The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-06-29


stood in the awful presence OF Coun-
sellor Enoch Slaughter. He sat at his
plain, iat-topped desk with a pad OF
yellow legal cap before him; TO right
and left, on chairs and floor. were law
books. spread open with leaves
turned down and pages marred
by imterlineations and marginal notes.
The counsellor's fnsy, black, work.
ing coat was hunched up around his
neck: his narrow string tie was uno@r
his left ear; the rim of red hair, which
gave his bald spot an insular rather
than continental aspect, stood erect
and defiant, like the British Grenadlers
at Waterloo. Evidently had disturbed
the lion at the most dangerous moment
when he was uigesting.
80 you are the young sprig," Mr..
Slaughter shouted squirting his small,
infiamed eyes at me like an ogre about
TO crunch, who wants to study law
with us? Hey? Well. 50 you shall, but
after the good old fashion. We have no
higher education fimfiams here; you
must get down to first principles. Just
take that pile of books TO the bindery,
and when you return sweep down the
steps"
l obeyed. though the thoughts OF my
dignity as "a senior at the university
but a year ago surged i'm my breast.
Thenceforward, such legal erudition as
/ acquired with Messrs. Slaughter A.
Marchmont came through indirect as
similation.
Judge Marchmont, Enoch Slaughter's
partner whose private office was on the
other side of the large middle room
which we clerks occupied as slaveys in
common, was a pOrtly gentleman, gem
erous of smile and FUZZY as suavc in
manner as the other was brisk in af-
fairs. His mental poise always seemed
on tiptoe. lest he nSght inadvertently
tread on ones feelings. | used 10 won
der, at first why he had chosen the
law rather than the ministry for pro-
fession. One day L heard the partners
quarrelling. One would think from the
quarreling over the division OF a re-
tainer, that Is, l heard Mr.. Slaughter
ferocious sounds that IL Judge March
mont escaped with the skin OF his
teeth that would be all the integument
he would have left. In "A few momehts,
however, he emerged from Mr.. SlaD0N-
ter's Office and passed over into his own
as rosy and beaming as the dawn, and
as WidedWake. As our gaze met, IL
seemed 70 me that his left eyelid quiv-
cred. not fortuitously. At all events
Judging from the size of the check
which he presently sent me 10 the bank
10 deposit. he had secured considerably
more than an equitable share OF the
fee. In time l came TO have no more
doubts as to the prudence OF his choice
OF vocation than he evidently enter
tained himself.
Such being the pecuiiarities of the
partners it naturally occurred that II
was the judges part to receive clients
and make arrangements with them. He
was wont to explain his assumption OF
this duty in parable. saying that to his
mlnd there were inherent difficulties in
conducting a delicate negotiation i'm A
ten-acre lot. and that Brother Slaugh-
ter never could remember that he
wasn't on his native hills summoning
the hands TO dinner; OF all of which /
had the following practical illustration:
one day when L was asserting
blanks In the middle room,
little old man, whom
recognized as Mr.. Midas, the richest
man In our town. popped in i'm mani
fest state of nervous agitation. / had
scarcely communicated the untoward
intelligence that the Judge was out
when he plunged incontInently into Mr..
Siaughter's Office, where that worthy
was engrossed i'm piling up skyscraper
OF a brief for the dumfoundng OF the
court OF appeals. 1t Is easy TO antici.
pate an explos on when one sees nitro
giycerine needlessly disturbed and /
must say that quaked i'm my seat as |
listened. This lis what 1 heard:
squire Slaughter Squire Slaughter"
piped Mr.. Midas's shrill voice: I've got
case-the greatest case ever brought
Iheres $4,000 in IL for you. down at
once-$lO,0O0 4 you'll only take IL; III
draw my check this very moment;
i'll''--
"Blankety blank YOU" roared Mr.
slaughter. DO you think I've cot
nothing else TO do than TO hear YOU
piatner ABOUT money? Tell me I'm a few
words just what You want, or get ou;
Tor blank blank, old IDIOT
me door opened. and poor Mr. Midas
neu tnrough precipitately, with his
hdnds In the air, crying. "Oh. a dread
lui man What dreadful man." and
ii. u IsW moments ! heard the squire
uisoorddntly humming "Tha shining
Shore over has work, like a SAVING
run out OF oil but I'm him a sign az
r. high good humor
The next day Mr. Midas was hack
again, but In Judge Marchmont's office
Wnlch ne entered gingerly and with
many a fearsOmc glance, and where =
am sure, he met with no opposition
IN drawing as large check as be-
chose. "'
Now why did a millionaire like Mr.
Midas. modern type of the Biblical
centurion, run the risk of nervous col
lapse by returning? Simply because
both Bench and Bar conceded that Mr.
Slaughter. though no favorite with
either was the best all-around LAWYER
IN the state. He was lndefa tigablc
fearless. faithful, persistent and eru-
dlte: perfect tower of offence or de-
renee for n lttigant-rough. uncultured
unlovable. but strong He won his
cases by fighting. asking no favors and
granting none; and no matter how des-
perate mans affairs might be. they
were popularity supposed to b. i'm "A fair
way of recovery as soon as "a became
known that Squire Slaughter had them
in charge.
Labor was his delight When not i'm
court ne was I'm his Office. unless per-
forming his two domestic duties OF eat
Ing and sleeping. Ills law library was
one of the finest I'm the country The
book dealers had standing orders 20
send him everything published on his
chosen subject He was cons ssrvative
I'm his way. conforming his methods
with those OF the rural attorney with
whom he had studied as n hoy by rum
ming chores. and caring little for cleri-
cal help or mechanical labor saving de-