Ballad: Baines Carew, Gentleman

Ballad: Baines Carew, Gentleman

In the realm of tender-hearted attorneys, none shone as brightly as Baines Carew, a man whose soul was as sensitive as his legal mind was sharp. Whenever tales of distress reached his ears from clients, his heart would swell with empathy, to the point where accepting payments became a struggle, burdened by his overwhelming compassion.

Such sensitivity often came at a personal cost. The duties of his profession, such as foreclosing mortgages, suing, and even the act of distraining for unpaid rent, inflicted upon him a deep emotional turmoil. Despite the mandatory nature of these tasks, each action carried with it a weight of sorrow, a testament to Carew’s profound connection to the human condition.

The costs Carew could bill his clients for never truly compensated for the emotional investments he made into each case. Yet, within the bounds of professionalism, he endeavored to signify his sympathies through monetary sums, albeit knowing no figure could encapsulate the magnitude of his compassion.

Among his clientele, Captain Bagg emerged as a figure of particular concern. Bagg, burdened by a marriage that once promised joy but had since devolved into torment, sought Carew’s counsel for a separation from his wife. Her relentless jests had transformed from endearing to unbearable, prompting Bagg to pursue relief under the advice of his empathetic attorney.

Bagg’s plight moved Carew deeply, eliciting tears and shock at the notion of dissolving what appeared to be an illustrious union. The situation was indeed grave: a sane woman tormenting her husband by treating him as a pet, a ‘Dicky bird’, forced to mimic its chirpings and perch upon a stick. Such was the absurdity that Bagg endured, a testament to a matrimonial bond frayed by unkindness and jest.

This ballad, with its blend of humor and sorrow, sketches the portrait of an attorney whose heart bleeds for the woes of his clients, encapsulating the tragicomedy of life and the peculiar trials faced within the chambers of law and marriage alike.