Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-10-07
THE FIRST CLIENT..
BY MRS. S. NJ. c. PERKINS.


D ed to spenda a few weeks in Con
, cord, New Hampshire. NJ
} home for the time being, was il
, a quiet family who took int
, their home several members of
the State Legislature as board
crs. Among these there was
talented young lawyer and hi
pretty wife. They were
bright, witty, sensible couple
dressed well, and | looked upol
them as fortunes favorites, ant
wondered if the passing yeal
would fling any shadows il
their pathway, or it they hac
known care or sorrow. The
young wife was a beautiful sing
er, and many an evening passed
very pleasantly in listening tc
! the piano touched by her prac-
Iticcd fingers, and her songs
were like the bird m"sic in early
spring time. Her gay laugh
would ring out upon the air
unmingIed by Il single note of
sadness. The manly husband
seemed devoted to his accom-
pIished wife, finding his chief
happiness in her society, and as
[ saw them daily | was remind
ed of Whittier's beautiful po-
en-, "Thc Wife" and | fancied
too, was some city's ''fair pale
daughter" who had found her
husband among the New Hamp-
shire hills. The lines would
come to my mind,
eve send the Squire to general court,
He takes his young wife thithcr;
No happier man, election day,
Rides esthrough the sweet J une weather.
Though [ became interested
in this happy pair yet the weeks
gIIded by, and [ learned moth
ing definitely Of their history
during my sojourn in the CITY.
But another summer came and
the same erraud took nc again
to Concord, and / occupied the
same old quarters. There were
many new faces around the ta-
bic, but the young lawyer and
his wife were in their old seats,
and apparently as happy as e.
er. We met as old acquaint-
ances this time, and one eve
ming we were all out upon the
piazza watching the sunset and
the crowds of peopIe-that prom
enade at this hour, or rode lcis-
ureIy past in their handsome
carriages.
The conversation turned upon
the struggles Of young men of
limited means in acquiring an
education and a profession, and
then a foOtho!d in this busy,
grasping world.
81 know all about it." said
Mr.. Weston, my young lawyer
friend, II had a time of it to
get started, and if the Lord ey-
er gives me a plenty of money
| shall use a little Of it in help
ing Others"
Tell me something Of your
history, if you please?" 1 asked.
81 have had all manner of con-
lectures in regard to ,and now
my curiosity must be isfed." "
"You may not care much for
it," he replied smiling, "but l
think | will tell you about any
first client. To me, certainly,
it was an interesting case"
Here his wife slipped her
pretty hand out of his and went
quietly into the house, and then
[ knew she was in some way
connected with the story.
"Well, to begin with, [ was
early left an orphan with only
sixpence in my pocket and a
knife to whittle with. [ be-
Iieve l had a good share of en-
ergy, or pluck, as they say, for
[ went through college, and
studied law, supporting myself
and owing no man a dollar. i
But the tug Of war came when
l went tothe village of w. where !
| now live, and hung out my
expecting that business
would come Of course. But
weeks dragged into months and
no work came.
Sometimes | would get a lit
tie writing to do, but the other
lawyers took all the important
cases, and l hardly earned e.
nough to pay my board bills
Every morning arose and took
a very long walk, then swept my
office and arranged my books,so
that if business did come 1
could be ready for it. But the
months glided away and still 1
had nothing to do. Finally l
began to be a little discouraged,
md wondered if / had not mis-