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THE LAWYER’S STORY. No lawyer likes going into court with a thoroughly bad case, yet how can he help it sometimes? I should have more patience’with the question : “ Do’you ever thiuk it right to defend a man whom you believe guilty?” were it less frequently put by people who spend six days of the week seeking to get the upper hand of their neighbors, and the seventh in trying to circumvent their Maker, honest enquirer, I commend the answer Dr. Johnson once gave to Dos worth : “Sir, the lawyer is not the judge.” Was it my place when George Gil beit's little care-worn wife came, with tears glistening in hyr eyes, to beseech me to do what I could for her imprison ed husband, virtually to turn my back and leave her tired, troubled heart to break or not as it might? I was neither a priest nor a Lcvite to find a ready ex cuse for passing by on the other side. Yet what could I do? George Gilbert had been sent on a collecting tur and had gambled away money received for his employers. It was a plain case of embezzlement, and the penalty was a term of years in the state’s prison. “ I am sure he never meant to be dis honest,” pleaded the loyal little woman. “He was tempted by a crafty and tie signing man, but instead of running away, as others would have done, be came back and confessed bis fault, offer ing to let bis whole salary go toward making up the lost money till every cent was paid. Mr. Meek, the junior partner, was willing to be merciful, but Mr. Mangle, the head of the house, who had returned then after a year’s absence, insisted that the law should take its course/* I gave her what poor consolation I could, for lawyers, like doctors, must keep their patients’ courage up at times. “In the first place, I'll see Messrs. Mangle & Meek,’ I said. ‘‘Mr. Man gle may be brought to hear reason, after all, if he can only be made to see his in terest in it. Tire pale, despondent face cheered up a little. My words seemed to inspire a sort of undefined hope that I was far from feeling myself. Mr. Mangle received me with stony politeness. “ Young man,” said he, “dou't waste time in appeals to sentiment: you wont if you’ll just look at me.” “ I took the hint and came at once to business, repeated Gilbert’s offer, and put it as strong as possible that more was to be gained by leniency than harshness —all of which Mr. Mangle listened to with a conscientious scowl. ' “ I cannot be a party to compounding a felony,” he answered with a solemn intonation. “ Nor have I asked you,” I replied, not a little nettled. “ I have mentioned a plan of paying your own, leaving it to your generosity to press this prosecu- tion.” “ Oh, it’s all the same !” was the con temptnous rejoinder; “anybody but a lawyer with his head full ofquibsand quiffles, could see that. Besides, there is something rather cool in the proposal to retain your friend in our employ, un der pretense of working out the money lie has stolen with the opportunity of filching twice as much in the meantime.” I felt my temper rising, and not car ing to imperil my client's interests by an outright quarrel, I took a hasty leave. Had I been in the prisoner's place on the morning fixed for the trial, I could hardly have ascended to the courthouse steps with more reluctance than 1 did. And when I entered the courtroom and found Gilbert and his w ife already there, and noted the hopeful look with which the latter greeted my coming, my heart sickened at the thought of the bitter dis appointment coming. “ The people vs. Gilbert,” called out the judge, after disposing of some for mal matters. A jury was immediately impanneled aud the case opened by the district at torney. Mr. Meek was the first witness. The nervous, hesitating manner in which he gave his evidence would have greatly damaged its effect had it not evidently arisen from a disposition to do the pris oner as little hurt as possible. But no softening could break the terrible force of facts he was compelled to relate. In his partner’s absence he had em ployed George Gilbert as clerk; had found him competent and trustworthy ; had sent him on a trip to make collec tions ; on his return he had acknowledg ed that, after receiving a considerable sum, he was induced by a respectable looking man, with whom he had casual- ly fallen in, to join a social gameofcards; at first they played for amusement, then VOL III—NO. 24. for money, and after losing all his own, in hope of retrieving his loss, with the fatal infatuation of. that dreadful vice whose end is destruction, he had hazard ed and lost the last dollar of moucy he had in trust for his employers. Mr. Meek's voice faltered as he closed his narrative. He was going to volun teer something about the prisoner’s good character, when a disapproving glance from Mr. Mangle brought him to a halt. Just then the prisoner