The Court had long sessions. The
judges who came from abroad were anxious to get their work
done and go back to their homes. So the Courts sat from half
past eight or nine o'clock in the morning until six in the
afternoon with an intermission of an hour, or an hour and
a quarter, for dinner. The parties to the suits came from
all over Worcester County. Frequently it was impossible to
see the witnesses until the trial came on, or just before.
So the lawyer had to spend his evenings and often far into
the night in seeing witnesses and making other preparations
for the next day. General Devens and I had at one term of
the Supreme Court held by Chief Justice Bigelow twenty trial
actions. The term resulted in a serious injury to my eyes
and in my being broken down with overwork. So I was compelled
to go to Europe the following year for a vacation.
But I found time somehow, as I have said, to keep up a constant
and active interest in politics. I was also able to contribute
something to other things which were going on for the benefit
of our growing city. I got up the first contribution for
the Free Public Library, of which I was made President.
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