The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-08-26
WATCH FOR A CHANCE.
And Whom 1t Comes Make Good
Use of 1t.
An Illustration of a Lost Opportunity as
Rcistcd by n Successful Man-How a
Famous New York Lawyer
Got Eis start.

Not long ago four old friends sat
down to little dinner together in New
York. One of them was a famous
lawyer. They naturally fell to talking
over old times, and, as men of fifty are
rather apt to do, whether rightly or
not, they agreed that young men now
adays are not what they used to be.
Il have had striking illustration of
that fact to-day" said the lawyer, with
a shrug of impatience. "A young fell
low has had desk in my Office for per-
haps six months. He seemed bright
and came to me with recommended
ton from man in whom | have conf
dencc. He said that if / would only
give him a chance, that was all he
wanted. He was willing to do any
thing, and all that sort of talk. Well,
nothing but routine work has happened
to come in to be thrown into that'boy's
way, until about a week ago, when i
was short for time to look up some
points about an important case
which is taking up most of our
attention at the office Just now.
Here. thought |, is the chance for our
Young friend. Let's sec if there is any
staff in him sat down by him and
~-y'Auiuca tnat shooAa Nike him to
hunt up all the evidence he could find
bearing on this subject. After having
made the thing as plain as the nose on
a mans face, / added: Now, if You
want to know anything further about
this matter come right to me. There
is no Immediate hurry | said, as |
turned away: but inside of a week we
shall want everything connected with
this point of the case put into perfect
order He said: AN right, sir, and |
dropped the whole affair off my mind.
for have been completely absorbed in
an entirely different part of the same
ease. To-day it occurred to re that
hadn't heard anything from him, and
that by tomorrow or next day the pa
pcrs ought to be in hand. | went
around and asked him how he was get
ting on. He told me, with considerable
hesitation, that he had been meaning
to come and tell me INTELLECTUALLY
~cXactlv-understoo and so forth.
Then why didn't You come to me. as /
told YOU to do?' asked MIN, pretty
shortly. He stammercd out a lot more
about its being big job FOR little fell
low of his incxperiencc; and then /
fairly roarcd: 4 was trying to give YOU
some experience" Then got away as
fast as | could. | was afraid that
l should say something that /
should be sorry for. But that young
man is done for as far as | am con-
ccrncd. | shall get rid of him as soon
as possibly can. What chance he
had, Just such chance as had at his
acc-only | seized it. ! knew it was a
chance. This fellow acted as though
he didn't know a chance when he saw
it
''iIow was it that you got your
start?" asked one of the party. 81
dc2't believe you ever told us"
"Oh. il isn't mach of "A story said
tie great lawyer. modcstly: but it
r.scant a good deal to me just the same.
4 was fixed something as this boy is
tae one have been telling you about
IN the Office of law firm who were do
inr "a big business. ] had had clerk S
Eso.'l; for about six months, and was be-
inning 10 think that l never should
N4itAiNN ~ Ntp AiiiAE Nie'Ns Attot1Fs IL
I h.d seize every opportunity that
could make or find to tell the head men
OF the firm that was ready to try nv
hand at anything they had mind to
give me. Summertime came around,
81l things were as dull as dull. Yhe
rest v'erc all going off on their vaca-
tiCas, and at last my turn came.
packed my trunk carly in the morning,
and had written my friends to expect
me by the first train that left that city
after Office hours thai night | felt
pretty blue when l wrote, too. knew
obey would ask me how was getting
on, and | wasn't getting on At all,
had made up my mind that / had been
a fool to think ever should be able 90
do any law business anyway. thought,
with some show of reason. that if |
really had any stuff in me some Of these
smart men at the Office would have
found it out by this time and would
have given me something to do.
Well, noon passed, and it ran along
TO three o'clock. II was a hot day,
and | Vyas baerinniDr 70 th;pl