Judge Spalding has returned to the legal profession, of which he ranks among the brightest lights, and finds in its practice, and in the quiet enjoyment of social and domestic life, a satisfaction which his public career, brilliant as it was, failed to give. In his seventy-second year, he is yet in the full enjoyment of all his faculties, physical and mental, and is the picture of sound health and mental vigor. Judge Spalding has been married twice. In October, 1822, he was married to Lucretia A. Swift, oldest daughter of his preceptor in legal studies. Seven children were born of this marriage, of whom but three yet live: Col. Zeph. S. Spalding, United States Consul at Honolulu, Brevet Captain George S. Spalding, First Lieutenant 33d U. S. Infantry, and Mrs. Lucretia McIlrath, wife of Charles McIlrath, of St. Paul, Minnesota. In January, 1859, Judge Spalding was married to his present wife, oldest daughter of Dr. William S. Pierson, of Windsor, Connecticut. W. S. C. Otis. W. S. C. Otis was born in Cummington, Hampshire county, Massachusetts, August 24th, 1808. His father was a farmer in narrow circumstances, who, owing to the loss of property, was able to bestow upon his children only such an education as could be obtained in the district schools of a purely agricultural district. Books were scarce, and as poor in quality as meagre in quantity; but being a lad with literary tastes, a desire for information, and an omnivorous appetite for reading, every book that fell in the way of young Otis was eagerly seized and its contents ravenously devoured. The life of a poor farmer, with its ceaseless drudgery and petty needs, was distasteful to the lad, and he was anxious to obtain a collegiate education, and thus become fitted to fight the battle of life with brain instead of muscle. His ambition was not discouraged by his father, but there was a great difficulty in the way of its gratification--the want of money. Mr. Otis was utterly unable to give his son any pecuniary assistance, though ready to resign his claim on his son's time; an important sacrifice when the demands of a large family and the straitness of his means are taken into consideration. Application was made for admission to West Point Military Academy, but unfortunately a Congressman's son was also a candidate for the appointment, and of course the friendless son of a poor struggling farmer had to go to the wall. This was a heavy blow and sore discouragement.