Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-02-22
perSeIeIance.

nd n chubby faced hoy with bright eye
| 10 knew the woman slIghtly-a widow
VIM kept small stationrr's shop in th
own She opened her business at once
Oh, Mr. Chitty, have brought you IN,
Robert he gives me no peace, his hear i
80 set on being in IA lawyers Office. Blu
there! | have not got the money 10 ap
prentice him. Only we thought perhap
YOU could find some place or ,ther for him
# it was ever so small" Then she hrok,
of, and looked appealingly, and the boy
cheeks and eyes fired with expectation.
Most country towns at that time possess
ed two solicitors that might be callet
types the old established man, Whose fra
for generations had done the pacific ant
lucrative business-.wills, settlements
partnerships, mortgages. etc.-and TIN
sharp practitioner, who was the ADLER o
he Two at litigation, and had to shake thu
plum tree instead of sitting under 1t an(
opening his mouth for windlalls. Mr.
Chitty was No. 2
But these sharp practitioners are very
apt to be good natured, and so, locking Il
the pleading widow and the beaming hoy
he felt disposed to oblige them, and wa
rather sorry he could not. lie said hi
was n small Office and he had no clerk ::
place vacant; land indeed if mad, he il
too loung-why, be is mere child. "
II am twelve next SO and so," said Lh,
bny. giving the month and the day.
"Yuu don't look it,,hen,' SAID MIR. Chit
ty, inc,rdulously.
Indeed. bu, he is. sir" said the widow
he never looked his age, and writes {;
brauliiul hand"
." But | tell you I have no vacancy
said Mr. Chil,y, turning dog2ed
"Wc,l. thank you. sir, all the symo, -
said the widow, Wi "a pttlence finer sex
Come Robert, We mustn't dGInn the
gentleman.
So they turned away with disappoini
mem marked on Their faces, tic boys es.
pecIally.
Then Mr. Chit,y said, in u hesiating
way, " 10 he sure, there is vacancy, but
it is not the surt of thing for you
"What is it, sir" asked the widow.
Wen. we want an "ihce boy
IAN otli,c boy! What DO you say, Rob
ertP | suppose it is IL beginning, sr. What
Will he have to dop'
cary papers; ,n that is not what he is
after. Lock ut him-he has got that eye
of his fixed on counsellor's wig, you
may depend; and sweeping a country at,
torney's fiji is not the stepping stone
10 that He added, wa lily, AT least,
there is no precedent reported"
LII, no, SIR" said the widow, she only
wants to turn an honest penny, and be
among law papers. y
"Ay, ay; 10 wtite EN- and sell 'em, but
not to dust 'em."
For that matter, sir. l believe he'd
rather he the dust itself IN your office than
blle ut home with me"
Here she turned angry with her offspring
for half u moment.
"And SO | would" said young master,
stoully, endorsing his mothers hyperbole
very boldly, though his own mind was not
Dt that kind which originates metaphors,
slniIes, and engines of inaccuracy in gen
eral.
Then I say no MORE" observed Mr.
Chitty; "only mind, 1t Is half II crown y
werk-that is all"
"rhe terms were accepted, and Master
Robert entered on his humble du'ics He
was steady, per-evering and pushing In
less Than two years he got promoted to be
1 copying clerk. From this in due course
he became far praclic,I lawyer and Mr..
Chitty's head clerk. And so much for per
severance.
He remained some years in this position,
trusted by his empl, yers, and respected,
too; for besides his special gifts as II law
clerk, he was strict in morals and religious
without parade.
In these days country attorneys could
not fly to he metropolis and back TO DIM
her. They relied much on London aitor.
neys, their agents. Lawyer Chtty's agent
was Mr.. Bishop, judges clerk; but in
hose daysa judges clerk had an insufficient
stipend, and was allow, d to exc 1t out by
private practice. Mr.. Bishop was agent
10 several country attorneys.
Well, Chitty bad n heavy case coming
On atthe assizes, and asked Bishop to come
down. tor once IN a way, and help him in
person Bishop did SO, and in working
The case, was delighted with Chitty's man
aging clerk. Before leaving, he told Mr..
Chilty he sadly wanted Il managing clerk
he could RELY on. Would he obIige him,
md part with this young MANI Chitty
made rather wry face. sad the young
man was pearl II don't know what |
should do without him; why, he is my
lIter ego" However, he ended by saying
generously that he would not stand in the
'oung mans way.
Then they had the clerk III, and put the
Iues ion TO him.
"Sr." SAID he, 1t is thu ambition of
ny heart TO go to London"
twenty four hours after that our hum.
,le hero was installed in MIR Bishops
flee, directing IA large business in town
nd country. lio filled that situation Tor
many years and cot to be well known In
he legal profession. A brother of mine.
who 70, years WAS of firm Of solic Ors in
lincoln s Inn Fields. remembers him well
II this period, by meeting him sometimes
n hs own chambers, and sometimes in
he judges chambers. My brother said he
,ould not help noticing him, for he bristled
with intelligence, and knew great deal
'f law, though he looked only II buy.
The best OF the joke is that this clerk
lftt rwards turned out to be four years
,lder than the solicitor who took him for Il
10Y.
He was now amongst books MS well as
aw, ers, and studied closely the principles
,f law whilst ihe practice was sharpening
lin He was much in tho courts, and
every case there cited in argument OF iudg-
nenl he hunted out in the books and di-
yested 1t. together with it's application in
practice by the living judge, who had
quoted, received, or eva,ieu ii.
He was Baptist. and lodged with a
3nplist minister and his two daughters.
lie tel in love with one of them, proposed
o her, and was accepted. The couple
we're married without pomp. and after the
CEREMONY the good minister took them
side and said al hay @ only two hunored
pounds in the world. have saved it, n
ntle att time, for my two daughters, Here
8 your share, my children. lie then gave
lis daughter one hundred pounds, and she
landeu 1t 10 the bridegroom on the spot
The good minister smiled approval. and
hey sat down to what fine folks call break. !
ast, but they called it dinner; and so it |
vas
Afler dinner, and The usual ceremonies,
be bridegroom rose, and surprised lht m II
lllle de salt: II nm very sorry to leave
GU, but l have II particular business to
t,end 10. Twin take ME just one hour.
Of pOursp there wag "a lnnk ,,r iwo intI.r. |