The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-12

important engagements may prevent his
coming into court when your suit is
| booked. but IL he doesn't you can't say
| anything, you just pay him for being
alive. that's ALL
Well. while l was standing there revel-
ling in all things visible within my radius.
through the yellow mist. espied IA
miliar figure.
WIPED OUT HER TINY FIs.
Ard behold It was my barrister come
to make my fib the truth!
He was mildly astonished to find me
there. Only mildly though. for he is pre-
pared for any eccentricity from an Amer
lean. but he was interested to hear that I
intended interviewing the Law Courts and
volunteered TO show me anything there
was to see. and TO answer all questions.
Amy suffragettes TO be tried to-day?
I queried blithely. as We mounted the wide
staircase.
"Oh. no: they are never tried here. No
criminal cases are. you know. except
when special appeals are made after Judg-
ment has been pronounced. All that sort
Of thing is at the Old Bailey"
was disappointed and climbed up sew
a barrister brushed past US:
why the wigs and gowns
I'm sure l don't know" answered the
Man of Law. They've always been worn
and always will be-sort of relic Of the
time when there were uniforms for all
professions. probably"
Too bad the solicitors can't wear
them" ! remarked. They do seem TO be
out Of the game. somehow"
oh. well. really. they're Just solicitors.
you see-haven't been called to the bar"
sARRIsTER is THE CLASS"
Note the seniority and dignity OF that
my dears. Solicitors grow sleek and pros
porous over cases which drag along and
are handed down from father TO son.
and harristers get emaciated sitting n
Chambers, waiting for briefs that never
come; but. mark you, the barrtster is the
aristocrat of the law and the solicitor
the mere scavenger.
Then there passed a barrister who had
put on his wig in such a hurry and quite
without L mirror. poor dear! 1t rested
jauntily over the left eye and two of the
tapering. stringy curls were caught up in
a sort OF topknot.
nearly giggled. but you can't in the
Law Courts.
NV barrister guardian didn't seem to
see anything funny in the expression of
that wig which blew by. He merely re-
marked informatively:
Jolly expensive these wJgs-ten guineas
to buy and half a guinea every time you
have them cleaned"
We'll, I neverI' / exclaimed, apprais-
ing another, near us. What are they
made of. anyhow"
Real human hair replied the man of
law.
/ looked at him. but he meant II. He
really believed It; but I assure you those
wigs haven't got a human hair in their
midst. They're horsehair. or goats hair
or camers hair. but that is all
THE PRICE OF DIGNITY.
Imagine paying $50 50 for one in its pris-
tine state. and 81 80 every time It is
cleaned. which. in grimy London. must
be at least once a month.
Outrageous, 1 call 1t. but it's the pen
atty for being the aristocrat of the pro-
fession.
The broad stairs led up to a gallery
which runs around the Central Hall, and
all along this are rooms where the differ
ent courts are held-those courts which
used to be scattered all over London.
until, after about a century of discus
sion, they were united under one hos
pitable roof.
There's the Kings Bench Division,
the Court OF Chancery. the Probate, Dr.
vorce and Admiralty Court. and the Court
Of eaiI
do you want to see?"
The Court of Chancery is Just about
mine" I answered, fiippantly, for I had
a sort Of idea the Lord Chancellor would
be there with his golden mace and the
Great Seal, which stamps all documents,
and the Privy Purse. and the Petty Bags
and all the other official what-nots that
are mentioned with bsted breath.
HOPED FOR REAL WARDS"
And I also hoped that there might be
Wards in Chancery. sitting about waiting
to get out Of the hands of the Law, for.
mind you. though criminal cases in Eng
land are settled with the greatest expe-
dition. civil suits and chancery cases still
drag along through the mists Of years.
All right. here We are"
Up three steps We climbed and into
a square, vaulted chamber with wooden
benches facing a sort of dais on which
was a Judge, a most beautiful judge. in
a chaste and spotless wig poised on the |
right part of his Uranium. and a volu-
minous black robe.
Below him were rows of wiggy bar
risters and unwisgy solicitors. and fur |
Their back Just plain people.
Hush" said court usher, sternly, !
as We entered. Tough We didn't make a |
sound. He wss.a Uriah Heep sort of
person In blaI-; bath robe. and 1 no.
tieed he continued to say Hush" me-
overy FIVE or ten minutes-l
Just to earn his money. I suppose. for