Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-04-28
A Niqht in an Avalanche.

Contrary to all arrangements and ex>
pectations of the dear old uncle VINO
had reared me, had not got iurther
along IN life than to third.class clerk
ship in the State department at WASH
iugton. and this only because l could
write fine hand. and make fancy capt.
tails, said my disappointed uncle.
I believe uncle was thoroughly
ashamed OF my getting into the depart
ment at all. He would hundred times
over have preferred thatI had been a
farmer. But when the hard times came
and when the hard times got harder
and the old farm, going under mort
gage, was only rescued by my savings
as 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
that without any apparent hope OF ever
becoming chiet clerk myself. One day
[ was copying dispatch Of the secre'
tary to the consul at z. 1t was to
the effect that from that day on he
| would, in accordance with his request
be allowed 81, 900 a yea for clerk hire
He will want clerk, then, of course,
| 1 said to myself, and if l could secure
the situation, I might be happy STILL l
didn't want promotion so much as l
wanted a chance. That evening the
dispatch of the department, copied IN
my best hand, lett for Europe, accom-
panied by private note ofmy own to
the consul. AS a specimen Of my writ
iag, 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 6ne writing, settled
the business. Clerks who can speaE
foreign languages are in demand witt
our consuls.
| In six weeks from that day 1 ha(
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. 1 had beautiful
times-so did the consul.
| Among the Washington letters last
winter was one from our worthy COM
missioner of pensions, asking the con-
sui to investigate and furnish evidence
that certain widows aud minor daugh-
ters of United States pensioners living
IN his district had not married, and thus
forfeited their claim to further aid iron
the government.
All the certificates, except l,OO4
were indorsed, and ready to be returne
This pensioner,' said the consul to hi'
chief clerk one morning, lis probabl.
either dead or married. and L am deter
/ mined to find out which. II IS not s
wonderfully far from here to the villag
of Bleiberg, and if you have an inclin'
ton you may take the next train an
90 there. Come back by Saturday, an
of course, make the expenses as tritlin!
as you cam
had long wished for stroll OF som
sort INTO the magnificent valleys OF u
Carinthiam Alps, and here seemed M
It opportunity
was twenty-five miles still iror
Blciberg when 1 transferred my han
yalise and myself from a second-clas
railway car into frst-class mountal
diligence.
1t was a wonderfully beautiful vale
|, [ was to ascend to Bleiberg. There al
no finer mountain prospects anywhere
II seems to me some times that all u
ornamental work Of the erection hi
been expended on Switzerland and Il
Tyrol.
Usually, when in the mountains
rode outside with the driver. or up in u
. imperial, perched like leather bonnie
on the top of the vehicle. determine
fully to do SO at thus time.
N How caprclous is the mind OF ma
| reflected, on entering the little statl'
~ and seeing a young lady in vel'
e. Jacket and gray kids bay inside cou
Iy No. Q. There was but one passens
st besides myself. In twenty mlnu'
nc the two occupants Of that mounts
DILIGENCE were tolerably acquainted
we spoke, Of course, IN I'll.
What struck us both as very - ="
ID ID however, was the great similarity Q, .
German pronunciation. n s 80 .
Miss Margot Shelto' W W nv
phcit--Gor had sea her s.. name oan%nOtor on
ticket as I passerit It to the cOnouS.Ui S'Ui,
was perfectly ,ertain l was not Daa , I",' !
" equally ,Onident my fair com sUmpap1 n
eq1t 4 a native to the Alps. ID
'tS' g. !, man bore too strong an accent 's A.,
Loat. / afterward learned she
=, = thought my own llttlo curious or