New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-11-30
N,NrTrEN HEARTS BROKEN

It's the part of the charitable to condole with the
unfortunate, while anybody can exhibit alacuty IN
congratulating the lucky. Twenty gentlemen VITA
hearts az hopeful as a May morning started for the
Office of Surveyor Of the Port of Philadelphia and
nineteen of these have now succumbed to fate from
which. when there is only one office TO give and
twice ten who want it, nineteen wretches can by no
possibility escape. Joseph Levens was the lucky
man. while the names of his nartyred competitors
are unknown to fame But shall We DO ptiless, SIM
ply because distress is anonymous II Is true that
we raised our note of warning We told the Phila-
dephia nineteen and the nineteen in all other places
that given one office and twenty applicants, twenty
hearts less one must be lacerated by disappointment
But they wouldn't believe us. They never do. Now
being out of pocket and out of spirits, with ample
leisure to survey their fate since they are not to sur
yev for Uncle sam, Obliged to go home and meet their
wives and own up to foolish expenditure OF the
family funds oppressed by the sympathy OF friends
who do not care two buttons for their misfortune
with the First of January in the yearly accounts ap-
preaching, with that touching confidence which they
had in the President rudey destroyed with the alter
native of working or Of starving staring them in the
face the agonized nineteen having or not as the case
may be settled their Washington tavern bills, mustno
return TO their residences if they have any in Phil
adelphia and find but poor relief in consignng to
the hottest of hot places the soul OF the victorious
Joseph Levens!
Snch ia life. and such is luck. We do not stop to
inquire whether Josephs genius for surveying is
greater or less than that of the reocted whether his
nettion was or was not yard longer than the scrolls
Of the defeated whether that hatull of confidential
Il II. ii hnra chit flor
signatures than the epstes which hayetaed to stead
his rivals; whether in him we have notable instance
Of merit rewarded, or in the Others an example OF
virtue under cloud; these are Investigations Tor
those who are curious in the causes OF things, and
FESTIVE under the stimulus of " why" and where
fore" these are speculations not for u.s. but for the
Inundated and harasSed nineteen, every one OF
whom, taking somebody by the button, could
tale unfold Of modest merit neglected. and OF the re-
prehensblc magic by which Joseph Levens has busted
the eyes of Mr. johnson. We are very glad that we
and our buttons are out Of their reach. To hear a
man talk Of getting an office is bad enough-to hear
him talk of his failure to get it, is what Damon would
not have patiently borne in Pythias. There is indeed,
in this case an expedent which suggests ITSELF The
broken hearted nineteen can hold little meetings and,
maze UlcuuS ny u COlluuully VI sOlAVNb N~A R""A
their grief and grumbing into each others ears. AS
nobody else feels the least interest in the matter
except passionate desire not to be bored with it, and
as the nineteen must talk, rather plume ourselves
upon the humanity of this suggestion.
Nay, if these meetings could DO public, and the
nineteen, with slow music between the speeches,
could tell to the world their experience, how many
honest fellows might be persuaded or warned from
entering upon that fatal pursuit which, whether sue
cessul or not is sure bring botheration, bad dreams
and days of bitterness! There would, indeed, be one
drawback. To learn how many friends are oil the
Summer species and what tremendous liars men can
sometimes contrive to be without uttering b upon
which you can put your finger, would excite Dut low
and despairng views Of human nature and lead 10
chronic and incurable melancholy. But this wouldbe
no worse than the hope deferred which maketh the
heart sick, and the money wasted which mabeth the
purse aecid the eager desire and the inevitable dis
appointment the kneecroOking, the fawning and the
failure after ALL There is something comparatively