The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-10-20
NO.. 455.
CUPID IN THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT
He Is the Means Of Reforming Bright Young
Man and Making Pr:,y Girl Happy.
(From the Washington R-pubiicaR.)

u
Man and Making Pr:,y Girl Happy.
(Fron the Washington R-pub'ican)
'lhe life OF a government clerk is at
best monotonous one, as in nearly all
the departments the clerks have the same
routine work day after day." said a ven
cradle Treasury clerk, ''and when there
is bit of gossip to relieve the monotony
of his life it is taken up with relish and
retold till it blossoms out in many differ
ent forms"
"What is disturbing the monotony
now?" inquired the reporter.
''Wel, 1 am getting to that. Six
years ago last March bright-eyed, rosy
checked young fellow of twenty-five re-
ceived an appointment through political
influence in the division I am employed
in. You know that was before the days
of civil service reform. He was quick
and intelligent and it was not long be-
fore he was as familiar with the work as
the oldest clerk in the Office. For week
or so he was most efficient clerk and
always on time With sorrow I began
to notice that he was becoming dissi-
pated; that his work was behind, and
instead of the frank, independent ex-
preston that he had when he came in
the Office was careless, devil-may-care
sort of look. I demonstrated with him
and told him he would be dismissed, and
Justly. too, if he did not shake the COM
panions he was associating with.
'sHis only reply would be: I can take
care of myself; you needn't fret about
me-. His downfall didn't surprise me
much, for 7 had seen number of young
men go just his way who had come in
the departments honest, sober young
fellows, and leave it broken down in
health, and careless as to how they made
their living. Things went on this way
until the present administration came
into power, and the heads of th edifer-
ent bureaus were changed. Consequent
ly great number Of new clerks came in.
Among these was pretty young Lady
with large brown eyes and a fascinating
smile. The clerks, both male and female,
Immediately took took to her, and she
became general favorite. The young
men in the Office never lost an opportu-
nifty to have few minutes chat with
her, but that is as far as it ever went.
Though she treated all pleasantly none
were ever invited to call on her. The
young fellow spoke about had gotten
SO that he seldom had anything to say
to any one. In the course Of 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 'rounder,' or in other
words, dissipated.
ssShe said she liked him and thought
there was great deal OF good in him if
he had the proper encouragement. He
seemed to be a gentleman and that if he
did anything wrong it was only through
carclessness. After this the two young
people were together constantly when
not at the Office and most wonderful
change came over him. He stopped
drinking, attended to his work with
will and when not somewhere with her
of an evening stayed in his room and
read. I was pleased to note the change
and knew that all would come out well.
She had only been in the Office about
six months when he came to me one day
and said he was going to resign, as his
salary was not sufficient to support a
wife as he would like to, and that he had
secured a positi n as book-keeper in a
wholesale grocery house in New York.
He went away and I heard nothing from
him. We often spoke of him at the
Office, but no one ever dared ask the
young lady clerk about him, for they re-
membered how she went for the old lady
who spoke of him to her. Several weeks
since l was surprised when the young
lady came to me, as the young man had
before, and said she would be pleased if
I would send her resignation to the
Secretary. l asked her jokingly if she
was going to be married. She blushing-
ly admitted she was, but would not say
to whom. I suspected and felt pleased.
This morning she and her husband called
to see me, and it proved to be the young
man I suspected. He told me that he
had been very fortunate since leaving
the Office, and was now head book-keeper
for the concern to which he went from
the department, and attributed all his
success to the pretty young bride at his
side. They left this evening for New
York, where henceforth will be their
home. 1t does my heart good to see a
marriage like that.