The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1886-12-25
"A EsfssiPafed Young Mans Re-
formation FoEleowl by
Marriage.

"The life of a Government clerk i
at best a monotonOus one, as in nearl
all the departments the clerks hav
the same routine work day after day,
said a venerable Treasury clerk, IAN,
When there is a bit of gossip to reliev
the monotony Of his life it is taken III
with a relish and retold till it blossom
out in many different FORMS"
"What is disturbing the monoton,
nowg" inquired the reporter.
"Well, | am getting to that, ST,
years ago last March a bright-eyed
rosy-cheeked young fellow of % receiv
ed an appointment through politica
influence in the division | am employed
In. You know that was before the day
OF civil service reform. He was QUICK
and Intelligent, and it was not lone
before he was familiar with the work
as the oldest clerk in the Office. For
year or SO he was a most efficient
clerk, and always on time. With
sorrow began to notice that he was
becoming dissipated; that his work
was behind, and instead of the frank,
independent expression that he had
when he first came in the office was a
careless deVIl-may-care sort of a look.
l demonstrated with him, and told
him he would be dismissed, and Justly.
too, IT he did not shake the COMPANIONS
lie was as%sociating with. His only
reply would be: 4 can take care of
myself; you needn't fret about me-,
bis downfall didn't surprise ne much.
Tor had seen a number Of young men
go just his way who had come in the
departments honest, sober young fell
lows, and leave it broken down in
health, and careless as to how thew
made theirliving. Things went onthis
way until the present administration
came into power, and the heads of the
dlflerent bureaus were changed. Con-
sequently a great number of new clerks
came In. Among these was a pretty
young lady with large brown eyes and
a fascinating smile. The clerks, both
male and female, Immediately took to
her, and she became a general favorite.
The young men in the office never lost
an opportunity to have a few minutes
chat with her, but that is as far as it
ever went. Though she treated all
pleasantly, none We're ever invited to
call on her. The young fellow I spoke
ABOUT mad cotton SO that be seldom
mad anything 10 soy g any one. In
the course Vi time he made the
acquaintance OF the pretty young clerk.
and that evening one of the older
ladies, with the best intentions in the
world, told the young lady not to Get
too intimate with that man, as he was
considered a 'rounder,' or, in other
words, dissipated.
"She said she liked him, and thought
there was q great deal of good in him
II he had the proper encouragement.
seemed to be a gentlemen, and that
II he did anything wrong it was only
through carelessness, After this the
young people were together con-
when not at the office, and a
most wonderful change came over him.
He stopped drinking, attended to his
work with a will, and, when not
somewhere with her of an evening.
in his room and read. / was
pleased to note the change, and knew
all would come out well. She had
only been in the Office about six months
when he came to me one day and said
ne was going to resign, as his salary
was no sufficient to support a wife as
ne would like to, and that he had
secured a position as bookkeeper in a
wholesale grocery house in New York.
lie went away and | heard nothing
from him. We often spoke of him at
the office, but no one ever dared to
ask the young lady clerk about him.
Tor they remembered how she went for
Old lady who spoke of him to her.
weeks since | was surprised
when the young lady came to me, as
young maj had before, and said
would be pleased if | would send {
ner resignation to the Secretary. III
her jokingly if she was %roino :
be married. She bl,shinrlv adj
united she was, but would not say to :
whom. | suspected and felt pleased. !
rms morning she and her husband {
calico to see NE, and it proved to be {
me young man | suspected. He told i,
me that lie had been very fortunate ,
since leaving The office, and was now
bookkeeper for the concern to|
winch he Went from the department. s
ana attributed all his success to the
pretty young bride at his side. ,TbevI
,eit tins evening for New York, where
henceforth will be there home. i
does my heart good to see a marTiare
~that."-Washington Republican.
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no llnNrnA IE1 T.