ing a biography of George Washington." One room among the firm's array of of fices, which covered three stories, was de voted to the law-students, then six in num ber, the father of each one of whom had paid an entrance fee of five hundred dollars : so frequent were the clientular applications for the privilege of studying law with the great firm that it insisted upon this fee to escape importunity. Among these law-students was Michael Sandford, who, the son of a poor Irish widow, had entered the office as an errand-boy; but having shown extraor dinary talent for penmanship and fancy pendrawing, had been first duly promoted as copyist, but was now the stated scrivener and permitted access to the well-appointed libra ry and regarded as a student as well as em ployee. He was — so Managing Clerk Bill ings protested — "afflicted with ambition and was moreover a disciple of the new-fangled spiritualism with its folly of mediums, appear ances from the other world, and kindred su perstitions." The scrivener was, however, devoted to the office, and often had to be at eventide fairly turned out of it by the garru lous old woman who officiated as sweeper and char-woman. Whenever his pen had discharged its duties he was fain to remain and dip into the law-books. His passion was for Blackstone; and out of his salary of twenty dollars a week he had purchased for the room assigned to him a fine old line and stipple engraving of Sir William and also as many of the editions of his commentaries as existed. His last purchase had been the four volumes edited by Kerr, the Recorder of London, which, under favor of brackets, contained the later law of the period and ex cluded whatever was obsolete. On the shelf of his desk were also volumes edited by Chitty, by Christian, by Tucker, by Wendell, by Sharswood, by Archbold, by Williams, by Bagley, by Broom, by Kingsford, by Reed, by Cooley and by Waite. Indeed Billings would often whisper to others in the office, "That youth Michael is Blackstone mad."
Our story opens on the evening before Christmas Day before the era of type-writing and telephones. In anticipation of the holi day week coming and the necessary hiatus of court service or in business, the work of the office had been much driven. Michael was in the act of concluding the engrossment of a mortgage when Billings, redolent of Younger's ale and biscuit, came out of the room of partner Cumings, and laying on the scrivener's desk a formidable array of manu script, said, "Michael, I'm sorry to say that we must keep you here several hours to night for engrossing work; one of our best clients, old Reuben Moneypenny, who has had a severe fit of gout and is in a very ner vous condition has taken it into his head to again alter his testamentary views and has given instructions for an entirely new last will. Here are his instructions worked into ship-shape and duly revised by our Senior; and old Moneypenny insists upon execut ing it to-morrow morning; saying that a will executed on a Christmas Day is bound to have good luck in its probate and execu tory matters after his decease. He is, as you know, very fastidious and you must put your best old English capitals into the copy and push your best pen forward with out a blot or of course an erasure. For your detention I am authorized to give you this extra," and he dropped on the desk a gold half-eagle. Michael's eyes brightened; for he had that day fallen in love with a sealskin muff which he had thought would be so good a Christmas present for his dear old mother; and now the coin would go far towards buy ing it. I shall meet you here at nine o'clock and together we will go up to old Moneypenny's house in Lafayette Place and become wit nesses. You can, I fancy, easily finish the engrossing before Trinity chimes usher in Christmas day. Therefore do up the will in your best style, but no black ribbon, or black ruled lines, nor black sealing-wax, such as
