He asked me to become his partner in June, 1852.

I had then got a considerable clientage of my own.
Early in 1853 he sailed for Europe, intending to return in the fall.

I was left in charge of his business during his six months' absence, talking with the clients about cases in which he was already retained, and receiving their statements as to cases in which they desired to retain him on his return.
Before he reached home he was nominated for Governor by the Whig Convention, to which office he was elected by the Legislature in the following January.

So he had but a few weeks to attend to his law business before entering upon the office of Governor.
I kept on with it, I believe without losing a single client.
That winter I had extraordinarily good fortune, due I think very largely to the kindly feeling of the juries toward so young a man attempting to undertake such great responsibilities.
My professional life from January 1, 1850, until the 4th of March, 1869, was a life of great and incessant labor.
When the court was in session I was constantly engaged in jury trials.

Day after day, and week after week, I had to pass from one side of the court-house to the other, being engaged in a very large part of the important actions that were tried in those days.