Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-02-11

that her name was added TO the nrm-
Being a strong-minded and bony old
maid, her condition was accepted. anc
the title theneeforth was Wymer. Woy
& Wymer. All the members of the
firm were long, lank and lean, and
grew. as did their parchments. more
shrunk and shriyeled every term. Life
to them was in a small way made ur
of happiness and sorrow. sympathy.
disappointments, love, trials of affec-
ton, charity and such-like trif1es: but
in a much larger way it was made up
of law They talked nothing but law:
they breathed nothing but law. They
played the game of existence Gas
though it were really game) with
cards of law, and they played it SO
skillfully that they never missed the
odd trick. Yet even they looked frosu-
" pleasant, and thawed a little under
the genial influence of the time; dlmly
recognizing that kindliness at such
season might possibly be an enactment
of some old law of humanity which it
would be well for them not to resist
And if there was shadow OF doubt
on the subject-if any misguided per-
son still entertained the most infinitesi-
NAL particle of disbelief as to the fact
Laura Harrild. and the thing was set
tied There was nothing extraordinarily
handsome about Laura-she was simp-
" dear, loving woman. gemmed with
the graces of q happy, innocent youth.
WeiI-looking and well-formed. with a
pure mind and loving heart, pleas
ant gladneSs rested on her face. and
shed its influence on all around her.
Such women are the roses of the world:
happy the man who has one blooming
in the garden of his life:
ITO think said DR. Bax. as he sat
handling on mis- knee a privileged,
curly-headed youngster, ''to think of
those two children going to get mar
rid in three monthsi Why, Mr.. Har-
ried what on earth viii you do without
her?''
The person addressed. sober-look-
ing man of fifty. gazed thoughtfully at
Laura and William, who were sitting
among group of young people laugh
ing and chatting gayly.
Dear, dear." continued the doctor;
'.three months. And tomorrow We
shall be looking back to it. and saving
it was only Yesterday that they were
married. Life, indeed, is nothing but
breath of wind"
Il beg your pardon" interposed
Mr. Wymer. who was close By. with
the other two members of the firm; I
did not quite catch it, Doctor. You
were saying-'
That life was nothing but a breath
of wind repeated DR. Bax-
No such thing. sir: no such thing
exclaimed Mr.. Wymer. warmly. Life
breath of wind. indeed, Pooh-pooh,
doctor. you know nothing about it, If
everybody took such a light view of
it beg your pardon; you smiled"
1T sounded like a joke" said DIR.
Bax; taking such light view of it, you
said"
Il never joke" said Mr.. Wymer. sol
EMMY: land if / did hope I should
know myself better than to select q SUBJ
iect so serious. Irepeat, if everybody
took such a light view of life. what
would become of all its most important
relations? What would be the use of
making marriage settlements in favor
of breath of wind? What would be
the use of making ones will in favor
of breath of wind? What would be
ejectInent. pleas. interpleas. rules nisi.
and insoivencies9 What. in short,
would become of law?''
That is no breath of wind, / grant
you said the little doctor. good
humoredly: lit is grim reality. But I
spoke metaphorically."
Il beg your pardon. You spoke"
Metaphorically.
Il thought l was mistaken in the
word returned Mr.. Wymer. My
dear doctor. You surely can not be in
earnest Metaphorically! Of what
practical use is it to speak metaphoric-
ally? Speak legally, and you are all
right. Speak legally. act legally, live
legally. die legally, and you can 60 to
the other world with your title-deeds
in your hand, and take possession.
What find fault with in people nova
days" continued the lawyer. illustrat-
ing his points with his foreinger, lis,
that they diyerge from the proper
course of life. They are dreamy, sem
timental, metaphorical. impractical and
unbusiness-like Now there is no
dreaminess or sentimentality in law.
You must be business-like and practi-
cal. or you VIII get the worst of it.
You must be wide awake. my friend.
when YOU deal with law" And Mr..
Wymer emitted dry. chuckling laugh,
as though he were in the habit of deal
ing with many people who were I'M
business-like and impractical. and not
sufficiently wide awake. and who were
therefore always getting the worst OF
it
But the uncertainty of the law"
Doctor Bax ventured to remark.
That's the charm of il. replied
Mr.. Wymer. rubbing his hands pleas
antly with the geniality of his theme.
Il beg your PARDON" interrupted
DR.. Bax. purposely initiating the old
lawyer; you said that is the"
Charm of it.
Its uncertainty?'
Exactly. You never know where
to have it 1t will get the best of You
when You least expect it You may
study it for a hundred years, and it
may trip you, after all 1t is wonder
fully and beautifully complex
There are cases which have lasted
sixty or seventy years, are there not?"
asked DR.. Bax.
More, sir, more" replied Mr.. Wy
mer. gleefully. What could better IL
lustrate the laws amazing ingenuity,
its inexhaustible fertility. than such
cases? Think of the study, the speeches,
the learning. the arguments. that have
been used in one simple suit Think
of the BRIEFS
The fees the doctor put in. with
q knowing look
Mr.. Wymer, Miss Wymer and Mr..
Wow looked at each other, smiled. and
IL 49, e