Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/445

 400

contact, with great consideration and cour tesy. Mr. Choate's habit was to rise at five o'clock, spend a while over his books, and then take a long walk before breakfast, reaching his office promptly at nine. Re gardless of his health he would work there frequently until late in the evening, when he would return to his home without in the meantime having taken any food. When he was told that his constitution would suffer if he continued to overwork himself, he replied that he had long since abandoned the consti tution and was now relying solely on the by-laws. His vigorous frame, however, enabled him to do a vast amount of workwithout injury, and, excepting for periodical suffering from sickheadaches, Mr. Choate's general health was good. When not deeply engaged with some clas sic or perhaps some studious question of law, he was playful in his manner and ready with some remark that was either witty or mirth ful. He would relieve the tedium of a dry and uninteresting case at its trial by his ineffable humor. When the Whig party was no more, he joined in urging the election of Buchanan by making just one campaign speech at Lowell. Benjamin F. Butler presided and the hall was, of course, crowded. While Mr. Choate was speaking the floor began to set tle. Butler, fearing a stampede,- told the audience to remain quiet while he went to discover if there was any cause for alarm. As he passed Choate on his return, he said in an undertone: "We shall all be in hell in five minutes." He then addressed the audience and assured them that there was no immediate danger if they would disperse quietly. He added that the post of danger was just under the platform and that he and those with him would be the last to leave the hall. After the crowd had safely escaped and Choate and Butler were passing down the aisle at the rear of the procession, Choate 1

inquiringly remarked: "Brother Butler, you really didn't mean to insinuate, did you, that we should both go to the same place?" Though no one loved fun more heartily than Mr. Choate, it is said of him that he never laughed aloud. Still his wit and humor were rendered all the more effective from his habitually sad expression. It is said that while Dr. Webster, the mur derer of Parkrnan, was lying in jail, Mr. Choate met an eminent clergyman who was strongly inclined to believe that Webster was innocent of the crime with which he was charged. Mr. Choate, who had previously looked into the case carefully, had good rea son to know better. One day when he met this clergyman who visited Dr. Webster fre quently in jail. Choate inquired: "How do you find the object of your pastoral care?" "Well." was the reply, "I always find him in." Mr. Choate at once answered : "It will not be long before you will find him out." He was known by his associates at the bar and elsewhere for his rapid but illegible hand writing. It was a puzzle to everyone who undertook to read it. A story is told of Mr. Choate in connection with Chief Jus tice Shaw of the Supreme Bench, for whom Choate had great reverence. He asked the judge for the continuance of a case, as he was to be engaged elsewhere. Judge Shaw thereupon suggested that he should write out a brief and send it to him. Mr. Choate replied with his peculiar twist of the mouth: "I write well, your honor, but very slowly." Much of his best work .has unfortunately been lost to the world in consequence of the inability of anyone to decipher his indescrib able handwriting. He was very fond of his home life and the quiet of his library. Among his books were many rare editions, but he was especially rich in the ancient classics. His library, which was shelved to the ceiling, occupied the en tire second story of his residence. His books seemed to lure him into good humor when