The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-02-12
A NIGHT IN AN AVALANCHE

Contrary to all arrangements and ex-
pectal ions of the dear old uncle who
had reared me, had not got further
along in life than to third class clerk
ship in the State department at WASH
iugton, and This only because | could
write II fine hand, and make fancy capi
tal>, said my disappointed uncle.
| believe uncle was thoroughly
ashamed of my getting into the depart
ment ut all. He would hundred times
over have preferred that | had been a
farmer. But when the hard times came,
and when the hard times got harder,
and the old farm, going under a mort
gage, was only rescued by my savings us
n third-class clerk, uncle sank his shame
in his gratitude, and my fancy writing
was ridiculed no longer.
Still, it was weary work, reading and
copying endless dispatches of the chief
clerk to our consuls in Europe, and all
becoming chief clerk myself. One day
l was copying dispatch of the secretary
to the consul at Z. 1t was to the
effect that from that day on he would,
in accordance with his request, be al
lowed 81 900 year for clerk hire.
"He will want clerk, then, of
course" said to myself, land if l could
secure the situation, / might be happy
still" didn't want promotion so much
as | wanted change. That evening
the dispatch of the department, copied
in my best hand, left for Europe, accom-
panied by private note of my own to
the consul. AS specimen of nv writ
ing, l referred to the inclosed dispatch.
and informed the learned consul that
could speak the German language, hav-
ing learned it evenings during my stay
in Washington. Perhaps the last re-
mark, and not my fine writing, settled
the business. Clerks who can speak
foreign languages are in demand with our
consuls.
In six weeks from that day I had
peeped into the great cities of London,
Paris and Brussels, and was now stand
ing at the clerks desk of the American
consulate at L.
The business was not burdensome.
With the office open but five hours
day, we were happy. / had beautiful
times-so did the consul.
Among the Washington letters last
winter was one from our worthy COM
missioner of pensions, asking the consul
TO investigate and furnish evidence that
certain widows and minor daughters of
United States pensioners living in his
district had not married, and thus for
ielted their claim to further aid from
the government.
All the certificates, except l,OO4, were
indorsed, and ready to be returned.
This pensloner, said the consul to
his chief clerk one morning, sis proba-
bly, either dead or married. and I am
determined to find out which II is not
so wonderfully far from here to the vii
lage of Bleiberg, and if you have an in
clination you may take the next train
and go there. Come back by SATURDAY..
and, of course, make the expenses as
tritling as you can"
had long wished for a stroll of some
sort into the magnificent valleys of the
Carinthian Alps. and here seemed my
opportunity.
/ was twenty-five miles still from
Bleiberg when l transferred my hand
valise and myself from a second class
railway car into a first-class mountain
diligence.
IL was wonderfully beautiful valley
/ was to asc end to BleibeIg. There are
no finer mountain prospects anywhere
1t seems to me sometimes that all the
ornamental work OF the creation has
been expended on Switzerland and the
Tyrol.
Usually, when in the mountains, [
ride outside with the driver, or up in
the imperial. percbed like a leather bon
net on the top of the vehicle. / deter
mined fully to do SO at this time.
How capricious is the mind of man,
reflected, on entering the little station,
and seeing young lady in a velvet
jacket and gray kids buy inside coupe
No for Bleiberg. In a minute and a