Page images
PDF
EPUB

fanned by the wings of angels; and again he heard his own mother's voice," Right, my son, right.”

58. Days and even weeks passed away; and no new client made his appearance. The story of his having refused to take fees and defend his clients, got abroad; and many were the gibes concerning his folly. Lawyer Snapall declared that such weakness would ruin any man. The multitude went against the young advocate. A few, however, favorably noticed and remembered him.

Where is Vermont?

2.

QUESTIONS.-1. Where did this mother and son live? Where was the son? 4. What did the mother wish him to become? 5. Why did he not choose that profession? 6. What promise did she require? 10. Did he comply with her request? Where are the Green Mountains? 11. Where did the young man open his office? 12. Who entered his office one morning? 15. What did he want? 15. What did he lay on the table? What is a "retaining fee"? 20-26. What was the young man's case? 28. How did he expect to get clear? 35, 36. What did the lawyer say to him? 37. What did the fellow do? 39. What took place the next day? 41. What did his mother's voice seem to say again? 42-52. Relate what occurred some days after this. 54, 55. How did this man expect to get clear? 56. How much money did he offer the lawyer? 56. What did the lawyer say to him? 57. What did the man do? 58. What got abroad? 58. What were the consequences? - What rules are applicable in reading this lesson?

LESSON LXVI.

4. VIV'ID-LY, plainly, impressively. 5. EM-BAR'RASS-ED, perplexed, confused. 14. CIR-CUM-STAN'TIAL, arising from circumstances.

18. PLAUS'I-BLE, apparently right, specious. 19. EX'TRI-CATE to free from perplexity.

22. BE-QUEATH'ING, giving by will.
22. SIG'NA-TURE, a person's name signed to
any paper or instrument.

25. FORG'ER-Y, the act of counterfeiting.
29. AF-FI-DA'VIT, written testimony upon
oath before a magistrate.

ERRORS. Ab'sunce for ab'sence; sud'n-ly for sud'den-ly; fôrg'er-y for förgler-y; a-ginst' for a-gainst' (a-genst'); chäm'ber for cham'ber; o-bleege' for o-blige'.

THE YOUNG LAWYER.-Concluded.

1. THE young lawyer, still adhering to his integrity, at length received a note from Mrs. Henshaw, a widow lady, requesting him to call upon her at his earliest convenience, as she desired his assistance professionally. Accordingly, the uext morning he proceeded to obey the summons.

2. On reaching the house, he was received by a young lady of modest, yet easy manner. He inquired for Mrs. Henshaw, and the young lady said, "My mother is not well; but I will call her. Shall I carry your name, sir?"

3. "Loudon, if you please."

4. She cast a surprised look at him, and then left the room. In a few moments, a graceful, well-bred lady of about forty entered the room. She had a mild face and look, which brought his own mother so vividly to mind, that the tears almost started to his eyes.

5. "This is Mr. Loudon, the lawyer, I suppose," said she, somewhat embarrassed.

6. "That is my name,” replied he.

7. "Is there another attorney of your name in the place, sir ?” 8. "None that I know of. In what way can you command my services?"

9. The lady colored.

"I am afraid, sir, there is some mistake. I need a lawyer to look at a difficult case;

a man of principle, one whom I can trust. You were mentioned to me;- but -I expected to see an older man."

[ocr errors]

10. "If you will admit me," said Loudon, who began to grow nervous in his turn, "so far into your confidence as to state the case, I think I can promise to do no harm, even if I can do no good. And if, on the whole, you think it best to commit it to older and abler hands, I will charge you nothing, and engage not to be offended."

11. The mother looked at the daughter, and saw on her face an expression of confidence and hope. The whole after

noon was finally spent in examining the case. As they proceeded in their investigation, Loudon took notes and memoranda with his pencil.

12. "He will never do," thought Mrs. Henshaw; "for he takes every thing for granted and unquestioned; and though I don't design to mislead him, yet it seems to me as if he would take the moon for green cheese, were I to tell him so. He will never do."

[ocr errors]

13. She felt that her time and strength had been wasted. But how great was her surprise, when Loudon pushed aside the bundles of papers, and, looking at his. notes, again went over the whole ground. He placed the whole case in a clearer light than even she had ever before seen it.

14. He then added, "Mrs. Henshaw, I think yours is a cause of right and justice. Even if there should be a failure to convince a jury so that they would decide in your favor, there are so many circumstantial proofs, that I have no doubt that justice will be with you. If you please to intrust it to me, I will do the best I can."

