THE SOUL OF THE PROFESSION
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intellectual one. In matching himself with greatly to be desired quality of "smart his fellows the gauge still has been solely as ness"? No one feels himself in any degree re to the extent of his knowledge, how readily it is available to his use and. his own sub sponsible that the counterbalancing truth jective capacity to handle it. His mind is should be heard at all. Once the office chief carefully trained in subtlety of distinction, would have felt called upon to see to it. and he finds that his mental powers are val This, however, was long ago. To-day, he uable to himself and others almost in direct is very apt to regard it as being none of his proportion as that faculty is more fully de business. Let him find it out. What he veloped. He is perfected in the morally himself wants is some one who can write up perilous arts of advocacy; and taught, at short notice a satisfactory brief on which without hint of higher duty, as to the wisdom a man with the facts can safely go to trial. No one, therefore, just now, in this trans of leaving one's antagonist to supply quali fications on statements, which, left without ition period, feels moved to address our modification, are practically false and mis typical aspirant for legal honors somewhat leading. His mental eye, unguided by ex as follows: "My young friend, you are perience, is attracted to salient points in the entirely wrong about this matter of smart exceptionally brilliant careers of present ness. Knowledge and intellectual bril or past practitioners. Evasion of a plain liancy have legitimate fields for exercise. provision, surmounting an apparently in They are splendid powers, indifferently superable legal obstacle, hoodwinking a adapted for good or evil. Their value in mystified or over-credulous jury — such are use you will find to depend upon this ques the seasoning and spice of his mental pabu tion of purpose. To avoid misunderstanding, lum. Moral indigestion is unknown to him. let us agree that knowledge has a certain These men were "smart"; they succeeded limited moral aspect; in that it is usu because they were smart. He also will be ally only when the lion's skin falls short smart, famous, successful. Such is the logic. that it is felt to be necessary to piece it out This enthusiasm for intellectual subtlety with the fox's. Adequate knowledge re receives, for obvious reasons, confirmation moves one class of temptation from the in the average large law office with which young lawyer. But, generally, and in the our typical student may chance to connect long run, success at the bar is dependent himself. He observes, with self-congratu not so much upon what a man knows as lation, that his standards are general and upon what he is. The crucial test for suc with what success they are being applied by cess is character. You are wrong, there those after whom he daily is taught to model fore, in assuming that the prizes of the pro his conduct. He notices how old time fession go to the "smart" man. The rule scruples are treated by "practical" people is otherwise. They go rather to men of in a sensible age; he sees the plots, the sound learning and high character. Law expedients; the self-reflection embodied in presents an instance of the spiritual princi what it is reasonably anticipated "the ple that he who loses life for something other side" will do. He learns, in under high'er than life shall find life itself. The tones blending awe and emulation, the great professional rewards are, as a rule, "smart " incidents, long to be cherished reserved for men who regard themselves as among office traditions, which have made serving the community in a calling whose the heads of the establishment the famous objects are vastly more important to them people they seem to him to be. What than any returns which it can directly bring more natural than that the real ideal toward them. This is, in fact, inevitable. It re which the young man turns his face is this sults from the essential nature of the legal
