profession, a motive born likely of immaturity and inexperience, but backed by the powerful influence of the unknown, impelled by visions that may scarce be realized, and if realized, fraught surely with trials and tribulations. This motive when analyzed is to be referred with little deviation to the not overengaging one each possesses of a desire simply for personal advancement. Few are those that use discretion, judgment and deliberation in selecting a profession. Not a few are they, however, who feel a perfect ability to make such selection-a selection often with no reference to any previous training, present capacity or future usefulness. No greater motive resides in human hearts than a desire for public esteem. Than this is nothing more powerful, even the desire of wealth. A candidate for the Priesthood is never unconscious of that deference and consideration extended to the good parson; one who aspires to the art of the physician does not fail to see the regard and tender affection with which the family doctor is considered, and no one can fail to notice the opportunities for power and influence open in the pursuits of the lawyer. Left to his own decision, man consults his nature in desiring that occupation which he conceives most conducive to his success. Success as it furnishes his advancement, his advancement as it assures him the esteem and regard of the community around him. Every biographical history will undertake with pleasing accuracy to detail the events of the child, and thus foretell the career he is to attain to. Enamored of his subject, a writer will discern in the traits which all children possess in common those qualities of heart and mind which are to secure him future eminence. It is flattering to conceive in the child who is merely stubborn that great determination of character that is often confused in analyzing character, or in the stupid child that great integrity of purpose that lacks versatility, just as selfishness might mean to some a possession of power and authority, and a display of personal vanity a desire to advance the interests of the public. But, however interesting the events of childhood may appear to the biographer, they may be all likely

relegated to commonplace occurrences, for children are born, reared, attend school, are praised and chided, have ailments, pleasures, and ultimately reach the point where one is segregated from the masses. So that, however eminent any reader of this may expect to become as a great lawyer, he need scarcely worry himself in preserving for his future biographer any reminiscences of what are likely in any long life to constitute its happiest period.

One evening in 1871 I was sitting in a passenger coach going from Baltimore to Washington. Only one other person was aboard. He was a little man and sat on my side of the car, a few seats ahead, reclining in the most restful attitude, indicating in bearing and expression extreme complaisance. Added to his consequence was the deference of the conductor, who heard him announce his name and then passed on to me. Shortly afterward came the baggage agent, who with deference collected the little man's checks for his trunks. I have no idea how I knew my fellow-traveler as the eminent lawyer of that time. I had never before seen him, though often since, but his complaisance, self poise and absolute bearing of independence, with possibly the impressions I noticed on the conductor and baggage agent, decided me on the selection of the law as my profession. Viewed now in the light of subsequent experiences, it is likely that what suggested as the possession by my ideal of importance and power was really the manifestations of a dull, monotonous and laborious life, absorbing of mental and physical vigor, with a pecuniary recompense so commensurately inadequate as to sober absolutely the temper and disposition.

Whatever the motive in selecting the legal profession, whether a feeling that it is a gentleman's occupation, whether a desire for public notoriety or whether a yearning for political preferment, it can in each case be truthfully asserted that the aspirant for legal honors is absolutely unaware of the paths he will have to tread, as well as the fate to befall him.

The writer, completely innocent of all knowledge of a lawyer's career or associations, with the simple concep

tion formed to adopt this profession, but no ties of any sort to enlighten as to the way, it was natural to turn to the law school for preparation. Before the Civil War there was no mental debate in a Southerner's mind as to the university he would attend. All young men of means with a recognized social status who did not go abroad went, of course, to the only real university then in the South. It was the ambition achieved of all who under pecuniary straits could complete their training there, and a degree either in law or medicine obtained there secured recognition of effectual equipment for a start in one's profession.

