Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-03-11
From Harper's Monthly.l
4 NIGHT IN An AVALANCHE.

Contrary to all arrangements and ex-
pectations of the dear old uncle who had
reared me, / had not got further along in
life than to third-class clerkship in the
state department mt Washington, anC.
this only because / could write fine
hand, and make fancy capitals, said my
disappointed uncle.
/ believe uncle was thoroughly
ashamed of my getting into the depart
ment at all. He would hundred times
over have preferred that | had been n
farmer. But when the hard times came,
and when the haad times got harder, and
the old farm, going under mortgage,
WA only rescued by my savings as n
third-class clerk, uncle sank his shame in
his gratitude and my fancy writing was
rdiculed no longer.
Sill, it was weary work, reading and
copying endless dispatches of the chief
clerk to our consrls in Europe, and all
that without any apparent hope of ever
becoming chief clerk myself. One day
was copying dispatch of the secretary
TO the consul at 4. 1t was to the
effect That from that day on he would, in
accordance with his request, be allowed
81, 900 year for clerk hire
"He will want clerk, then, of
course" l said to myself, land if
could secure the situation, I might be
happy still" / didn't want promotion
30 much as l wanted change. That
evening the dispatch of the department,
copied in my best hand, left for Europe,
accompanied by private note of my
own to the consul. Asa specimen of my
writing, | referred to the inclosed dis
patch and informed the learned consul
thnt could speak the German language
having learnedit 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 iii demand with
our consuls.
In six weeks from that day l had
peeped into the great cities of London,
Paris and Brussels, and was now stand
ing MT the clerks desk of the American
consulate at 4.
The business was not burdensome.
With the office open but five hours Il
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 III his dis
trict had not married, and thus forfeited
their claim to further aid from the gov
ernment
All the certificates, except l, 0o4, were
Endorsed, and ready to be returned.
This pensioner, said the consul to his
chief clerk one morning, is probably
either dead or married, and | am de-
termined to find out which. 1t liz not 80
wonderfully far from here to the village
of Bleibcrg, and if you have an inclina.
ton You may take the next train and &c
there. Come back by Saturday, and OF
course, make the expenses rs trltlmg rs
you can.
| had long wished for stroll of somt
sort INTO the magnificent valleys Of the
Coarinthian Alps, and here seemed my OPP
poitunity.
| was twenty-five miles still from
Bleiberg when | transferred my hand
valise and myself from n secondclass
railway car into tirst-cass mountain
NlAlSttlN'-
1t was wonderfully beautiful valley
| was to ascend to Blciberg There art
no finer mountain prospects anywhere
1t seems to me sometimes that all tn,
ornamental work of the creation has
been expended on Switzerland and tn,
Tyrol.
Usually. when in the mountains, rid,
outside with the driver, or up III the i'm
perial. perched like leather bonnet OF
the top Of the vehicle. determined
fully to do SO this time.
How capricious Is the mind of man,
reflected, on entering the little station
and seeing young lady III velvet
jacket and gray kids buyinside coupe No
/ for Bleiberg. In minute | hac