chanced to turn his head, and, catching a glimpse of the senior partner, who had just entered and was standing among the crowd, lie start ed quickly, then whispered hurreidly in my car. “ Turn aside your face,” I whispered back. And the case for the prosecution being closed — “Have you any witness for the de fense?” inquired the judge. “ I w ill call Hezekiah Mangle,” 1 re plied. A buzz of surprise greeted the an nouncement, in the midst of which Mr. Mangle stepped forward and was sworn. “ You have been absent for the past year, Mr. Mangle?” I began. “ I have.” “Traveling in different parts?” “ Yes, sir.” “ The prisoner was employed by your partner in your absence, and was arrest ed about the time of your return?” “Such was the case.” “ Have you ever seen him?” “ Not to my knowledge.” “Or met him in your travels?” “ If he will turn his head this way I can tell better.” At my bidding Gilbert turned and faced the witness. The effect was eleetrie.nl. Mr. Mangle turned red and pale by turns. “ Oue other question, Mr. Mangle,” I resumed. “Do you recognize iu the prisoner a young man from whom you won SI,OOO at ‘poker’ while on your travels?” and I named the time and place at which the prisoner had met with the misfortune. The man of iron nerve hesitated worse than his more amiable partner had done. He was halting between a point-blank lie, which might entail the penalty of perjury, and the truth, w hich would cost him money. Cowardice performed the office of con science, and the truth came out. The firm’s money, which George Gilbert had lost had been won by the senior partner, and the court instructed thejury that, as the sum in question had actually been delivered to one of the joint owners, who was bound to account to h ; s, associates, the prisoner could not be convicted. “God bless you. Mr. Parker!” falter ed the happy little wife. “ I kuew you would bring us out all right.” It. was evident the truthful woman’s nature gave me all the credit of a result iu w hose achievment my share had been next to nothing. The lesson was not lost on George Gil bert. His first false step was the last* and the richest fee I ever received was the heartfelt gratitude of his noble, faith ful wife. After the circus parade two small boys met on the street. One of them, his face glowing with excitement, said : “ Oh, Johnny ! did } r ou see that fel low with the snakes around his neck ?” No word from Johnny. “ Yer seen the man in tins lion's den, uncourse ?” No word or sign from Johnny, save and except a cloud upon his brow. “ Well, yer seen the ponies with the red blankets on, didn’t yer ?” “ Naw, and I didn’t,” said Johnny, at last bursting into tears. “I had to stay at home and tend our baby, but I can lick the stuffin’ out of 3 - ou !” At one of the Whitfield Sunday Schools a teacher was instructing her class about the Prophets. She said why don't we have prophets now ? and asked any boy who could answer it to hold up his right hand. A little hand of a six year old went up quickly. “Well, my little man, why is it we do not have prophets now ?” “ Because, ma’m, my papa says the times are so hard and so many men have gone into selling goods that profits are knocked higher than a kite. HARTWELL GA., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1878. vIDLEmS IN THE SOUTH. While we nr bewailing the results of the war, and clamoring for more capital and currency, and making feeble efforts to induce the tide of immigration to flow ! in this direction, it may he well to pause awhile and examine ourselves in a mir ror of our own fashioning. Avery care less glance will suffice to show us the situation of affairs. We will perceive at once that oue of the greatest evils with which the south is afflicted is idle ness. Wo may attribute it to the de moralization and coufusion of the war or to any other cause that may suggest itself; or we may attempt to excuse it. But the disheartening fact remains. We have too many idlers among us. Their name is legion. Every village, every town and every city in the south has its proportion, large or small, according to the population. It would be better, perhaps, to suggest a remedy for this state of things, rather than to search for the cause or deplore the fact; but it is to be feared that the remedy can only be found in a system of education, fortified by home instruc tion, that shall impress our young men not only with the necessity but with the dignity of labor; and yet this process must he so slow in its developments and so gradual in its results that it can scarce ly be regarded as a practical remedy. In the meantime, the idlers amongst us arc playing their monotonous vocation of do ing nothing. One has only to go through the north —through the New England States —where the drones are compara tively unknown —to appreciate the na ture and extent of the idleness that ex ists in