Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-04-27

go to my father in the first outburst Of dis
may, and when we rejoined him he was him
self gravely calm, and received us with an
effort to show that his deprivation did not
weigh heavily upon him He assigned to
us the various posts we should take in al
loyiatng his blindness, and spoke chcorlully
of the benefit il would be TO Ettic to become
his reader. But while my two sisters and
he were convcrsing Of what could be done to
continue his favorito studies, ! was looking
anxiously into the future 20 see what changes
would be effected in our circumstances. In
a few days we wrote 20 inform Mr.. Jcrmyn.
the post Office surveyor Of our district, Of my
fathers misfortune, and he Immediately came
over to see him. lie was keen. official look
ing gentleman, ready to detect an imposition
or an error but kind and sympathlzing in
his manner to my father when he discovered
the full extent Of his loss. lie had not held
his present post many months, and was anx-
ious to reduce the expenditure of his district
wherever he could do so without detrimcnt
Co the public convenience. A little extra
work had been put on here and there in va
rious departments without extra pay; small
innovations had been diligently suppressed,
and he was gaining the character of a jealous
Official. But my fathers case pcrpcxcd him ;
he had been postmaster Of Tonwol for nearly
forty years, and had grown old and blind in
the service yet had never received such a sal
airy as would Justify tho expectation that out
of it he would provide for his own old age.
Had be been a metropolitan official there
would have been no difficulty about him; hc
might have been placed upon the list OF pen
sionors, and dismissed to retirement but no
provision existed at that time for the civil
servants Of the crown employed in provincial
postoilices, and those who were incapacitated
for the proper performance Of their duties as
postmastcrs, clerks, lettor-carrcrs, or rural
messengers, were consigned to poverty and
dependence. Mr.. Jermyn was very much
perplexed.
"You have had flS0 year for the last
four years, he said rather sharply, "and f90
before that-haye you made no provision out
OF it;'
"lIy father has had family to support and
educate, l replied, interruptng my father.
who was going % answer his superior moekly.
"Wcl, I suppose your fathers salary was
not enough to enable him to save out of it.
but he was not entirely dependent u. on it,"
"Trado has been very bad In Tonwcll, said
my father, "and my business was one of the
first 90 suffer"
81 do not see that it is a question Of busi-
ness, added "you might have made for
tune by trade, or YOU might not; what wish
TO know Mr.. Jermyn, is this were my faith
cr's services and responsibility more than adj
equately paid by each years salary ~
"Thay were not" he replied
"Were they less than other crown servants
in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, who re-
ceiye pensions :" | continued
Certainly, not, he again replied.
Yet be is altogether excluded from the
provisions Of every superannuation bill" ]
said warmly "HIe has served the public
well for thirty-eight years. till he can serve
no longer, and now what do you intend to dc
with him -
Mr. Jermyn hcstated it was an awkward
case
1--WE must in some measure consult the
wishes of the public" be said IL have al
ready had a letter from tho banker of this
town, complaining that it is unsuitable and
unsusiuoss-like for postotIico Of such size
and Importance as this 10 have only women
about it, and there is some reason in what he
says abuses are liable to creep in under
rule like yours Yet / cannot turn an old
servant like your father adrif.'
"Nou said we should consult the wishes OF
the public | interrupted II do not think
the English public would approved Of such a
thing.
ado not be so vehement my child said
my father.
81 assure you," resumed Mr.. Jermyn, 81
am only anxious to do the best for you. 1t
is impossible for your father to continue his
active superintendance of this office and the
numerous sub-ofices / have therefore dccid-
ed to send you an efficient head clerk, to the
principal charge and responsibility; shall
obtain a grant of ESQ a year for his salary,
to which you must add ESQ; thus your faith
er's salary will be equivalent to a retiring
pension Of cl0O year
"Not at ALL l exclaimed deduct f40
rent, which we must give in this part of the
town, and it leaves only eco for which two of
his daughters must work hard und constant
ly, in health or sickness Thirty pounds a
year clear to him, leaving us at liberty to earn
money in our own way, would be far better.
Pray do not call it a retiring pension call it
by a right namo--an injustice"
| believe Mr.. Jermyn really enjoyed my
indignant protest; it was no fault of his, and
an exhibition of spirit was rathor refreshing
to him. For the rest Of his stay he enjoyed
himself in looking sharply into the office ar
rangcments, and requested that when tho
utdu clelh Cdluci tut toWu lclltI-cdlIleI
should no longer assist in the night work.
Richard Trevor, the clerk appointed to our
office by Mr., Jormyn, was dark, ino-look-
ing young man, of agreeable and insnuating
manners; and he treated my father with ap-
parent profound respect and consideration
and moreover prolessed to be Of the same re-
lgious denomination, he speedily won his en-
tire confidence But Anna and | shrank
from receiving a perfect stranger into the
daily and equal intercourse that his position
in our household necesstated; and my ap.
prehensions grew stronger as | witnessed the
influence he soon acquired over my blind faith
er, and my young sister, Ettie.
A few weeks after Mr.. Treyor's arrival,
while ho was one day absent inspecting some
sub-oflioes, | was making up the afternoon
mail, when a stranger entered the Office abb
ruptly from the outer room, and, grasping
both my hands eagerly exclaimed, dearest
Anna, see you once again"
knew in moment that the stranger be-
fore me was Stephen Ellsmore, and deter
mined to porsonate Anna for few minutes /;
there was nothing to agtato me, and ! with
drew my hands, saying coldly:
"You mus. allow me to attend to my bust