Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-05-10
WORKING FOR UNCLE SAM.
A Woman Clerks Story.

u Otlt. vi =UIiO OONCI lllIlChV OCI'hi u
q ,mAnts at Washington is not by
!. any means "a bad existence. have
/ tried it and speak from experience
Zone day not long ago | found
4 my way to the office Of the Secrc
4 tary in the Interior Department
a A, colorcd man of great dignity
!. sat outside of the door, and upon
.Emy entrance into the ante-roOu'
! rose respectfully and. taking NJ.
cartl, waved me to a seat to await
]. results while he disappeared
4 Through doorway opposite me.
! In a few minutes / WAS ushere'l
z into large room. half Office, halt
siIE.library,an facing q dignlfied
IL tIefne ii: Asllo rose and. politely
sEas Red sniaesfo sbs seates |. lasstill
i tiers gllsll
.
l&lrsl Iiss Ord iea y
1oaklgs ran 81 q feraas
55ti;igN
I
ostiiat nome lfaaItl wllfsdS lla5l
1;appietfstoS him Wodldybe give me
Is;l position asa clerk iii the De
:Epartrpent9
e FL e:sIIently. turned over several
]packagesof paper lying on the
:|desk@l,eSitle lin, and then said:
1.Doyon know yonr application
makes 1901 that L now have be-
4 toresme. asking for clcrkshIpS in
|stlllS4DepartmenlY"
One Thousand aud one! How
]!qllickip my thoughts flew back to
1.-The strains Of IL iavorite waltz,
1,,::sOne, Thousand and One NigIlsr'
Tire room and the man before
me faded before another vision-a
group of gay yonng giilS dancing
d.tO tile music of the waltz as it
dripped from my careless fingers.
Conc Thousand AMI One Nights!'
Less than That many nights before
| / had been one of IL par y isl EN-
iDg 10 thai music played by \
German. band, ,ludpr the Linden"
Lin Germany, loved and cared for,
witllsno tl,Guglt of SORROW.
WIS brought sharply back to
1.-The present., with its hitter cor
I1rast, by he ENTRANCE Of tue por-
ter, followed Ivy two gentlencn.
The Secretary shook my hand as n
farewell aul promising 10 send
me an answer in tile morning. babe
! the porter see me safely TO lie cal.
-I.iutlie'IIext street. In arranging
any vtilsa watch guard nlclasped
and dropped with rattle to the
floor. One Of the gentlemen who
had Just entered picked it up, and
looking significantly;: at it and then
TO tue Secretary, handed it to me.
1t VAS the square and compass set
Einslarge white diamonds, belong
ipg.to my husband. | do not know
whether that little incident helped
me TO gain my position or not, bnt
Lave tloughL possillYsit did, as |
saw the same design hanging from
"a chain worn by The Secle tary OF
the Interior.
Next morning the bell boy
brought note u large official doc
ument containing my appointments
TO IL clerkship IN the Pension Or
flee at a salary OF $1,000, a year. |
was to go the following Monday
morning at 0 O'Clock for cxamlna-
ton and to he assigned to a room
with others thus employed. The
next two days were spent in search
for u boarding house. OF these |
found plenty, but at not one de
sirable place could l get room and
board without that all important
thing, some recommendation, a
thing 1 had never once even
dreamed of having.
l think my experience those two
days ought to be written, and
wonld be interesting, TO say the
least, to students of human nature.
My only crime, unftnesS or what
ever yon may term it, us expressed
orhinled, was my being $50 young"
$50 pretty" aud "a wi.low!D Think
of it. L wished most heartily that
day that might he old, gray and
Ilideously ugly. l am glad there
were no wicked fairies about that
could change people at their own
wish. / fear l should have been
left repentlng, Il clerk to this day
IN that old gloomy building on the
Iayenue. AS | could not change
my face, aud certainly it was not
my fortune, | decided to change
my tactics, and through the means
of the telegraph | was enabled TO
secure satisfactory refer even
for that particular and pampered
class, Washington landladies.
On the Monday following | went
to a building oil Tenth street,
think the same one where Presi-
dent Lincoln was carried mortally
wounded; if not, it was next door
| to it-where the examinations
were held. In answer to my rap |
was admitted to long, low ceilcd
room filled with writing tables and
Chairs. At one Of these tables two
ladies were bus;ly bending over
pen and ink. evidently undergoing
the ordeal through which Unjust
pass. a short, stout gentleman
with pair Of large green glasses
surnlounting his nose looked over
my paper OF appointment, and CIV
| ;no, mo a ot,oir .,t onn nf fila wa