the south. We make no distinc tion of race or color here. The negro comes nohiv up to the standing of his languid white brother in this business, and succeeds, by closely, following the examples set, iu making quite an artist ic loafer. If these idlers injured no one save themselves, they would still be in the way ; hut as it is, their example is de moralizing to the rising generation. The contempt which they show for hon est labor is too apt to be contagious, and their influence, where they have any at all, is altogether in the direction of evil. They are a burden to the commu nity, and an absolute hindrance to our industrial progress. Their very pres ence is a sort of disaster to the south. Even in Atlanta —as active, progressive and growing a city as it is—men can be found upon the street-corners —men who have been famous as loafers for twenty five years —men who have nothing to do and desire to to do nothing, and young men will he found who are fol lowing in the footsteps of the profession als, and who will be ready to take the places of the latter when they fade away into the oblivion of inertia. The evil is even worse in other cities and towns in the south, and while it calls loudly for reform, the question is, how is it to he reformed? The idlers are with us; how are we to get rid of j them? They are rubbing their shoul ders against the warm corners, gaping at the bustle and stir around them and wondering in an indolent sort of way, why people will take the trouble to earn | their own living. They behold with careless indifference the progress of the country, the inauguration of new enter prises and the results of energy, but thej' take no part in it. The stagna tion of idleness would scorn to bestir red by either intellectual or industrial activity. Go into the country towns, ! and there you find a due proportion of idlers—men who from one year’s end to another lead the lives of semi-re spectable vagabonds. In winter time they seek the sunny-side of the street corner or sit around the bar-room doors and discuss politics. In the summer, they sit in the shade of buildings that industry' has reared, whittle dry goods boxes, and continue to discuss politics. Ilosea Bigelow was also a politician in his way, but when he had said his say, i: is probable that he returned to his work, but our street-corner politi cians go on forever. They are now en gaged in a discussion that had its origin before the war, and it will continue with increasing ferocity from year's end to year’s end. Unlike Hamlet, they protest against all forms of thrift, and I live their small lives with no other am bition than to nurse their own littleness. Where is the reformer who will lift these men to the level of self-respect.— Atlanta Constitution. The loafers are not confined alone to the cities, towns and villages of the south. Visit the country stores, shops still houses, and doggeries, and you will find the political loafers there dis j cussing political and other matters that are of no benefit to anyone. Another curse upon the country is the little five shooter pistols which are to be had at most stores at $2.00. You can scarcely pick up a newspaper without seeing an account of an accidental or intentional killing of someone by these little * devil’s aids. Every good citizen should feel in duty bound to report to the | Graud Jury every man or boy who dis graces himself by carrying such wicked, cowardly, death-dealing weapons. A Strange “ Bed-Feller Owensboro ( Ky .) Messenger. During the last cold snap, one of our farmers chose a certain day to kill his hogs, which was, to use his own lan guage, “ a leetle too cold.” The hogs froze on the pole as fast as they were hung up, and after all were killed the boys took several warm toddies, and the old man, who was already staggering, stumbled off into a back room and was soou fast asleep in the wrong bed. About eight o’clock a neighbor, who bail been helping, concluded to go home, and as be went out stopped to examine the hogs on the poles, which he found ns cold as stones. Taking one of the smallest down, he lugged it around the house to the back door, carried it into the old man’s room and throwing back the bed clothes, laid it snugly up to the old man spoon fashion, then covered them up and left. About 11 o’clock the old man awoke, and instantly yelled out: “Dave, Dave! Oh, Dave!” Dave was still busy engaged at euchre iu the other room, but answered : “ What the devil do you want with me?” “Come here quick with a light—run here ! Your poor mother is dead and cold as h—1!” Caught. An ardent lover not long since sent his betrothed a present of diamonds worth about one hundred pounds. Wish ing to enjoy the gratification of his bride, he followed closely on the heels of his present, and finding no one in the parlor, esconeed himself in a win dow behind the curtains. Presently