The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-11-02

sign.
He resolved to enter, for he could get
breakfast here, at least. He pushed
through the doorway aud over the sanded
/ floor into a narrow sort of box, where
table was spread; and as he did so, he had
a hazy feeling that this, too, was something
that he was familiar with.
at must be-" he said, ''that my brain
is producing succession Of these sensa-
tions that | have had sometimes before,
which persuade the credulous that we were
continually in a circle, and forever live
our lives over.again."
| As he took his seat waiter approached
him.
"Give me bill of fare, said Ephraim.
''Bill of fare, sir? Have no bill of fare,
sir. Never have them, sir; no coffee-house
has them, sir. Get you up a nice break
fast though, SIR"
"What have you gOt?"
"Ham, sir, steak, sir, boiled egg, sir,
coffee, tea, mullins just in from furrin
countries, sir, are youl p
''Never mind where | am FROM" said
Ephraim, testify "Bring me a broiled
steak, an egg, aud some mullins and coffee,
and bring them quickly"
eyes sir; half minute, sir. Anything
else sir?"
"Bring me a newspaper"
"Yes, sir; here it is, sir, the very latest,
sir"
Ephraim took the paper and glanced at
it. 1t was the Weekly Gazette, four days
old; little sheet of yellow brown paper
poorly printed, containing some fragments
of news, and nothing later from Europe
than November 6, although the Gazette
bore date December 10. So soon as
Ephraim comprehended its worthlessness
he tossed it contemptuously upon the floor,
and waited, almost sullenly, for his break
fast
When it came in upon the tray, carried
by the brisk waiter, it looked dainty and
tempting enough, and the fumes that rose
from it were so savory that he grew into
better humor. As it was spread before
him he perceived that the waiter had given
him very coarse two pronged steel fork.
"Take that away, said Ephraim, tossing
it to the end of the table; II want silver
fork"
"Silver fork, sir Bless my soul, sir
We haven't got any; never heard of such
thing, sir r.
"Never heard of silver fork, you IDIOT !
shouted Ephraim; "why every body uses
them"
"No, sir, think not, sir I've lived
with first quality people, sir, and they all |
use this kind. Never saw any other kind,
sir; didn't know there was any. Do they |
have 'em in furrin parts sir ?'
SECT out" said Ephraim, savagely |
He was becoming somewhat annoyed and |
bewildered by the utter disappearance of
some familiar things.
But the breakfast was good, and he was |
hungry, so he fell TO with hearty zest,
aud, although he found the steel fork
clumsy, it did him good service. At the
conclusion of the meal, he walked rapidly |
to his ofice-the Office that he had occu-
pied for nearly sixty years. As he opened |
the door he expected to find his letters in
the box wherein the postman thrust them |
twice or thrice a day. They were not
there. The box itself was gone
"Too bad too bad exclaimed Ephraim.
Everything conspires to delay me to-day. /
| suppose must sit here and wait for that
lazy letter carrier to come, and meantime
my business must wait too"
With the intent not to lose the time al
together, Ephraim resolved to write letter
or two. He took from the drawer a sheet
of rough white paper and opened his ink
stand. He could not find his favorite steel
pen anywhere, and there were no other
pens in the drawer only bundle Of quills.
Ephraim determined to use one of these.
He ruined four, and lost ten minutes be-
fore he could make with his knife a pen
good enough to write WITH but with this
he finished his letter. Then he had anoth-
er hunt for an envelope, but he could find
one nowhere, and nothing was to be done
but to fold the sheet in the fashion that he
had known in his boyhood and to seal it
with sealing wax. He burned his fingers
badly while performing the last named
operation.
Still the postman had not arrived, and
Ephraim being very anxious to mail his
letter, resolved to go out and drop it into
the letter box at the corner of the street.
When he reached the corner he found that
the letter-box had disappeared as so many
other things had done; so he resolved to
push to the pOst-office, where he could
leave the letter and get his mornings mail.
As he approached what he had supposed
was the postofice, he was dismayed to per-
ceive that another building occupied the
site. The postoffice had yanishedl
He turned to man standing with a
crowd which was observing him, and asked
him where the postofice could be found.
Obeying the direction, he sought the place
and found it. Rushing to the single win
dow, behind which a clerk stood, he asked:
care there any letters for Ephraim
Butterby?"
II think not, said the clerk; "there
will be no mail in till tomorrow"
"Till tomorrow !" shouted Ephraim.
"What's the matter ?"
"The matter nothing at all. What's
the matter with you ?'
81 am expecting letters from New /
York and Chicago Are both mails de-
layed?"
CuiSaGOS D plaCc never neaTu OF, /
and the mail from New York comes in
only three times week. 1t came yester-
day and it will come tomorrow"
"Three times a week p exclaimed Eph-
rain; "why it comes four or FIVE times
day, unless am very much mistaken"
The clerk turned to fellow clerk be-
hind him and said in low tone something
at which both laughed.
Chow do you suppose the mails get
here four or FIVE times day?" asked the .
clerk.
"UpOn the mail trains, of course" re-
piled Ephraim tartly, and then the clerks
laughed again.
"Well, sir" said the man at the win
dow, ''we don't appear to understand each
other, but it may straighten things out if
tell you that the New York mails come /
here upon stage coach, which takes
twenty-four hours to make the journey; |
and which reaches here on Mondays, We'd /
nesdays and Fridays"
Ephraim was about to make an angry |
reply, but the clerk shut the windows and |
made further discussion impossible For
moment Ephraim was puzzled. He |
i II