The Portland daily press., 1881-10-01
sJF, PRESS.
CThe Argosy.l
The Barrister's Clesk.


Time--one of the earlier days of April in
the wear 1877. Scene-The Central Crimi-
nal Court, County of Middlesex.
Let us watch two young barristers who are
entering In wig and gown, and who take
their seats on the benches reserved for coune
sci.
In bringing it about that these two young
men should be friends, nature had followed
her usual mode of procedure; for in nearly
every characteristic they were unlike each
other-except in Incidence. While Francis
Julian was man who had great deal OF
fire and passion hidden away under his APP
parently listless exterior, his brother barris-
ter carried his character visibly written on
his face. Charlie Thornto n-for that was
the name of Julian's pet friend and "fidus
Achstes'-was altogether superficial. And
vet. with it all he was not bad fellow, and
could you have scraped off certain outer
coating of intellectual cynicism, you would
have left nothing on earth to object to in
him and a good deal to like. At the bar he
was two years sedior to Julian.
1t would not, thinS, be revealing profes-
sional secrets to confess that neither of ouT
friends was in very large practice. Day at
ter day did Julian co ne down to his musty
old Temple chambers to find striking alb
he knock at his door, which was opened to
him by a very seedy looking clerk, when
something like the following dialogue used
TO take place:
Anybody been here, Peters?"
mo one, SIR"
mo solicitor, supposed" This was the
usual question, quite stereotyped by this
time.
mo, sir, nome" The usual answer, too.
What wonder, then, that Julian was dis
couraged? He used to look out of his cham
Der aindsws and wonder how "the fellows
opposite, whom he could see working away
at their tables. ever managed to get any
business. Through little opening in the
Temple building he could just see the spark
lie of the river, and the lazy barges creeping
seward on the ebbing tide. Often had he
watched them, envying rhe free out-of-door
life of sailors, and longing to hurl bis pent-
up wasting energies into some current OF
laborious action. At present, therefore, he is
not much interested in the details OF the
law, finds equity dry, common law drier,
and indeed, plentiful lack of moisture
in the whole range of legal studies.
Sprung from family which had its an
cestral home IN one of our beautiful south
ern counties, Julian had yet hardly ever Wis
tied the family mansion. Our hero's father
had been disinherited because he chose to
follow his own bent and select a profession
for himself He had become doctor. His
father-our hero's grandchildren first ex-
pressed his unbounded horror at such an
intention, having an old world sort of no.
ton that to work for livelihood was lower
ing. He told him plainly that he might be-
come doctor if he liked, but that he would
thereby forfeit all hope of receiving single
penny or a single acre for his paternal in
heritance. The son, however, refused to
abandon his project, and the result was that
when his father died, his younger brother
George took the fine old house and grounds.
DIR. Julian had rapidly risen in his profess
sion, and smassed large fortune, so he did
not particularly resent Icing deprived of the
family seat and of all share in the pecuDiary
Inheritance.
ought to add that George Julian refused
to touch his brothers. share of the money
which was left; and as DR.. Julian was too
proud to accept it, it lay accommodating in
the funds for the benefit of Georges neph-
ew. At this time of our story Dr. Julian had
been dead about five years; and Francis had
about as often visited his ancle's house, new
er very willingly, though his uncle was
kindness itself; but Francis was not the
sort of person to reject offers of good will
from any human creature. Perhaps the
fact that bis uncle's only child was a fair
girl just ripening into womanhood had been
an additional inducement to him TO forget
the past.
And now it is time to come back into
court.
The case to be tried was a case of bur
glary.
The prisoner was rather fne-looking
man, prematurely aged; and with an ex-
preston of subdued excitement on his feat
ures Now and again he would pass his
hand YEARLY across his brow. At little
distance from the dock stood lad about
fourteen years old. Between him and the
prisoner it was plain some relationship ex-
isted, for the latter would every now and
then direct his gaze with a look of yearning
anxiety into the face of the boy. A pale aud
nervous looking face it was, too, and its
owner was clothed in garments which were
decidedly threadbare.
The lad was looking round on the I'M
wonted spectacle. apparently trying to find
in all that strange crowd of human beings
some sympathizing glance. Although dirt
and early acquaintance with want had
drawn a veil over his features, yet there
was in them something wonderfully open
and attractive; something brave, yet tender,
that spoke of an u spoiled nature lying in
the unexplored depths of the human soul
Who shall find and bring up to light the
hidden, precious ore in that boyish soul?
Who is to be his teacher, the guide of his
youth? See him as he looks with face of
entire confidence and plying love on the
prisoner, and say what are his chances of
becoming useful man, with his lot joined
to a criminals land his best affections thrown
away ON an outcast?
But the examination of the first witness is
proceeding, while Julian and his friend
were briefly noticing the demeanor of the
prisoner and the aspect of the court. The
witness is the owner of the house broken
into, worthy tradesman of the better class,
and he has deposed to having been reused
from his bed at the untimeIy hour of four in
the morning by noise in the lower regions
He at first had thought it might be the cat
"And when you discovered it was not the
cat, what thenT asked the examining
cousel, with gentle responsiveness.
"Well, sir" replied the witness, "my wife
said to me, john says she, Il don't think
Never mind what your wife said,'' inter-
rupts the barrister, tell US what you did
yourself"
well, sir, proceeds the unhappy depo-
nent, who is in painful position of per-
son not permitted TO tell his own story in
his own way, ''my wife says to me that she
thought that it couldn't be the cat; so, after
listening for ten minutes or so, l slips on my
clothes, opens the door, and goes to the
head of the stairs"-and the witness goes on
to relate, with the assistance of his counsel,
how he first summoned to his aid a man
who slept in the house, and how by their
united efforts they succeeded in capturing
the burglar. The evidence, as far as it goes,
is conclusive against the prisoner, and there
does not seem much hope of his escaping a
severe sentence.
SIS the prisoner unrepresented by coun-
self? asks the judge on the bench.
ssMy lord, the prisoner has not the ad-
vantage of being represented by COUNSEL"
replies the barrister for the prosec ution, hu-
morously; at which there is laugh in
court, and the usher again feels it necessary
to say SSH Shl Sh"
1.-The prisoner ought to be defended" says
the Judge; ''who is the youngest counsel
PRESENT."
AT this question there is a consultation
among the representatives of the bar, and
the result is quickly seen by our friend JUL
an rising and saying:
"My lord, believe that have the honor