Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-03-20
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YaE ONWELC0MkD GUEST.

A lawyer sat In tilted chair,
with fingers elenched In his shaggy hair
With heels. regardless OF comfort and looks,
High up on the table, among his books;
And where, indeed, could he better keep
His legal cowhides, than with law sheeP'
About a ream OF legal cap,
In bitter ircsy called o "brief'-
The writing rugged beyond belief
Lay on the floor and la his lap,
Tnrough which he searched TO find the pith
or the knotty case of Smith VS.. Saith.
Just as he struck final clew,
("rstigisti rem as II we're "acu,
The which is Latin, and sig nifies
You have hit your subject between the ey4@.
a footstep sounded upon the stair,
And some one opened the Office doer.
Was ii creditor client, or only bore:
Looking up from his brlef with stined s"-Ar
He saw Gyouth with a piercing eye,
A manner tae fa..;.est removed from shy,
A face all shire 'GueS5, nd tsc /, ana D.-ta-,
And a mouth gigg -stlye Of b. rIley anu .gas. T"
Who entere.., presented psste-Doard, BOWED,
and said, in voice lsi1e loud,
.My nan is ETuIa. sir. have come
From III .sv-5oo.c drn Of ANY Some,
OF San Jesc. a. dare say
Ic-,1 Sc tcu {, lit-le 6ill to-day?''
The law ar groa1e.i; u a voice of woe
AND wri- III lie answered briefly Nor
want . bo4ks. I've got no cash!
1 am busy! ccafound you, go to-"dash?'
Without an atom Of anger or heat
The stranger settled himself in a scat
And segsn TO talk. He would not inlrude
On q lawyers sacred Solitude
He was NOT SO uncivil or SO obtuse.-
Unless he was sure he could be Of use.
You are doubtless. sir. absorbed in a case;
see the lines OF thought in yoar lace.
You are hunting law and authorities;
Isympathize an I'll Just talk "biZ."
Now you lawyer OF gsod rspute,
You are learned, industrious, acute,
Bat you're puzzled and baffied in tnis same sui
see it plainly confessed in your looks.
And why? dear sir, from the Lack of books!
What is that you say? You haveall you need
Is that your library? could read
The whole affair in an hour or two,
And there isn't a volume there that's new!
You surely cannot be content.
With such a confoundedly ancient Kent
Your Blackstone is messy, and sir, fear
Your Greenleaf is growing terribly sere.
Your Equity is an old. old Story.
Your Angel has long since gone to glory,
You'll find your Redfield beginning TO bleacl
Your Bishop and Parsous too old TO preach.
Your Bacon moulde1ed little too far,
And your Byles become the merest scar.
In short. your treatises would throw a
Shade of antiquity on Noah!
Now let me sell you something late,
something to bring you down TO date.
What shall 1t be? work on Wills,
On Torts, or Trade Marks, Banks, or Bills?
What do you want7 I'll sell so cheap
You will fall on my neck for joy, and weep.
And SO he talked. The lawyer listened;
Impatienceand gloom in his features glistene
He tried, but tried in vain, to breast
The wordy flow OF his fluent guest,
Until at last, innrm Of Will,
He fairly yielded and bought BILL
But as he bought. he formed plan
For getting the best Of the lAx book Inan;
He gave his order, hut Thought with glee
He would make the fellow wait for his pay
guthis wicked plot went all agley,
las our Odd friend, Bobby Burns, would IS
For the saleaan turned, as he went away,
And said, II will send them Z. o. D. y