American Lancaster Gazette

A Piece of Legal Advice.

The ancient town of Rennes, in France is a place famous for law. To visit Rennes without getting advice of some sort, seems absurd to the country people round about It happened one day that a farmer named Bernard, having come to town on business, bethought himself that as he had a few hours to spare, - it would be well to get an advice of a good lawyer. He had often heard of a lawyer Foy: who was in such high repute that people believed a lawsuit gained when he undertook their cause. The countryman went to his office and after waiting sometime, was admitted to an interview. He told the lawyer that having heard so much about him, and happening to be in town, he thought he would call and consult him.

"You wish to bring an action, perhaps," replied the lawyer.

"O, no," replied the farmer, "I am at peace with all the world."

"Then it is a settlement of property that you want is it?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Lawyer, my family and I have never made a division, seeing that we draw from the same well, as the saying is."

"It is then, to get me to negotiate a purchase or a sale, that you have come?"

"O, no. I am neither rich enough to purchase nor poor enough to sell."

"Will you tell me, then what you do want of me?" said the lawyer in a tone of surprise.

"Why, I have already told you, Mr. Lawyer," replied Bernard; "I want your advice - I mean to pay for it, of course."

The lawyer smiled, and taking pen and paper, asked the countryman his name.

"Peter Bernard," replied the countryman, quite happy that the lawyer at length understood what he wanted.

"Your age?"

"Thirty years, or very near it."

"Your vocation?"

"What's that?"

"What do you do for a living?"

"O! that is what it means, is it? Why I am a farmer."

The lawyer wrote two lines, folded the paper and handed it to his client,

"It is finished already?" said the farmer.

Well and good! What is to be the price of that advice, Mr. Lawyer?"

"Three francs."

Bernard paid the money, and took his leave, delighted that he had made use of his opportunity to get a piece of advice from the great lawyer. When the farmer reached home it was 4 o'clock; the journey had fatigued him, and he determined to rest the remainder of the day. Meanwhile the hay had been cut two days, and was completely made. One of his men came and asked him if they should draw in.

"What, this evening?" exclaimed the farmer's wife, who had come to meet her husband. "It would be a pity to begin the work so late, since it can be done as well to-morrow."

Bernard was uncertain which way to decide. Suddenly he recollected that he had the lawyer's advice in his pocket.

"Wait a minute," he exclaimed, "I have an advice and a famous one, too — that I paid three francs for; it ought to tell us what to do. Here wife, see what it says, you can read written hand better than I." The woman took the paper and read this line:

"Never put off until to-morrow what you can do to-day."

That's it!" exclaimed Bernard, as if a ray of light had cleared up all his doubts.

"Come, be quick! get the carts and away! Come boys, come girls - all to the hay-field!! It shall not be said that I bought a three franc opinion and made no use of it. I will follow the lawyer's advice."

Bernard himself set the example by leading the way in the work, and not returning till the hay was brought in. The event seemed to prove the wisdom of his conduct, and the foresight of the lawyer.

The weather changed during the night - an unexpected storm burst over the valley; the next morning it was found that the river had overflowed and carried away all the hay that had been left in the fields. The crops of the neighboring farmers were completely destroyed. Bernard alone had not suffered. The success of his first experiment gave him such faith in the advice of the lawyer, that from that time forth he adopted it as his rule of conduct, and he became consequently, one of the most prosperous farmers in that country. I hope that you, my readers, will take a hint from his success, and "never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day." — From the French.