a whole bevy of girls fluttered into the room, and all began talking at once about Louise’s luck. “She ought to be happy, to be sure. But do you know what she told me just now ? Why, that she had rather have the present without the gentleman who gave it.” “It can’t be ; she never said so!” “She certainly did ; and there she is —ask her for yourself. Louise, didn’t you tell me you would rather have the jewels alone, without Mr. Melier ?” “Yes, I did say so; but that’s be tween ourselves.” “Much obliged to you, mademoiselle,” exclaimed Mr. Melier, coining forward, “ you shall not have either.” So saying, lie coolly put the splendid present under his arm and walked off, leaving the ladies in an embarrassment “easier conceived than expressed.” Served her right. “ My Boy.” Some years ago the late Horace Mann, the eminent educator, delivered an address at the opening of some re formatory institution for hoys, during which lie remarked that if only one boy was saved from ruin, it would pay for all the cost and care arid labor of establishing such an institution as that. After the exercises had closed, in private conversation, a gentleman ral lied Mr. Mann upon his statement, and said to him : Did yon not color that a little, when you said that all the expense and labor would be repaid if it only saved one boy ?” “ Not if it was my boy," was the sol emn and convincing reply. WHOLE NO. 128. A Venerable Matron. On Sunday, the 26th nit., says the Augusta Chronicle, Mrs. Elizabeth Leopard, relict of Thomas Leopard, died in Graniteville, S. C., at the ven erable age of 107 years. She was born in Buckingham County, Va., on the “25th of December, 1771, and emigra ted to South Carolina when she was seventeen years of age, and lived near Ninety-Six. She raised twenty-two or phan grandchildren and great-grand children. At the funeral was her only surviving son, over eighty years of age. Around her grave stood this son, a grandchild fifty-six years old, several great-grandchildren over forty years of age, great-great-grandchildren twenty five years old, and a number of great great-great-grandchildren—five genera tions in all. There are living at pres ent eighty of her decendants, and two hundred and ten have died, making altogether nearly three hundred. Last fall Mrs. Leopard knitted two pairs of stockings for one of her grandchildren. She read the Bible, without spectacles, the Sunday before she died, and con versed with friends and relatives almost up to the very moment of her death, passing away gently and without pain, from old age. Old-Time Conversions. Wartrly Magazine. Some things have changed. Conver sions in the time of Jesus, the author of our religion, was not a mental exercise or an intelligent process. It was chang ing one's way of living, dropping a style of conduct and taking up another style, in imitation of a man who lived that other style. Conversion to-day is a se ries of mental exercises which arc sup posed to ultimate in a better mode of acting. In the olden time the mode of acting preceded the mental exercise. The man of to-day feels so-and-so, or tliiuks he does, and therefore does so-and so ; the man in the day of Christ began to do certain deeds, and, as the result, felt rightly. The right action preceded the happy feeling. We have got the cart ahead of the horse, and look for happy feelings before we have done that righteousness which alone cun bring hap piness of mind. The joy of the Lord is only known to those who live the life of the Lord in its goodness. A Good Old Story. A genuine Yankee in San Francisco having bored a new-comer with every conceivable question relative to his ob ject in visiting the gold country, his hopes, his means and lib prospects, at length asked him if he had a family. “ Yes, sir; I have a wife and six chil dren, and I never saw one of them.” After this reply the couple sat a few minutes in silence ; then the interroga tor again commenced: “Was you ever blind, sir?” “No, sir.” “Did you marry a widow ?” “No, sir.” An other interval of silence. “ Did I un derstand you to say, sir, that you had a wife and six children in New York, and had never seen one of them ?’’ “ Yes, sir, I so stated it.” Another and a longer pause. Then the interrogator again inquired: “ How can it be, sir, that you never saw one of them ?” “Why,” was the reply, “one of them was born after I left!” A Singular Community. Judge Jackson, of Georgia, writing from lowa to the Advocate says : In lowa, some hundred miles before you reach Missouri, there is a singular community, composed of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred peo ple, called Icarians and their village Icaria. They eat in common, having one dining room, one mill for grinding, one property in lands, are one in all things save in wives. Every man is required to marry. Unlike the Mor mon, he can have but one wife. They elect a president annually, who rules the community and apportions the profits. They are French in descent, and have been located at Icaria for some thirty years or more. This advertisement is found in a number of the Boston Evening Post, edited by Thomas Fleet, in 1775: “To be sold, by the printer of this paper, the very best negro woman in this town. She lias had the small-pox and measles, is as hearty as a horse, as brisk a3 a bird, and will work like a beaver.” Savannah River Improvement. ChrunieU * ConttiftionaHtt. At the last session of Congress lion. A. 11. Stephens procured the passage of a bill authorizing a survey of the Savannah river above Augusta. This survey was made a few months since by Mr. Jas. P. Carson, under the di rection of General Q. A. Gilmore. A full account of Mr. Carson’s work waa published in the Chronicle as soon as it wns performed, in which it was sliowu that a small cost the river conld be made navigable for steam vessels to a point one hundred and fifty miles above Augusta. Yesterday lion. W. 15. Young received a letter from Mr. Carson, in which the latter stated that General Gilmore would forward his report to the War Department with a favorable re commendation. We know that Mr. Stephens will do everything in his power to procure the appropriation needed for the commencement of the work, but we hope lie will receive the active assist ance of all the Congressmen from Georgia and Sout h Carolina. The con templated improvement will be of equal benefit to the two States and should be warmly supported by the Representa tives from both. We fear that the shortness of the session may defeat the measure this year, but properly direct ed efforts may procure the passage of the appropriation before the day of ad journment. A Sad Thought. The destrustion of human life for the past twelve months has been appaling. In China it is estimated that over seven millions of persons have died of star vation, and the wars that have been rag ing in the various nations have carried oil' two hundred thousand, while in our country the yellow fever scourge has made nearly fifteen thousand more new graves. Death is never a welcome vis itor, nevertheless it sooner or later m kes its call at each of our doors. A life sptnt in virtuous struggles and noble deeds has its rewards in dearest memories around the grave. Let the good that is in us be manifest while we live. During the recent cold snap a Macon youth was compelled to roost nearly all night in the yard of his girl’s pa. There was a loaded bull dog sitting on the ground near by. It was a colored preacher who said to his flock last Christinas day : “We have a collection to make this morning, for the glory of Heaven, and whichever one of you stole Mr. Jones’ turkey don't put a cent in dc hat.’’ One who was there says : “ Ebery blessed nigger in de church come down wid de rocks.” A gentleman was one day relating to a Quaker a tale of deep distress, and concluded very pathetically by saying : “ I could not but feel for him.” “ Ver ily, friend,” replied the Quaker, “ thou didst right in that thou didst feel for thy neighbor; “ but didst thou feel in the right place—didst thou feel in thy pocket ?” A witty clergyman, arcos'ed by an acquaintance by the name of Cobb, re plied : “ I don’t know you, sir.” “My name is Cobb, sir,” rejoined the man, who was about half seas over. “Ah, sir,” said the minister; “you have so much corn on that I don’t see the cob.” Illinois claims to have more horses than any other State in the Union, New York the most milch cows, Texas the most cattle, lowa the most hogs, and California the most sheep. Illinois has about 1,01)1,500 horses, New York 1,401,100 cows, Texas 3,458,300 cattle, lowa 3,050,000 hogs and California G,- 501,000 sheep. The Red Wing Advance says the following notice is posted on the fence of a farmer a short distance from that city : “ Dook Notic for Sail—Whereas I haf got mi farm sell und vant to mov de west out I makes offer to sell a lod of korn oad’s and haf several dons oder stuff. More also some bull heif ers fresh inilk gows and steers and hogs, a pig fat sow and pigs by me Johannas Schnoogle. Derins gash if you got him if not nodes secured by suinpody.” A Wisconsin girl put on trousers and started through the deep snow to walk six miles to a village for provisions, the family larder being empty. She soon became tired out, besides losing her way, and the cold was intense. A big Newfoundland dog which accompanied was the means of saving her life. She scooped out a hollow in the snow, lay down in it, and made (he warm dog lie on her, shifting him about so as to suc cessively cover the coldest parts of her j body. In that way she passed a whole night, and was not very severely frost bitten. “With two or three more dogs,” I she says, “ I would have got along very I comfortably.'’