New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-08

her taken her part without for q moment dOubtIng
or denyinR her guilt accepted her story to the full
acted for her and with her; bcfriended. IN word.
this eIring sister in all ways in which an honor
able woman could befnend one who had plunged
into dishonOr
One service Mrs. Ashton Dixie did to her sister
was to introduce her to the gentleman now sitting
beside her, Mr.. George Lewis, the most
famous and most successful of London solicitors
Mr.. George Lewis u.s. indeed, Of the celebrities
of London and of he law. lie is a solicitor. and
therefore. under the rule of English legal
trade-unions. does not practise at the bar. But
when it falls to him, as it often does, to conduct
great case in ITS earlier stages before magistrate
this solicitor shows skill which few barrsters can
rival 1t may be doubted whether he has an equal
at the bar in the mystery of crossexamnation. 1t
~ certain that in what may be called legal dlplo-
macy, in all that pertains to the management of
difficult cause out of court, on which success IN
court depends. Mr. George Lewis is at the head OF
his profession 1t has been sad of him that English
society holds together by him he tbs who composes
when compromise is possible. all the differences of
people in high life who Is the repository OF every
| secret the arbiter of every dispute. the adviser
and friend of the greatest and the least in the wide
world of London. There he sits with face as kind
| " rs il is shrewd-wth an air of alertness that
nothing put to sleep, of vigilance that nothing
can divert. The grayish hair and mustache and
whskers. in which is set the face still in the prime
of life tell of continuous intellectual toll not less
plainly than the forehead. with It's full temples. and
| the luminous black eyes, whose penetrating glance
brightens so often with a smile. Altogether, n man
| into whose hands you would put the issues of life
and death, of honor or disgrace, OF poverty or OF
| fortune with all the confidence one man can give
| to another.
| OF barrlsters concerned in the cause there Is
| great array. stretching from one end to the other
Of the front bench behind the solicitors Sir
Walter Pnillimorc, who leads for the Queens Proc
tor Is to the Judges left. and your first thought is
ore Of surprise that the leading counsel IN SO great
a cause should be so young man. so very mid IN
manner. Avg is a disguise beneath which mems
faces take on strange expressions and transiornla-
tons and perchance Sir Walter Phillnorc with
out 1t would cast of that air of peculiar poli'cncs'
which ire sistlbly suggests the perfumer. He
. offers a singular contrast to the rugged. wrnked,
massive, twisted face and big head OF Sir Augustus
Stephenson. who. as Queens Proctor or for some
other good reason. is permitted to ensconce himself
among the barris,ers of the second form. directly
behind Sir Walter and bv the side of SIT Waters
Junior Mr. Deane. Mr. Deane's face isexpressvc.
and at times Mr.. Deane looks as If he thought no
could deal with the matter III hand at least az well
as Sir Walter Phillimore, q. c.; and perhaps he
could.
| Sir Henry James-yOu see how titles abound
among the barrlsters-Is next He and Sir Charles
Russell Her Mtjesty's present. a. Sir Henry IL her
past, Attorney General, hold what are called
watching briefs for SIT Charles Dixie Onc Of
these is always here. Mr.. Attorney-'eneral. the
| busier of the two with his double work. less fire.
quenty than Sir Henry. Both are at the very top
of their profession Both in Parliament. both ac
tive in public life. Sir Henry James has refused q
| orl Chan lorsI in sir nArlp
and bv, when the next Liberal Government comes
| into Office have the opportunity of accepting 1t.
| Sir HenIy refused il because he could no; follow
Mr.. Gladstone round that sharp cnrve which took
him into the Home Rule camp Sir Charles is aud
has long been. a convinced Home Ruler He Is
Irish and Roman Catholic and Oh the whole. lately
the most successful of English barri'ters with the
most extensive and varied practice However, he is
not here. lie has carried into other court that
wise, dome-shaped powerful. gray head, gray with
but just fifty years of life behind him. Sir Henry
James, tive years older, is not gray out g,isonndnt
forehead broad. lines everywhere deep cut in a
tough blocking skin, features slight, but all the
law and lower part OF tho face full
Of breadth and strength, with character
in every angle and curve. Neither he nor sir
| Charles Russell is allowed to open his mouth Ii
is Tantalus torment o. impose on them. and You
| begin to perceive how grevous 1t must he when
| grow weary OF Sir waiter GnlillL lNSiplu
style. For Sir Walter is really Sir Charles bikes
counsel. and though he IS a competent lawyer and
does bis routine work with correctness, Sir Charles
| is in straits out OF which only giants hand can
deliver him-nO. nor would even the giant avail.
| Mr.. Crawford Ia lucky enough to have an advo-
cate who, If not quite giant. Is champion OF no
mean order Mr. Henry Matthews. q c.. has been
brought into the Divorce Court, where be scd ON
Il practises, for the purposes of tins case and well
| does he vndcate the judgment of those who chose
him. lie sits IN the same row with the other lead
ing counsel well 10 the right of the jad,e who.
from his central perch. beams down inpart ally on
| ali the range Of contcndIng athletes who confront
him. The WIG brings out III relief Mr.. Matthew's
projecting brow and the features III which elo-
quence gives way to vigor. 1t does IN his voice
and manner. An excellent type of the English
barristcr who has fought his way up to silk. and
fights his way through the courts; master of his
business. doing 1t with his might. treadlng under
foot whatever and whoever comes between hun
and his vcTd ct.
The man who stands OF tries to stand between
Mr.. Henry Matthews and hi. verdict is sir Charles
| Dixie and again the pen falters it spells that
name. ! will tell you why at another time. Since
II falls to to write of TINS unhappy rial III which
nearly every one concerned IS or mas been known to
me- will try to write OF II as stranger might who
saw thi- chief actor II for the first time. Fate
would have it that should sit opposite him or
| nv opinion of Sir Charles bikes conduct. 1T was
| painful enough to find myself now III close contact
| with one had so often met in circumstances SO
| different. lie had clearly schoolcd and stceled
| himself to bear the scrutiny IT the multitude Of
gazers who make their way INTO a court from which
| the public warned they were to be a. far
| possible shut out Sir harlcs had put on a mask
no unusual thing with HIM. His face told az little
| as face might tell Of what was passing within.
| For nv part almost never looked at him; what
| saw saw III glanccs. The stout figure had grown
] thin The HAIR had fallen away from the crown of
| the head leaving broad bare path from brow
| 10 .occiput. but enough was brushed over
| from the sides to conceal the badness
| IN front. He still wears the full mustache and
beard completely hiding the mouth, and they seem
| touched with gray thought with more gray than
| WAS allowed TO appear. Probably yen know by
| photographs and BY tho doubtful likencsses Oh
tod Dun TINT that