Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/179

Mr. Henry is noted for his readiness at Judge James Keith, Chief Justice of the repartee. In one of his cases the opposing Supreme Court of Virginia, was born in counsel, who had been speaking a long time, Fauquier County, Va., at " Woodbourne." ended by saying, " There is nothing whatever He is a son of Mr. Isham Keith and a de in Mr. Henry's case." Mr. Henry replied : scendant of Rev. James Keith, a Scotch "The gentleman then has evidently been clergyman, who came to this country after attempting to reproduce the play of" Much the final defeat of the Stuarts, having been Ado About Nothing." actively engaged in the uprisings. He At another time, in defending a case, Mr. carried on a secret correspondence with his Henry painted the plaintiff in very dark cousin, Earl Mareschal Keith, during the colors. The opposite counsel answered by last attempt for the Stuarts, which, being discovered, a price was put upon his head saying, " His view was caused by a jaun diced eye; he regarded his client very dif and his property confiscated. Escaping in ferently." Mr. Henry quickly said : " I have a fishing smack to France, he came later to no doubt the retainer received by the America and was made rector of Hamilton learned counsel has produced the same Parish, Fauquier County, Virginia, where he continued until his death in 1752, when he effect upon his vision the flower water dis tilled into the eye of Titania had in making was buried by his parishioners who were her fall in love with the beastly Bottom, and devoted to him, under the altar of the doubtless he paraphrased Titania's address church. He was also the grandfather of thus: 'I pray thee, gentle mortal, pay Chief-Justice John Marshall. His wife was again, my heart is much enamoured of thy Mary Isham Randolph, a grand-daughter notes; so is mine eye enthralled to thy of William Randolph of Turkey Island, the shape, and thy fair virtue's voice perforce ancestor of so many of Virginia's greatest doth move me on first-view to say, to sons, among them Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and Robert E. Lee. Mrs. Keith swear, — I love thee.'" was a woman of very strong character, and Mr. Henry was elected in 1896, president of the Virginia Bar Association, and there are numerous stories told of her cour delivered at its ninth annual meeting, held age and sense. On one occasion her hus at the Hot Springs of Virginia, a most able band was called away to spend the night, and entertaining address on the trial of leaving a large sum of money in the house. Aaron Burr, the trial which, as Mr. Henry While sitting near an open vine-covered truly said, won for the Virginia Bar " the window at dusk, she overheard her chil distinction of being the equal of any, if not dren's nurse planning to let a man in to rob the house at midnight. She quietly went the ablest, bar in the United States." Mr. Henry says of himself: " From my up to her nursery, and when the nurse came in, taking her by surprise, tied her with a early boyhood I desired to become a law yer. My profession has been my life's strong rope, gagged her, and locked her in work, and my earnest endeavor has been to a closet. Near midnight she seated herself render myself a worthy member of our most near the nursery window armed with a honorable calling." That he has succeeded in carving-knife, and when a hand appeared this and that he is to-day one of the lawyers, on the sill, came down on it with all her force, almost severing it; the man quickly throughout the United States, most to be ad mired and imitated, is the opinion of all who disappeared with a cry of agony, and the know him. His son-in-law, Mr. James Lyon, house was not again disturbed. who is a fine lawyer, was for several years She was a daring horse-woman, and one an able member of the Virginia legislature. day was riding through a part of the country