Litchfield enquirer., 1872-04-18
THE EXPERIENCES OF A BARRls-
 TER-..M0. &.
Tne Second Marriage.


 I was walking briskly forth, when an at torney of rather low caste in his profes- sion-being principally employed as an intermediary between needy felons and the counsel practising in the Grown Court --accosted me, and presented brief; at the same time rendering the fee of two guineas marked upon it.
 II am engaged tomorrow, Mir. Barnes, |" l exclaimed a little testify, ''on the civil side: besides, you know l very seldom take briefs in the Crown Court, even if profered in due time; and tomorrow will be the last day of the assize in Chester There are plenty of unemployed counsel who will be glad of your brief"
 Ut is brief i'll an action of ejectment, " replied the attorney-'EWoodley rersas Thorndyke; and is brought to recover possession of freehold estate now held and farmed by the defendant.
 "An action of ejeetment to recover pos session of freehold estate! defended, too, I know, by powerful bar; for I was offered & brief, but declined it. MT. P-- leads; and you bring me this for the plainiff, and at the last moment too ! Ton must be crazed."
 'I told the plaintiff and her grandfath- CT, rejoined MT. Barnes, 'that it wes too late to bespeak counsel's attention to the case; and that the fee, all they have, with much difficulty, been able to raise, was ridiculously small; but they insisted on my applying to you Oh, here they are p
 We had by this time reached the street, and the attorney pointed towards two fig Nres standing in attitudes of anxious sus- pense near the gateway. It was dusk, but there was quite sumc1enE ngnE to dlstin- guish the pale and interesting features of young female, dressed in faded and scanty mourning, and accompanied by a respectable-looking old man with white hair, and countenance deeply furrowed by age and grief.
 1T told you, Miss Woodly," said the at- torney, 'that this gentleman would de- cline the brief, especially with such 8 fee"-
 ''It is not the fee, man" observed, for was somewhat moved by the appeal ing dejection exhibited by the white-hair- ed man and his .timid grand daughter; ''but what chance can have of establish ing this persons right-if right she have to the estate she claims, thus suddenly called upon to act without previous con- sultation; and utterly ignorant, except as far as this I perceive hastily-scrawled brief will instruct me, both of the nature of the plaintiffs claim and of the defence intended to be set up against.it?'
 'If you would undertake it, sir" said the young woman with tremulous, hes itating voice and glistening eyes, ''for his sake"-and she glanced at her aged com panion-"who will else be helpless, homeless
 ''The blessing of those who are ready to perish will be yours, sir" said the grandfather with meek solemnity, eff you will lend your aid in this work of justice and mercy We have no hope of with standing the masterful violence and wrong of wicked and powerful men except by the aid of the law, which we have been taught will ever provr u sttosg tu~er of defence to those who walk in the paths of peace and right"
 The earnestness of the old mans lan- guage and manner, and the pleading gen. tleness of the young woman, forcibly inn pressed me; and, albeit, it was a somewhat unprofessional mode of business, deter mined to hear their story from their own lips, rather than take it from the scrawled brief, or through the verbal medium of their attorney.
 AOu IhVC bcSu tIuiy swered; 'and if really entitled to the prop erty you claim, know of no masterful men that in this land of England can hin der you from obtaining possession of it. Come to my hotel in about an hour and a-half from hence; I shall then have leis- ure to hear what you have to say. This fee," added, taking the two guineas from the hand of the attorney, who still held fho Ixyf fo,. must permit me to return. It is too much for yog to gay for losing your cause; and if gain it-but mind I do not promise to take it into court unless I am thoroughly satisfied you have right and equity on one. MT. Barnes, I will see you, if you bowed, and hastened on.
 Dinner was not ready when I arrived at the hotel; and during the short time I had ing had anything to do with this unfortu- charity, the suggestions of human kind ness, reasserted their influence; and by the time my new clients arrived, which they did very punctually at the hour Ihad indicated, had quite regained the equa- nimity I had momentariIy " lost, and, thanks to mine hosts excellent viands and gener- ous wine, was, for lawyer, in very amiable and benevolent humor indeed.
 Our conference was long, anxious, and unsatisfactory. was obliged to send for thoroughly ascertain the precise nature of the case intended to be set up for the de- fendant, and the evidence likely to be ad- duced in support of it. No ray of conso- lation or of hope came from that quarter. Still, the narrative I had just listened to. bearing as it did the impress of truth and sincerity in every sentence. strongly dis posed me to believe that foul play had been practised by tha other side; and determined, at all hazards, to go into court, though with but faint hope indeed of a present successful issne.
 "It appears more than probable" I re- marked on dismissing my clients, ''that this will is fabrication; but before such 8 question had been put in issue before a jury, some producible evidence of it's be- ing so should have been sought for and obtained. As it is, can only watch the defendants proof of the genuineness of the instrument upon which he has ob- tained probate; one or more of the attest AAS5 WAVAC0oCS btWys Al 4kuuO uaS DG5u pEaC- tised, break down under searching cross examination, or incidentally perhaps dis close matter for further investigation.
 ''One of the attesting witnesses is, as I have already told. dead" observed Barnes; ''and another, Elizabeth Wareing, has, I hear, to-day left the country. An affida- vit to that effect will no doubt be made to- morrow, in order to enable them to give secondary evidence of her attestation, though, swear as they may, have not the slightest doubt / could find her if time were allowed, and her presence would at all avail us"
 Indeed! This is very important. Would you, Mir. Barnes, have any obiec- tion," I added, after few moments re- fection, ''to make oath, should the turn of affairs tomorrow render your doing so desirable, of your belief that you could, reasonable time being allowed, procure the attendance of this woman-this Eliza beth Wareing ?"