Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1893 — So Much for His Looks. [ARTICLE]

So Much for His Looks.

He wouldn’t pay his bills, and he imagined that he resembled the lamented Daniel Webster. The former was a fault, the latter an eccentricity and a decidedly weak point with the man. On his office wall hung a large picture of Daniel Webster, and while the lawyer drew legal documents it was his wont to frequently look at the picture, as if for inspiration, draw a sigh of contentment as he saw the resemblance, and continue with the writing of “the party of the first part” in an action against “the party of the second part.” It was the picture of Daniel Webster that led the lawyer to finally settle an old bill, and unconsciously at that The creditors were a half-doz-en colored people who had at various times cleaned the lawyer s office and tried to arrange his legal papers in a condition bordering on “orderly.” But when they demanded their money the lawyer bad the faculty of putting off the payment that was exceedingly discouraging to the creditors. In fact the payment was delayed so long that the claims were finally consolidated and placed in the hands of a collector. The collector was told of the lawyer’s weakness and his delight at being told of his resemblance to the picture of Webster suspended on his office wall. On this fact the collector based his hopes of success. He went to the lawyer’s office and while waiting for an audience with the man of legal lore stood gazing at the picture of Webster and then at the lawyer. The latter watched the collector meanwhile from beneath his heavy eyebrows. “Well, what do you think.of it?” queried the lawyer of the collector, glancing at the picture. “Splendid, splendid!” replied the man with the bill. “You couldn’t have a better picture; the artist caught your expression perfectly,” and the collector lingered the bill in his pocket. “Think it looks like me, eh?” “Looks like you—well, it’s simply perfect. ” “Well, sir, that’s a picture of Daniel Webster,” and the lawyer lie-heed with satisfaction and pleasure, and asked what he could do for the visitor. The collector said he wanted to collect twenty dollars and seventy cents, and the lawyer sat down and drew his check. Rising from his seat and handing the check to the collector, the lawyer rubbed his hands together and said, “and so you think Webster looked like me?” “Oh, yes,” replied the collector, as he opened the office door, 1 ‘about as much as he did like me,” And the door went to with a hang.