Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-03-26

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are like those ancient barbarians. They
class all lawyers in one great group.
They call them vipers and destroyers.
busybodies and fomenters OF strife.
IT'S true, some lawyers Of the past
generation may have been bad. yet
there have always been honest lawyers,
and have we not right to desire a
succession OF them-men who will
worthly wear the mantle OF the old
fashioned Christian lawyer as well as
men to don the honored robes of the
old fashioned Christian doctors and
Christian ministers?
The Old Fashioned Family Lawyer.
Who was the chief hope of the old
grandfather In time Of great family
trorble? The family lawyer. You
think OF the old mans son AZ an hon.
orable man. He was after he married
and settled down. When he died he
was respected by the community In
which he lived. He was loved by
every one. But If I should go back In
the family history could find time
when he was not what he was when
you knew him. Once as a young man
he was led into an awful temptat ton.
He would have been sent to the penl-
Tertiary had his crime been dealt with
in the courts. But that Christian law
yer went to the district attorney and
pleaded with him for mercy. He him
self signed the bail bond. He himself
went to the Judge and had the matter
fixed up. You never knew. The world
never knew. The old father and moth
er knew. The young man knew. The
Christian lawyer knew. Who was It
when the young girl went astrny per-
suaded her parents TO take her back
and restore her to the Preside of
pure home? Who was it when your
father in anger wanted to disinherit
you on account of your escapades per-
suaded him to let bygones be bygones
+ and let the children share and share
alike? 1t was the Christian lawyer
who did all these things. Oh. the in
finite influence for good of the old
fashioned Christian lawyer! Is there
any young man willing to take UP the
fallen mantle of the old fashioned
Christian lawyers who worked for
Christ and who did just as valiant
service f their Divine Master as did
their contemporaries. the Christian doc
tor and the gospel Minister
VIII you. as future lawyers. try to
save men instead of for mercenary re-
wards or for fame trying TO destroy
men? Will you be like the great and
| AoOd Judge Nye, who was many years
ago appointed one of the judges Of the
| New York bench? one day young
boy was brought before him for steal
ing He inquired into the case. and he
| found that the boy had formerly been
J an honest boy. but his mother was
| starving, and he stole bread for her to
eat Judge Nye sent for the district
attorney and said: This boy has suf
| fered enough. You must not prose
cute him." But the district attorney
said: II Will prosecute him. Let his
! lawyer save him if he can" Then
! Judge Nye said: II will appoint his
counsel. | will be his lawyer At the
/ trial he turned to the jury and said
Gentlemen of the jury, look at this
boy Is there one among you who Will
blast his life and refuse to give him
another chance in the world?" OF
course the jury acquitted him. Then
Judge Nye's influence got the lad ap-
pointed to the Naval academy at An.
napolis. Years later this judge be-
came Senator James Nye Of Nevada.
He was in Washington. He was being
entertained in the White House. and
there at the presidents table one Of
the most honored heroes Of Admiral
| Farraguts fleet came up and grasped
| his hand as he said, Senator Nye, do
you know me?" NO" answered the
great senator. "Well, sir, am the boy
you saved from jail and sent to the
boy was worth saving? Do you believe
that lad ought 20 have been saved ?
Then, We living lawyers, go forth and
do likewise. In Christ's name lift up
the fallen mantles of the old fashioned
Christian lawyer even as Elisha took
up the fallen mantle Of the prophet
Elijah.
The Old Fashioned Merchant.
Would that had time to speak at
length about the fallen mantle of the
old fashioned Christian merchant, but
| have not. The old fashioned Chris.
tian merchants heart was not naturally
very much different from the heart OF
the modern merchant, but that heart
was every day brought into close touch
with the lives Of his employees. There
fore his employees joys We're his Joys,
and their SORROWS were his sorrows.
Now the modern store or factory 10 a
great human beehive. Unless the mod.
ern merchant makes a special effort
each day to work for Christ among bis
employees he can never hope to do the
work for Christ which the old fash
his employees. Why, there are 10
many that he does not know the IN, nor
do they know him. Thus there Is ig-
norance on both sides
o modern merchants. are You ready
to do this iSdividual work for the Mas
ter among those who are working for
you day by day? DO not say you have
no opportunity. Give the boy that
comes into your employ kindly greet
Ing. Ask him about his home and
friends, Gain his confidence and let
him regard you as his friend. He will
rerve you all the better for II, and you
may save him from the temptations Of
the city. The merchant who seeks op-