15. "What do you say, Mary?" said the mother to the daughter. "You are as much interested as I am.

commit it to Mr. Loudon?"

Shall we

16. "You are the best judge; but it seems to me that he understands the case better than any one you have ever talked with."

17. "Well, Mr. Loudon, we will commit the whole affair to you. If you succeed we shall be able to reward you; and if you do not, we shall be no poorer than we have been."

18. For weeks and months Loudon studied the case, which was briefly this. Mr. Henshaw had been an active and highminded man of business. He dealt largely in iron, and had business with many different persons every day. Among others with whom he had dealings was a man by the name of Brown, a plausible, keen, and, as many thought, an unprincipled man.

[ocr errors]

19. But Henshaw, without guile himself, put full confidence in him. In a reverse of times, such as occurs once in

their affairs

about ten years, let who will be President, became embarrassed and terribly perplexed. In order to extricate his business, it was necessary for him to go to a distant part of the land, in company with Brown.

20. There he died, leaving a young widow, and an only child, Mary, then about ten years old, and his business in a very unsettled condition. By the kindness of the creditors,

their beautiful home, called Elm Glen, was left to Mrs. Hen, shaw and her daughter, while the rest of the property went to pay the debts.

21. But in less than four years from the death of Henshaw, Brown returned. "He had been detained by business and broken limbs," he said; and what was the amazement of the widow to have him set up a claim to Elm Glen as his property!

22. He said he had loaned Henshaw money, had been with him in sickness and death, and that on his death-bed Henshaw had made his will, bequeathing him Elm Glen as a payment for those debts. The will was duly drawn, signed by Mr. Henshaw's own signature, and also by two competent witnesses. 23. Every one was astonished at the claim, - at the will, at every thing pertaining to it. It was contested in court; but the evidence was clear. The validity of the will was established; and the poor widow lost her all.

24. With a sad heart, she packed up her simple wardrobe, and, taking her child, left the village, and went to a distant State to teach school. After an absence of six years, she suddenly and privately returned to her once loved village.

25. She had obtained some information by which she hoped to bring truth to light; for she had never believed that her husband ever made such a will in favor of Brown. To prove this will to be a forgery, was what Loudon was now to attempt.

26. An action was commenced; and Brown soon had notice of the warfare about to be carried on against him. Mr. Snapall was engaged for him, and was delighted to find that he had only that "white-faced boy" to contend with!

27. The day of trial at length came. Great was the excitement to hear the celebrated "will case " "; and every horse in the region was hitched somewhere near the court-house.

28. Young Loudon opened the case in a clear, concise, and masterly manner, just as it stood in his own mind, and proceeded with the evidence to prove the will to be a forgery. It was easy to show the character of Brown to be one of great

AA *

[ocr errors]

iniquity, and that for him to do this was only in keeping with that general character.

29. He produced an affidavit of one of the witnesses of the will, taken on his death-bed, which stated that the will was a forgery, and that he and the other witness had been hired by Brown to testify and swear that the will was genuine. So far all was clear; and when the testimony closed, it seemed plain to all that the case was won.

30. But Mr. Snapall soon demolished all these hopes by proving that, though the affidavit was signed by James Johnson as Justice of the Peace, yet his commission had expired the very day before he signed the paper; and, although he had been reappointed, yet he had not been legally qualified to act as a magistrate; and the law, for very wise reasons, demanded that an affidavit should be taken only by a sworn magistrate.

31. He was most happy, he said, to acknowledge the cool assurance of his young brother in the law; and the only dif ficulty was, that he had proved nothing, except that his tender conscience permitted him to offer, as an affidavit, a paper that was in law not worth a straw, if any better than a forgery itself.

but

32. There was much sympathy felt for poor Loudon ;. he took it very coolly, and seemed no way cast down. Mr. Snapall now brought on the surviving witness to the will. He was a shabby, gallows-looking fellow; but his testimony was clear, decided, and consistent.

33. If he was committing perjury, it was plain that he had been well drilled by Snapall. Mrs. Henshaw and Mary now gave up all for lost; but Loudon turned the will over, and looked at it again and again. He acted something as a dog does when he feels sure he is near the right track of the game, though he dare not yet bark.

34. "You take your oath," said Loudon, cross-examining the witness, "that this instrument, purporting to be the will of Henry Henshaw, was signed by him in your presence?"

« PreviousContinue »