New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-25

aGucnt resources of ChOate, in composition, ana OIL
his energy under difficulties:
was associated with Mr. Choate in Il trial OF a
railroad case before a committee OF the MasSachI-
sctts Legislature. He was then preparing an al
dress upon Macaulays History of sEngland." TO he
delivered before the Mercantc.Librar Association
in Boston. ON the morning of the day he was 10
give his address he said that it was not nearly
written | suggested that he would he compelled
to cXtempOriZe portion Of it, lie replied that nc
would "cut out from the hearing and 90 INTO an
adjoining lobby and write. while thc witnesses Wtrt W.T..
being examined in chief if | would call him so that
he could he present at the examinations Inns
arrangement was carried ont, and IT was wonderIh
to note how intuitIvely and instantly he FatnerGd
the scope of the direct testimony gwen IN MS an
sencc. On one occasion followed him almost IN
stantly from the committee room to the lobby ana
found him already writing ut the top of his speed
He said that his only way of making preparation lot
such occasions 10 postpone II until the IaSt
possible moment. and then work TOTS rt16uS; th3tt
he had been already writing since three and nan
o'clock that morning
The same writer furnishes this glimpse of the law
yer's humor:
"But now" said he with humorous solemnIty,
let me give yOu my dying advlce.-neVer cross.
examine woman. 1t is of no use. they cannot
diSiutegTatc the story they have once told; they
cannot eliminate the part that Is for YOU from hat
which is against yOu. They can neither combine
nor shade nor qualify They go for the whole
thing. and the moment yOu begin to croSs-eXamlne
one of them instead of being bitten by single rat
tlesnake You are bitten by whole barrel full. l
never, excepting III case absolutely utSpcldtN,
dare TO CrOSs-cXamlnc a woman"
A glimpse of Nj Choate at work is given by Mr..
Crosby who says:
He died daily retiring to bed exhausted under
great nervous prostration, with headache. Yet he
would rise early. often long before daylight, ana
take literary breakfast before his family or bnsl-
ness claimed his attention. His clients the courts
and classics compelled long days and short nights;
! called npOn him once in the afternoon, and asked
him how early the next morning could confer with
him upon a l.attcr | wished to investigate during
the evening. As early as you please, SIR; ! snail
he up DO you mean before breakfast, Mr.
Ch0ac ~ Before light if you WISH ! called at
the earliest dawn, and found him at his stand
ing table, with q shade over his eyes nli,
der n brilliant light pressing forward some
treatise upon Greek literature. which he SAID
he hoped to live long enough to give to the public
The night had restored his weaTed powers: ne was
elastic as CHEEKY and brilliant as the stars had
left shining above MS.
A thoughtful and felicItOus letter from William
w. Story, the poet presents these Statements
His conversation sometimes grave and criti-
cal, with many an ansion and quotation from
classic authors sometimes philosophical with dls-
cuSsions of theories and doctrines of politics, liie
and thought; sometimes grimly humorous, with
trcnchant strokes of characterization and nncsSe 81
anatOmiZing. His humOT very peculiar, and
often consisted OF a new, original and quite unex-
pectcd cpthe; AZ, for instance, when he spoke OF a
likeness as beng fragrant y; or of a sly, sudden
and complete reversal of what he had previously
seemed Gravclv to assert. As IN instance OF this
latter popularity remember that once when the
conversation happened to turn upon person whose
manners and bearing were peculiarly disastclul lie
gTaVcly said If in depreciation of the criticism ot
others: He is a person whom myself should have
no objection to meet and then, after slight
pause, added" in q procession
His love of cpithets remarkable, and the rich
ness of his vocabulary great hat often II might
be said of him, as il was OF Shakespeare that he
needed somewhat 10 be restrained But many as
We're the adcctivcS that he habtualiy used they
were never IDLY strung together without definite
ness ana distinction of meaning. =. Over
20 mi n mn "A
never hurricdy snatched at to fill gap, but, on the
were carefully selected and with 4 pur-
pose to strengthen, enlarge make precise his full
eliminating often in one of peculiar sig
nifcancc. On public occasions, as he uttered them.