This general acknowledgment of the status of the first university in the South existed for a great many reasons; it had originated at the conference of many public men, in which three former Presidents of the United States took a prominent part. It was founded upon a system of government for its students in which their sense of selfrespect and honor alone were relied upon. And it was launched and maintained with men as its teachers who were recognized in the educational world as distinctively representative men in their several departments. It had thrived and grown in strength for near forty-five years when the Civil War arrived, and when that struggle was over it reinstated its authority and influence, so that now the sons and grandsons of its earlier students were attending the same lecture halls, living in the same quarters, roaming over the same walks and fields and viewing the same scenery as their fathers and grandfathers did before them.

Titles were always quite as liberally bestowed in Virginia as in other parts of the South, and Colonels were so numerous among the better class that one could no more readily assign a military origin to their possessors than one could the title of Captain, by which they were called, be assigned to the army of sail or steamboat masters and railroad conductors. So that when I appeared in the little room on what is known as "West Range" at the University of Virginia and introduced myself to the proctor I

was in a quandary whether the title of Colonel, by which he was addressed, was incident to his office or had been earned in military life. The proctor understood his business pretty well. It was no doubt a mental diversion to him, furnishing interesting variety to extract from the applicant the few dry facts of his age, name, residence and the intended studies, to determine from these and his personal inspection just what kind of assignment he should be furnished for his room and boarding place. In my case he proposed, for some reason known only to himself, to make it exceedingly interesting by informing me that there was only one room vacant in the University. This room was one in a little house off to itself on the outskirts of the University. He created an uneasy anticipation on my part by stating that the students assigned to it seemed to have an unreasonable prejudice against it without the slightest foundation therefor, and that I would be exceedingly comfortable and enabled to devote my attention to study, unaffected by the distracting noises and confusions to which the students in the larger houses were subjected. I accepted my assignment of quarters with plenty of doubt as to the enjoyment of that happiness promised me by the contriver of this arrangement, and in my eagerness to fully enter on my University career hastened to the place selected as my future home. One look satisfied me that I could not in my isolation, as the occupant of that place, expect to be exceptionally popular with my fellow-students. The implicit reliance of youth, however, upon the truthfulness of my mentor recalled to me the fact that this was the only vacancy existing, and I bravely reconciled myself, arguing that the situation might not present itself to others in the bad light I viewed it, and I must, if need be, accept the ostracism that attached to the occupant of that room in order to enter upon my student life. The preliminary work of domiciling myself having been accomplished, I started to deliver my letters of introduction to the various professors to whom they were addressed. I soon discovered that such letters were not recognized by the older students as desir

able or promising features to induct one into University life, and as students are usually good judges of what promotes success, I had a misgiving as to the fate that might befall me from my letters. I soon found, however, that their consequences depended as much upon the character of the writer as upon the character of the person addressed, and that what might ordinarily be regarded as an intolerable bore in having thrust upon a professor's notice a student distinguished from the others alone by a letter of introduction, would in the case of some other professor be recognized as a gratifying appeal to his sympathy; and these disdained mediums of acquaintance became in many instances distinctively gainful. As the surroundings gradually became familiar I was not wholly oblivious to the innumerable vacancies in various parts of the University, and my situation was not rendered happier by the reception the older students accorded the announcement of my location until finally my decision was reached upon an older friend informing me with hearty frankness that I must vacate that place, that the proctor was invariably trying to foist upon some new students. Instinctive preservation had induced me to obtain from my friend the proctor an assent that I should vacate this favorite assignment of his if I could better myself, and as the Range vacancies were controlled by him, it never occurred to me that he would recede from this statement that my assignment had been the sole remaining vacancy he had, so that perforce I sought to find a location in one of the several student boarding houses outside of the University grounds.

At the period in question-1872-there were but two of these, one presided over by a physician who combined with this pursuit that of a students' book store and gave to himself a distinction in the esteem of students by refraining in favor of his subordinates from any personal concern with his mercantile pursuits and arrogating to himself the dignity and respect of his medical title that each one soon became conscious he possessed. This gentleman constituted himself in his book store the stu