Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 12.pdf/552

 Leaves from an English Solicitor s Note Book.

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him at his breakfast table, at which we were furious letter of the previous evening, and to joined by his son, who was his junior part explain to him that I too had been made to ner. The latter, to my surprise, began to suffer the consequences of a practical joke, laugh at the episode, and asked me whether with the additional mortification of its being I had ever told the story of Captain Briggs's known all over the office, so that my case discomfiture to any of my friends in Lon was much worse than that of my former don, and I had to confess that on a recent victim. evening I had been relaxing my studies with And here let me end my story with two a pleasant supper with congenial friends, of very sound pieces of advice to the younger whom one was a fellow clerk in the office, readers of the " Green Bag." i. Never play and that, by way of capping some of the ex practical jokes; the inevitable Nemesis will cellent stories told by one and another of be sure to overtake you sooner or later. our convivial party, I had told them the 2. Never write furious letters; or rather I story of the joke played upon my gallant would say, whenever you are tempted to but gullible volunteer officer. He advised write a furious letter (and I admit that some his father not to see the Secretary of the times the temptation is well-nigh irresistible, Law Society until he had made his own pri and the penning of the fiery epistle is a delivate inquiries in the office. Half an hour ciously satisfying safety valve for letting off after arriving at the office I heard unusual the superfluous steam) write it by all means, sounds of mirth which seemed to me most but do not post it until you have slept upon unseemly in that consecrated tempjle of 'it. learning and industry, and the shouts of my My confusion was, I am glad to say, short fellow had been clerks madetold the me victim but oftooa plainly practicalthat jokeI - lived; the next day I was receiving the hearty congratulations of my fellow clerks as completely as ever Captain Briggs had ' Qn the receipt of another letter, this time a been, and I am sure the Captain never felt genuine one, from the Secretary of the Law smaller than I myself felt at the moment. .Society, announcing that I had satisfied my Worst of all, I had to sit down and pen a exarniners, and that he was prepared to ad most abject apology to the Captain for the mit me on the rolls of the court.