one after another, slowly and distinctly, and weigh
ing each, he lifted himself higher and higher.
rising on tiptOc. his voice also rising with ever
lrongcr and higher emphasis, until he came to the
last word, ana then he suddenly settled down upon
his heels with downward sway of the body and,
dropping his voice to low infection flung it, rs IL
were almost carecsSly down. 1t was like wave
that gathers and accumulates and heaves upward
TO its fitness of height and then bursts and falls
exhausted on the beach.
HIS personal appearance was remarkable. think
no one c0uld come INTO ms presence without beng
impressed by it, His broad, massive forehead was
crowned with dark mass OF nelly cuTilng' fine
and almost turbulent hair, through which he con-
,tauty passed his hand and beneath ms over! ang-
ing brow were dark, decpy-sunkcu, and somewhat
weary eyes OF serious intent and expression, framed
i'm dark circles His nose rather large, ms upper
lip short and his under lip, projecting somewhat
hold 1t firm; while strong Jaw closed and locked
No. rs It were. the whole face with purpose and
power His checks were gaunt and hollow, rs if
worn by study Indeed the Whole face was that of
4 thinker and student, which long hours of labor
by day and night nad made haggard. There was
seriousness, gravity and certain pathos 81 char
actcr and sadness of experience in It's rcpOSr In its
i ghteT moods il lllumIncd by genial CLEANS of
himOT and the summer lightning OF feeling. and in
moments of excitement it glOwed and radlated with
inward fire like forge when the bellows are III
blast His frame large well-kult. and nervous
His ordinary gait in walking. as | remember him.
was inclined to be souchng, rs of person engaged
sunkcn and Ovcrwclghtcd. as it were. into Itself |
When speaking in public. he was full of action and
nervous geSucuiaton. lie sWHcd backward and
forward, advancing and rctreatlng, emphasized by
coming sharply down on his heels, now bending
down. and now lifting himself to his full and COM
mauding height, and enforcing his utteraucc with
sharp. Impulslyc. upward gesture.
a certain somewhat, mysterious and poetic,
al ways seemed 10 me to haunt him. and which lay
below all hi, outer show OF character. There was
something I'M his silent eyes IN his often distracted
and involved bearing. in the gloom and wan cx-
preston OF lis face. which seemed to hide an inner
life fed from secret springs and given to far As.
binary routine Of the fe he seemed To lead. . . .
What he had missed, what he wanted, cannot say; /
nor can | say that lac had missed or wanted any
thing except az we all miss and want something |
which is denied Us, indefinite. uneN planned PERHAPS
but not the less desired. Still It always seemed to |
me- from what ] saw of him nearly. that lie had |
mother life behind and beneath this that We knew.
of purer ether of diviner air perhaps of disap-
around which mystery lowered.
Upon this subject Mr.. Marsh says:
| never met any other man with such know ledge |
and command of all the resources Ol English as had
Mr. Choatc, and he bad the gilt OF using words
80 that each made those with which il was CON |
leccd bring ont the best, or az least some special
meaning. lie told me that he habItualv rail the |
and speaking Of his translation Of part
Thucydides and other classics, lac said he under
look the work for the sake OF The ENGLISH not for
ircck. Though Mr. ChOatc read Greek and Latin !
with facility and pleasure and had far acquaint-
ince with the literature of more than one Couti-
mental nation. yet be did not share IN tine fashion
able American craze about the pursuit of foreign
languages, and held that Tor an Notwithstanding
person the English tongue was worth all of hers /
that he once found me reading Scarron !
and inquired sharply how found time tor reading
such trash | answered that had only a very IN. !
llferent French dictionary, and that was studv-
ng scarron for the sake of the vocabulary. lyon