravating-as L once
had occasion to see when one Of EN-, and a
:, pretty famous one, put me on the witness
stand at dinner party.
! The ministers come next In point OF talent.
y They are far more curious and widely interested
{ outside of their own calling than either of the
other professions They are interesting men,
full of good feelings, hard workers, always
l. foremost in good deeds, and on the whole the
-e most efficient ciyilizing class that we have.
y The trouble is that so many OF them work III
u harness. and it is pretty sure to chafe some
IN would cripple our instincts and reason, and
er give US a crutch of doctrine l have talked
h' with great many of EN- of all sorts of belief
&c and don't think they have fixed everything II
ay their own minds, or are as dOgmatic in then
IT habits of thought one would think, to hea
er EN- lay down the law in the pulpit The,
m used to lead the intelligence Of their parishes
oc now they do pretty we'll to keep up with it, an
OF they are very apt to lag behind it. The minis
IN ters are good takers. only the struggle betwee
ry. nature and grace makes some OF EN- lit
eW awkward occasionally. The women do the
are best to spoil 'em as they do the poets. Nc
10 find it very pleasant to be spoiled, no dout
zen so do they. Now and then one OF them go
Att over the dam No wouder-they re always
zap the rapids.
, cf How about the doctors? There is the lea
sey- learned of the professions, in this country
nelr least. They have not half the general cultu
mes Of the lawyers, not quarter of that OF
lght ministers. | rather think, though they
hen more agreeable to the common run OF peo
nag than the men with black coats or the men W
rled green bags People can swear before EN-
lore' they want to, and they cant very we'll BET
'ker. ministers. Besides, everybody doesn't like
Vhen talk about the next world. People are mod
ice in their desires, and find this world as good
ould they deserve; but everybody likes to
the physic Everybody loves to hear Of stra
well cases People are eager to tell the doctor OF
7hOle wonderful cures they have heard of; they W
was to know what is the matter with somebody
pro other who is said to be suffering from "a c'
h ne plication of diseases" and, above all, to
ouIo' hard name, Greek or Latin Tor some
[ own plaint which sounds altogether too comm
1t on place in plain English. If you will ca
C and headache cephalalgia it acquires dignity
ndlgn once and patient becomes rather prOut
nows, it. So | think doctors are generally welc
y-tour in most companics-O. W. Holmes.