Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 24.pdf/406

 The Editor's Bag The next day he sent her a carefully and concisely worded opinion, which she used in her book as he wrote it. In the story it is ascribed to "the Attorney-General," and is referred to as "final authority." It is the part printed in italics in Chapter XXXV. Mr. Harrison was both surprised and pleased to see his own words used. He expected that the novelist would wish to express his legal opinion in her own language. "Thanks to George Eliot," said he, with a modesty that perhaps went too far, "I have written something that will live forever in English litera ture!"

371

"You mean, of course," he said, "the ex-post-facto law." Whereupon Mr. White assumed an attitude of great dignity and replied : — "I begs the pardon of th' Co't, but yo' honah cert'n'y is lame on th' meanin' of that term. Why, gentlemen, that is the law that prohibits a man from diggin' the hole after the post is set." THE COURT AT A DISADVANTAGE

HON. JOSEPH W. BAILEY of Texas tells of the kindness of heart and roughness of tongue of a judge in that state. It appears that in a suit brought TARDY JUSTICE Judge Parkinson of Michigan, signed a decree of before this judge a youthful attorney divorce, separating Hughie Cannon from his wife, was arguing a motion that was rather Emma. Cannon died in a Toledo hospital a few too much for him. Naturally the nov hours before the signing of the decree. — News item. ice was unmercifully beset by counsel JUDGE PARKINSON'S a little late for the other side, who made the young With his divorce decree. lawyer a mark for shaft after shaft of The court's reversed by cruel fate, — ridicule. When this sort of thing had Emma and Hughie both are free. proceeded far enough, the judge him Hughie has gone off sudden self took up the argument on the young And Emma's left, to find To fit the shoes he stood in, attorney's account and gave the older A husband to her mind. and more experienced lawyer a good It looks as if poor Hugh dose of his own medicine. Had shown contempt of court, The young man, delighted and en Or will the case be tried anew couraged by this unlooked-for aid, In court of last resort? Perhaps the Judge up yonder attempted to "edge in" a word or two Will find some legal flaw on his own account as His Honor went And so acquit him under on. But the latter turned and shouted The Can(n)ons of the law. at him : — SlRIUS SlNNICUS. "Keep quiet, young man. I am arguing this motion on our side and EX POST FACTO may win, but if you blunder into it IN South Carolina they tell of a the Court will be sure to decide against lawyer named Calhoun White, us." who during the course of a suit tried in a court of that state indulged in fre MIXED RELATIONSHIP quent references to "the ex-facto-posthole law." ALAWYER "up New York State" At last the judge, with a quiet smile, recently received a call from a set him right. new client, a man bent upon recovering