Year: 1861

Everybody knows that for the last few years,
telegraph companies in England have employ
ed females in the instrument department, of
some of their principal stations The work is
light and clean, and very well adapted for
young ladies' Most of them acquire the art
of telegraphing in very short time and there
are now, in the service, many who arc able TO
send and receive messages as well as the best
of the male staff. Young ladies are much the
same elsewhere, and it would, of course, be
next to impossible for them to remain any
length of time in room without desiring to
hold fair amount Of conversation. As the
nature of their employment demands that for
the greater part of the time they are at the
Office they must sit at the instrument TO which
they are appointed, they cannot very well hold
conversation with their companions. So when
a circuit happens to be slack, the young lady
who has charge of il finds a great deal of relief
in speaking to the clerks at the other end of
the wire. After l had been some time in the
service, and was supposed to be thoroughly
acquainted with the work, was appointed to
station which | do not wish 10 be known by
any other name than Merton. After | had
introduced myself to those who were to be my
fellow clerks, took possession of the instru-
ment appropriated to me, and as usual, inquir-
ed the name of the lady with whom | was TO
work. Quick as thought, l received for an
swer, Amy Watson. Who are you ?''-
Having given my name and the station from
which had come, we entered into conyersa-
ton upon general subjects, such as the weather,
descriptions of different towns through which
we had passed, etc. | soon found in addition
to being an excellent hand at telegraphing, my
fair correspondent was very entertaining in
conversation and it was easy to discover from
the way in which she acted during press of
business, that she was Of a very amiable dis
position. These conversations went on for
some time, till at length l was miseraby dull
when away from the instrument, and always
eager 10 discharge, as quickly as possible, those
duties which occasionally called me away, so
that might return to speak to Amy. was
most anxious to see the being who exercised
such an influence over me, and at length, after
much persuasion, and having obtained the
consent of her widowed mother we exchanged
portraits. If | was in love before, l was
doubly so now. Having obtained the likeness,
l was more eager than ever to see the original.
To hear the sound of her voice-which | was
sure from the expression Of her face in the
portrait, was soft and sweet-to see her smile
or me, and to gaze into her large, bright, blue
eyes, seemed to me the objects most to be de-
sired of any in the world. applied for, and
obtained leave of absence for fortnight, and
instantly proceeded to N. We met and
everything that had pictured was as naught
compared to the beauty and amiabiity of the
original. Before l left, we were engaged to
be married and three months afterward, hav-
ing obtained, through the kindness of my su-
perior officer, transfer from Merton to N,
Amy Watson changed her name for mine.-
Since then we have lived happily, for we are
still lovers, and have never had cause to regret
that the principal part Of our love making was
by telegraph.