Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1880-02-21
a NALANoHE.

for the accommodation Of sight-seers,
as they de- at the Wengern Alp, and in
a hundred other places of Switzerland
and the Tyrol.
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 n third-class clerkshlp |
in the State Department at Washington,
and this only because could write a
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 had preferred that | had been a
common farmer. But when the hard
times came, and when the hard times
got harder, and the old farm, going
under mortgage, 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.
a little good penmanship had kept my
uncle out of the pOor-housc. 1t did
something for me, too, later.
Still, it was weary enough for me at
last, reading and copying endless dis
patches of the Chief Clerk to our Con
suls in Europe, and all that without any
apparent hope of ever becoming Chief
Clerk myself. One day was copying
o dispatch of the Secretary to the Con-
sui ut l.. 1t was to the effect that
from that day on he would, in accord
ance with his request, be allowed + 900
II year for clerk hire. "lle will want a
clerk, then, of course" | said TO my
self, "and if | could secure the situa-
ton, l might be happy still" I>whis-
tied meditatively. | would see Europe
at least, and that would be u change;
anyway, / would be no longer liable to
become n fixture as third-class clerk
in the department. / didn't want pro-
motion so much as | wanted change.
| got the latter, as the sequel will show.
That evening the dispatch of the depart
mcnt, copied in my best hand, left for
Europe, accompanied by private note
of my own to the Consul. As speci.
men of my, writing, | referred to the
inclosed dispatch, and informed the
Consul that | could speak the German
language, having learned it evenings,
during my stay in Washington. Per
haps the last remark, 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 ] 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.
What wonderfully various duties
Consuls have to perform in these ivC
hours, though! What combination o
pdter and mater tamiliaS the Consul is
Though never severe, his work is ~
multifarious as are the characters of ;
thousand tourists. His office is thu
/, grand depot of all strange things. Th'
consulate at L was no exception t
: the rule. 1t was the receptacle o
every thing from dainty love lette
with lock of hair, to wills of invalid
, and Saratoga trunks. Every body calle'
there, many "loafed" there, and on
, poor melancholy tramp claimed the i'm
mortal privilege of hanging himself il
, the Consul's wood house-just to be I'm
: der the flag, as it were.
Tourists and tramps, however, ar
not alone in furnishing the Consul wit
, the spiced variety of life. Uncle Sar
contributes his mite occasionally.
Among the Washington letters las
; winter was one from our worthy Com
missioner of Pensions, asking the Con
t sui to investigate, and furnish evidenc
/ that certain widows and minor daugh
, tiers of United States pensioners Twin
in his district had not married, an
+ thus forfeited their claim TO further al
+ from the Government. 1t was cas-
: enough to secure this evidence in mos
. cases. Those living near the city wer
> invited to call at the consulate, and i
. was sometimes matter of sly pleasur
a to the Consul and myself to listen to tn
y embarrassed confessions of pretty wid
ows that Cupid had never cast his net
: second time for them. But there wa
. one pensioner from whom repeate
:, official notes, written in good German
=, and with my-finest flourish of capitals
. brought no message, pro or con.
q Pensioner No. 1904 seemed to fe,
e that Uncle Sam had no right to ask S
indicate question.
All .he certificates, except 1904, wei
Endorsed and ready to be, returned
! / "This pensioner," said the Consul {
l. his chief clerk one morning, "is probi
IL bly, either dead or married, and | al
J determined to find out which. 1t is NJ
II so wonderfully far from here to the vi
i lage of Bleiberg, and if you have an il
J clination, you may take the next ira
$ and 90 there Come back by Saturda,
Il and, of course, make the expenses
i trifling as you cam
y had long wished for stroll of son
II sort into the magnificent valleys of Il
. Carinthian Alps, and here seemed II
l. opportunity.
d can't say that the cars whizzed n
!, very suddenly away to the pretty tow
q of Bleiberg, for in fact the trains VIII
T. dreadmlly slow in the Tyrol. | W,
twenty-five miles still from Blebei
p when l transferred my hand valise an
d myself to a second-class railway CT
d into first-class mountain diligence.
C 1t was wonderfully beautiful vallt
1t was to ascend to Bleiberg. There al
# no finer mountain prospects anywher
It 1t seems to me sometimes that all II
: ornamental work of the creation hi
e been expended in Switzerland and I'll
l. Tyrol.
II Usually, when in the mountains,
n pay the diligence conductor frar
n poar6oire, and ride outside with Il