The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-04-26
work in my particular department. l w.s


have turned out I am thankful that was
able to do the poor fellow these KIND
nesses. However, o my story 1 TOOK the
Government composition as 1t was called,
and retired from the Wax and Wafer
Office, if not exactly upon my iaureis, on a
genteei competence. lhAa - ehS@e
10 des rye SO well OF my country as 10 havea
statue erected to ms, but 1 could lay my
hand upon nv heart, and say / had done my
dutv-within all reasonable limits; i had not
SO exhaus;ed myself in her service that l was
unfit for Ut, Bother calling, and l now pro-
ceeded TO enter my new one-that OF q man
of leisure-with considerable energy. Hav-
ing formed this moderate estimate of my
own virtu es, you may inagn- my asitn sh-
ment on receiving, about a fortnight after
l had given up my appointment, the fol-
lowing communication from my late fellow
clerks =
DEAR TAsBRoor,-we cannot permit
your brief but distinguished career among
US to come TO a close, without expressing to
you our sense Of the loss that has betaiIen,
not only ourselves, but the public service, IN
you withdrawal from the Wax aud Wafer
Office. 1t Is r void which We honestly feel
can never be filed up by your equal"
Here / felt "a mans rare tears, as The
poet calls them. coming very near my eyes
and laid down the Letter to reeoger my'ef.
The terms in which the recognition OF my
poor servic 8 had been expressed were really
very agreeabls-''a void not TO be filled mp
by my equal" This seemed to be almost
too happy an expression for Crammer and
yet the Memorial" if l may call it SC, was
in Crammer's handwriting. and boro his
autograph at the head of the long list of sig
natures. / was touched by this fact; for, 10
say truth, / should have thought Cranimer
would have been the very last to have appre-
ciated my humble exertions, / do not say as
they deserved, but at the very high figure al
which my late companions were obviously
disposed to rats them. had almost thought
on more than one occasion, that CrAmner
entertained the erroneous idea that l might
have worked a little harder without putting
myself to much Inconvenience. 1t was now
evident, however, that l had done him
wrong.
There has been much discussion amongst
US" he went on, 'as 10 the form which the
expression OF our united admiration Of you,
dear Tasbrook, ought to take. Some thought
that q Testimonial on velum, handsomely
illuminated, would be an appropriate offering
mud one which your defendants could hand
down from generation to generation in testi-
mony of the diligence and business abilities
Of their p%rogeniior but then it was urged
that since ut present you were q bachelor,
his would appear too like dictatlon. We
felt that, however near might be our rela-
tions with you, we had no night 10 advise you
70 take a wife, especially us We knew of no
particular lady VINO would ensure your hap
p~iness."
Here / ventured to think Crammer a little
obscure. He, of course, did not mean TO
imply that no lady whe was particular"
would suit me, and yet the sentence would
have borne such an Interpretation. Howe
yer, q man may be good at q preets, and yet
be unable to compose q complimentary me-
morial his intentions were evidently of the
most admiroble kind.
"'Then, again, It was proposed that you
should be presented with a service of plate,
the principle piece of which might bear
some suitable in~scription-'To Thomas
Tasbrook, esquire, in testimony of nearly
six years hpnorable service in the Wax
and Wafer Office, during which he acquired
the esteem Of his suporiors, the affection OF
his equals, and the respect--of his subordi.
nRtes.'"
This fairly overcame me. I was conscious
las l have said of having done my duty but
this unanimous approval OF all classes Of my
fellow-laborers in the Government vineyard
won't to my very heart. The mode in which
they had contrivod to conceal their feelings
throughout what, to say truth, had seemed
70 me O somewhat protrlcted connection
with them, was itself a most striking circum-
stance. The head of my department had
even re~primanded me on one or two occa-
sions; and. though my pretty frequent quar-
rels with my fellow-clerks might be now con-
sidered to have been only 'the renewals of
love-" there had been some rather serious
ones. / had playfully dropped little Jones,
Tor example, over the banisters down three
lights OF stairs, and yet here was Jones's
name standing second in the list of those who
we're wishing to do me honor. His hand was
not a bold one-in fact, twas q running
hand, and significant of his usillanimousp
disposition; but 1 did not think OF that now.
, only reflected, Here is Jones, notwith-
standing the limp in his leg consequent upon
that drop-fall, forgetting and forgiving every
hing, and swelling this tribute Of good feel
Tag towards his ancient foe." l was sorry,
However, they had not decided on the plate,
which is an article that always comes in
landy. 1 thought the reasons against the
,aryice of plate, to say the least of it made
late. 1t might be very true that / was mot
cue to prize a gift for its money value !" but
, confess that l should have experienced
some satisfaction if my humble services had,
- to speak, been reflected if only in a silver
.Alver. Having no man-servant, it would
cave been n pleasing occupation to me on
'et days to have kept up the brilliancv of
= W u "Ak A4oh-
,ver, it was not for me to dictate to my
generous admirers. What they had deter
mined upon was a Testimonial dinner. If
tuesday, the 18th instant, would suit me to
receive this tribute of respect, that was the
late which had been appointed for its pre-
-eutation.
1 wrote back to Crammer byreiurn of post
- express my gratitude for the honor in
respect for me, and to beg him to convey
: lie same to his brother signatarieB; and from
! lat moment to the 18th INST. / gave myself
-holly up to composition. l had not been
accustomed to pubic speaking, and il had
CERTAINLY never entered into my mind that l
could never have to acknowledge a compli-
'hent Of so exceptional n nature. The conse-
lueuce was that ] passed rather a nervous
ane, including solne sieopless nights. And
chen | had composed my speech, of course
had to comm IT to memory. | was not
.oing to make so bad arcturu for ,he kind
hess of my friends of the Wax and Wafer
)iire as to address them eXtemporaneously.
F.. should as soon have thought of playing
'hGrn a tune upon the piano, without pre-
'ious acquaintance with that instrument.
This speech was SO much upon my mind
| often forgot what l wished to re-
member in it that nothing else had much
nance in troubling me: else I did think it
i'd that Crammsr and the committee" us
ne called them, should have selected so OBJ
,cure a locality, for what | may be allowed
10 call so signal q celebration, as the
'N1per's Head in the City. st. James
Iulf and the Criterion" are w%ell.known
restaurants, and expressly adapted for such
public manifestations of good feeling
Nut for the "Viper's Head" l, for my part,
tad never heard. Crnmmer himself thought
II necessary to apologize for the selection
Of such a spot, but assured me that it was