Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXIV, No. 2, February 1849

A young man, freshly graduated and still haunted by his dying mother’s solemn vow, opens a modest law office in a bustling New England village. He carries her plea that he never defend the unjust, yet he is eager to prove himself, studying his few books by candlelight while the streets outside remain silent. The quiet routine is shattered when a rough‑looking stranger bursts in, slapping a five‑dollar bill on the desk and demanding representation for a tangled dispute over a recently purchased yoke of oxen.

The lawyer’s hesitation reveals his internal struggle between ambition and the moral compass his mother instilled. He insists on hearing the full story before accepting any fee, setting the tone for a career that will balance compassion with principle. Listeners are drawn into the tension of that first encounter, feeling the pulse of a young attorney poised on the edge of his professional destiny.