lerk."

"So you have; and you have profited by all the experience you have
gained while with me. I have seen that; you have acquitted yourself
unusually well, and been of very great service to me; but still I insist
that law-office business and law-book knowledge is not everything; there
is more required to make a good lawyer."

"I know there is, sir; very much more, and I have taken steps to acquire
it. For nearly two years I have regularly attended the sessions of the
courts, both in St. Mary's county and here in the city, and in that time
have learned something of the practice of law," persisted Ishmael.

"All very well, so far as it goes, young man; but it would have been
better if you had graduated at some first-class law school," insisted
the old-fashioned, conservative judge.

"Excuse me, sir, if I venture to differ with you, so far as to say, that
I do not think a degree absolutely necessary to success; or indeed of
much consequence one way or the other," modestly replied Ishmael.

The judge opened his eyes to their widest extent.

"What reason have you for such an opinion as that, Ishmael?" he
inquired.

"Observation, sir. In my attendance upon the sessions of the courts I
have observed some gentlemen of the legal profession who were graduates
of distinguished law schools, but yet made very poor barristers. I have
noticed others who never saw the inside of a law school, but yet made
very able barristers."

"But with all this, you must admit that the great majority of
distinguished lawyers have been graduates of first-class law schools."

"Oh, yes, sir; I admit that. I admit also--for who, in his senses, could
deny them?--the very great advantages of these schools as facilities; I
only contend that they cannot insure success to any law student who has
not talent, industry, perseverance, and a taste for the profession; and
that, to one who has all these elements of success, a diploma from the
schools is not necessary. I think it is the same in every branch of
human usefulness. Look at the science of war. Remember the Revolutionary
times. Were the great generals of that epoch graduates of any military
academy? No, they came from the plow, the workshop, and the counting
house. No doubt it would have been highly advantageous to them had they
been graduates of some first-class military academy; I only say it was
found not to be absolutely necessary to their success as great generals;
and in our later wars,