The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-03-13

30 Perfectly Simple Operation.
In all innocence and lightness Of
heart set out one morning 10 send a
; small parcel 10 England from the town
In Germany where ! was staying. Al
the puStolIice | was confronted by
three booking office windows. each
having weird and formidable inscrip-
ton over il. These inscriptions were
not TO be comprchcnded at glance:
so, not wishing to gaze up at them too
long, ! selected the least crowded win
dow and handed over my parcel. II
was promptly returned to me with Il
curt go to the next window" II
was just that window specially wish
ed 10 avoid. being the most crowded,
but ! waited my turn and then made
another attempt. The official looked
at me sternly.
"lIave you the clrculars?" he asked
"No," replied family.
He handed ire three circulars, for
which had TO pay a small sum and
which was requested to fiji up. Pick
ing up my parcel. | sat down to study
those circulars. They were covered
with instructions, the language used
was magnificent, and the effect was
so overwhelming that l found it diff
cult to grasp what / was instructed
to do. IL my papers were not filled Ip
accurately il was not from untruthful-
ness, but owing to my limited German
vocabulary.
BY the time | had described the
parcel, the gross weight thereof in
grams and kilograms, the gross
value thereof in marks and pfennigs
and given detailed description of
each article contained therein. with
its separate weight and value, felt
like an old inhabitant of that pOstOffice.
l had seen. as 1t were, generation after
generation Of stamp purchasers come
and go, and still l remained. AS to
the weights, my idea of Kilograms
was about on u par with my knowl-
edge of definite integrals. However,
did my best. l guessed at the prob
able weight of the parcel and divided
the articles into 1t.
At length ! came to the end. and.
feeling like candidate at an exam
ination, gathered up my papers and
the parcel and went over TO the win
dow. After waiting my turn handed
over the papers. The official glanced
at them. then at the parcel. and
frowned.
did you weigh the articles?' he
asked sternly.
"Ya-a-a!' stammered.
"Then go home and weigh them
again. You have put them down at
half tOnr'
There was no help for 1t. With
sigh l gathered up my papers and
went back toia secluded corner. After
patiently reducing all the weights
again presented the papers. This time
they We're passed. and was sent on
to the next department, where l had
to purchase and I'LL up another docu-
ment. was now getting into form.
and this paper was soon dealt with.
Then. with my heart beating fast.
handed over the parcel. 1t was once
more returned to me. The official said
he could not take 1t in that condition
1t was insecurity made up.
Now. If there is one thing upon which
| pride myself ii Is upon the neat way
I'm which ! turn out parcel. So.
smothering my Indignation as well as
could. ! assured him that it would
be all right. that II was perfectly safe
and that there was nothing in it which
was breakablc. He repeated firmly
that 1t was insecure and that he could
not take it, So | sadly collected my
papers and the parcel and went home
to dinner.
l spent all the afternoon trying TO
purchase cardboard box of exactly
the right proportions and some water
proof cloth TO wrap round it, l next
procured stick of sealing wax and
German seal. and by the time ! had
finished that parcel looked as If 1t
were prepared to travel to the north
pole.
Ii was now getting toward evening.
and | was feeling wearied after my
days work. so besought my brother
"a willing. guileess youth-tO take It
to the pOst0tfice. He took Ii SO inno-
Gently that my conscience reproached
me for not having given him word
Of warning. He was long time gone.
but that was to be expected. When
saw him come in my heart sank In
despair.
"They won't take It like this" he
said cheerfully.
l groaned and asked:
"Why Dot?"
There's not enough sealing wax
on It,"
Not enough sealing wax?" cried
incredulously.
mo. You must put blob wherever
The string crosses and wherever there's
a knot"
In desperation ! seized the sealing
wax and worked away until had
used II to the last speck and the par
Gel was one intricate mass OF string
and wax. Then ! conveyed II once
more to the postoffice. Ii was now al