Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 16.pdf/779

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
720
The Green Bag.

the past tense and it therefore appears as written, His own tribute to Justin Morrill fittingly describes the late Senator from Massachu setts and his place in history; for with his death "not only a great figure left the Sen

ate chamber—the image of the ancient vir tue of New England—but an era in our national history came to an end. "He was one of the men that Washington would have loved and Washington would have leaned upon."

POINT OF VIEW. BY ALBERT W. GAINES, Of the Chattanooga, Tennessee, Bar. A husband and wife once purchased a fee, And invited another to join, The deed was made to the vendees three, Each paying a third of the coin. The land was sold, a profit was made, But when they came to divide, The third party said, although he had paid But a third of the price of the "hide," He would have to insist, on his lawyer's advice, As the law was perfectly plain, On having at least one-half of the price, And an equal share of the gain. He quoted the rule—exceptions none— And the law they couldn't ignore, How baron and feme in law were one, And they never could be any more; And how they were simply seized per tout, And to him it was clear and plain, That the only thing that they could do Was to cut the estate in twain. The baron was mad, but clearly saw That nothing else could be done, So he roundly swore at the Common Law For making a pair but one. But the other one says the law is a gem, As he goeth about in quest Of another guileless baron and feme, With limitless wealth to invest. He indulges himself in a dry little laugh, And says, as he slily winks. The law that can change a third to a half Is a pretty good law, he thinks.