The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-29

class there were many men my seniors :" ,aso sro
service who were my juniors in age In 'Ao tbsre
above there was not single gray hair, ana ~0lC
was but one man in IL upon whom the badge W
Elisha had been placed; and that not through
age, for the man had lost his hair when ill with
fever Not one OF the clerks Ot the first class had
touched his fortieth year. The chief clerk had |
but reached his fftieth and 10 add TO the draw
back made by all this youthtuncss, there was
scarce man among the whole set who was not
hale and strong, and as likely to live 70 take pro-
motion when Il should come, as he was certain 60 |
growl and grumbe until il actually came. Il was |
bad look cut for the Juniors.
How many times have We calculated the |
chances Of life in those honest fellows with whom
we were daily thrown With what mixed feelings /
Of regret We heard Of the dangerous illness OF
M. What wicked scanning was there oil
the certificates Of illness sent in from time To time
by Ms physicians Was there not SPEC OF
hypocrisy about the words OF welcome With which
NJ Che was high uphn the second class was
received back after his eight months bout of
sickness Was there not a falling of from the
estimation In which we an had holden him Did
| we not In our heart Of hearts look upon him as
| decciyer-One who had done ms very CON
/ siderable wrong Had he not given rise to
/ thoughts Of which we ourselves were perhaps
/ hardly conscious We're not our intcnts rather
wicked than charitable ~ and had not his return
/ revealed these thoughts TO us in all their naked
/ naughtruess-s us Of what "cosrsc metal we
Was there not a feeling almost Of satisfaction,
/ a sort of COmpHCeut mental undercurent par
| vs. death We had liked the mln-bccu
| ever well with him. and we're truly greved nc his
| sudden removal but our grief was for the man,
not the clerk We mOurned our friend we could
] not regret the vacancy.
Surely NJ dc Ruchefoucaud must have had
such ~ We in his minds eye when he decided to
write down that hbellOus maxim Of his, that
"There Is something in the mi,tOrtunCS Of our
greatest friends which is not displeasng TO US
But my duty in the department. Alas, how
different from what l had expected! Not mine
to move the slightest wheel In the huge machine
with which the -- department. did It's bu,iucssi
not mine to suggest, or to receive condolences
not mine TO thread the labyrinth of the official
mind, or to assist in the preparation = those
| Tn Cmistcs-thuse simple but awful uecroes-
| which carried dsmay into the bOsOms OF con
tractors, at the same time that they persuaded
them OF our unbusiness-like ways. IL was not
for me 10 write even the most unimPOrtant
minutes, nor to compose the letters which had to
be written upon them. During the whole ten
years of my service l attained not to the dignity
Of official letter writing.
"diRuity." Let me tell you il is no mean art
, which enables a man TO wag his official pen with
grace; TO know exactly in what key 70 pitch
! the departmental pipe; 70 snub without being
{ coarse; to be hOueyed without being seryilei %
( be insuent without being vulgar. No prentice
hand could, with the contents Of letter, convey
( a sense of the relation existing between writer
g and correspondent SO as % impress the latter
e ! withal, and yet not buntly inform him Of lt.
e What skill is not wanted to perceive the occasion
< which warrants the assurance OF "haying the
Q | honor to be- instead of simply "being the SER
= want of a man As far as incivlty is removed
; from ObsequiOusness, so far Is the distance be-
tween 81 have to acquant you and 81 have the
d honor to request you Will be pleased to move
S There are signs of dudgeOn about the former,
proofs of 81 must do it, though against my will,
which are cOnspiCuously absent in the latter,
= The one is played on the E chord of arrogance
@ the other on the very "bass string OF humility"
IS A man to whom the one greeting came, could
= not, in his widest dreams, hope ever to be
f.; allowed within arms length the receiver Of the
D other might suppose in the sender desire 10 be
1t permitted 70 lick his hand. The first was used
2. in writing TO contractors, and the others whom
3 the - department preSupposed to be saier'
a round it, The second was employed in letter.
10 to high public officers, got at by means OF theu
Al deputies, or Joint secretaries. Between the tWt
% lay an intermediate form saying that our chic
n "begged 10 acqualut." This WAS used for letter
If TO those whose rank might be considered equa
70 to that of the head of department. Last an'
least, was a form rs unceremOnious as writ, il
a. which "John Jones was informed" without any
id thing TO soften the way for information.
n Thus much on the art of official letter-writing
l. More might be said on the score of broad mar
l. gins printed directions to correspondents how t
o write letters back sgain; the arbitrary use o
10 capital letters; the mysteries of the envelope,
and the franking OF the same but space will nc
er admit of it.
~ Imagine TO yourself reader, an elegant hand
Is press, having one side a printers ink pad,
In the other an india-rubber cushion. Between th
of two was movable stamper, working from on
er to the other by being raised and then depresse
ne by the hand. In the sIamper was an engraye
ed seal, bearing the name ahd arms OF our depart
y; ment BY pressing this on the printing-pad To
yc die became inked aud bringing the die over on &
er paper ying on the cushion opposite an impre'
re sion of the seal was obtained. This impres sio
ny was recognized by the post office, and allowed {
ch our letters passing without charge. For obVlou
he reasons il considered desirable that the STAN
should not be exposed for common use.
ID, A clerk was therefore appointed to take chai
of it, and his duty il was to pass and repass th
;l- stamp between the printing pad and the letter
ut to be frRnked. That duty, reader, was mine. re
he the space of four years a twist OF my hand bad
ce The letters of the - department go free. AftC
he that time l was admitted into the ranks OF II
a copiers and there | continued till the day qul
ng ted the service. For me promotion came M
in from the east nor from the west, nor from al
er, other point OF the compass. waited till tired
by waiting, and then committed myself, in the hOI
go of better things, 10 the waters Of life in which
es, have since swum
VI D was an expert in the art Of letter writin
lie He had charge of the correspondence dlVlslo
'as which no one could manage better. His the "a
nd and discrimination which have spoken ofas esse
lly tal his the disposition 10 give all the honor
go whom 1t was strictly due, but not 10 Des,oW
Tor superiuOusly upon any one. who but he kne
ed, the exact qualities of different knighthoOds, Il
ou nice degrees Of dignity, and the relative impor
mt, anCe of authorities His style was torcibe az
as peIspcuous. He quickly grasped, and as soc
he expressed en- idea. He did well as a clerk, b
because 1t was his duty, not because ne liked q
rst work. D-s ancestors had been Of the Engi'
lief gentry ever since such class existed. They h
nd most of them served in the army, and as he som
ait times said in half apology for himself, he was q
5ht first of the family for five generations who b.
70 not carried a sword.
me HIS predictions were thoroughly military
nd be bated the confinement and irksOmeness of q
rn- Office and would believe, but for his amab WI
. and BARN, have shown his indentures ia T p