izzle.--If you are opposed, Governor Wiseman, to one's being his own
doctor, what do you think of every man's being his own lawyer?

Wiseman.--I think just as badly of that.

Books setting forth forms for deeds, mortgages, notes, and contracts, are
no doubt valuable. It should be a part of every young man's education to
know something of these. We cannot for the small business transactions of
life be hunting up the "attorney-at-law" or the village squire. But economy
in the transfer of property or in the making of wills is sometimes a
permanent disaster. There are so many quirks in the law, so many
hiding-places for scamps, so many modes of twisting phraseology, so many
decisions, precedents and rulings, so many John Does who have brought suits
against Richard Roes, that you had better in all important business matters
seek out an honest lawyer.

"There are none such!" cries out Quizzle.

Why, where have you lived? There are as many honest men in the legal
profession as in any other, and rogues more than enough in all professions.
Many a farmer, going down to attend court in the county-seat, takes a load
of produce to the market, carefully putting the specked apples at the
bottom of the barrel, and hiding among the fresh ones the egg which some
discouraged hen after five weeks of "setting" had abandoned, and having
secured the sale of his produce and lost his suit in the "Court of Common
Pleas," has come home denouncing the scoundrelism of attorneys.

You shall find plenty of honest lawyers if you really need them; and in
matters involving large interests you had better employ them.

Especially avoid the mistake of making your own "last will and testament"
unless you have great legal skillfulness. Better leave no will at all than
one inefficiently constructed. The "Orphans' Court" could tell many a
tragedy of property distributed adverse to the intention of the testator.
You save twenty to a hundred dollars from your counsel by writing your own
will, and your heirs pay ten thousand dollars to lawyers in disputes over
it. Perhaps those whom you have wished especially to favor will get the
least of your estate, and a relative against whom you always had especial
dislike will get the most, and your charities will be apportioned
differently from what you anticipated--a hundred dollars to the Bible
Society, and three thousand to the "hook and ladder company."

Quizzle.--Do you not think, governor (to go back to the subj