damages and no further annoyance, he would be lucky. GRACCHUS had
secured 'Squire SWEET to argue the case to the jury--probably 'on
shares.' To hear SWEET 'warm up' before the panel, you would have sworn
that the 'palladium of justice' and the other 'fixtures' had their
salvation staked on the success of his client. And if there was anything
he thought himself competent to 'operate largely' on, it was a damage
suit. On this occasion, the vivid picture he drew of an unwarrantable
intrusion upon this aged and indefatigable servant of the public, the
injury inflicted upon his 'valuable health,' and his generous conduct in
contenting himself with the paltry sum of eighty dollars by way of
damages, was to be set down as the 'Squire's best effort.

The jury went out just as the court was on the point of adjournment, and
received orders to seal up their verdict for the morning. Each man had
to 'chalk' what in his judgment was a sufficient sum for damages. They
ranged all along in the neighborhood of three or four dollars, except
one or two individuals, who had believed the whole of the plaintiff's
complaint, and went in for something more than nominal damages. One in
particular, who always swore by SWEET, aimed so high that the average
came above the $13.33 that was necessary to carry costs.

After they had determined upon a verdict, our high-priced friend, with
one or two others, went around to the hotel to retire for the night. As
they went in, the clerk of the court met them with a pack of cards in
his hands, with which a party had just finished playing whist. 'It
didn't take us half so long to agree on that case. SWEET and the rest of
us marked around on that verdict, just before we finished the last game,
and we made it out--two dollars and twenty-five cents.' 'The d---- you
did,' replied our astonished friend. 'Why, how much did 'Squire SWEET
mark, himself?' 'Uncommon high. He said he thought five dollars was
about the fair thing.' '_Five dollars!_' gasped the juryman; 'Squire
SWEET put down only _five dollars_, when he went and told the jury that
eighty dollars wasn't nothin' to it. Look a-here, can't I go back and
change that figure of mine, afore the verdict comes in?'

It was decided pretty unanimously that--he _couldn't_.

* * * * *

Our readers will recall the author of the following poem, as a writer
who has more than once given us poems indicating much refinement of
taste, base