rson who keeps the purse-strings of the ministry would be
down on his marrow bones--entreating the ill-used and recalcitrant
seceders to return to their employment, when "all would be forgiven;"
and begging them, at the same time, to accept the increase to their
salaries which they had demanded, as a token of his sincere regard and
esteem!

Before I became one of the staff of the Obstructor General's Office, I
had not given the position of Government clerks a thought, excepting to
look down upon them generally--as I have previously remarked, and as,
indeed, most people are in the habit of doing who are unconnected with
the service.

Now, however, that I was one of them, I was filled with the most
thorough corps feeling. Their ills were my ills; their hopes my hopes;
and, such thoughts as I have noted were continually passing through my
mind.

This is the case with most that are similarly employed.

I like men to believe in the special calling or profession they
follow:--I do not think much of those who run down their trade.--The
latter are usually bad workmen, you'll find.

If I were a boot-black, to-morrow, I would, I am certain, lean to the
delusion that the polishing of pedal integuments was the noblest sphere
in life!

Indeed, I have known many more extraordinary conversions than mine.

I've seen one of the most brutal and bloodthirsty of warriors settle
down into an earnest preacher of the gospel. I have heard a prize-
fighter lecture on the atomic theory; and, I am acquainted with a
violent radical demagogue "of the deepest dye," who, by means of a nice
berth and a snug salary, has been turned into the most conservative of
county magnates--looking upon all his former proceedings with horror,
and a virtuous amazement that he could ever have been so led astray!

So, you need not be surprised at my thus changing my sentiments. In
addition, I was new to the service; and, "new brooms sweep clean," we
are told--although, the special work of the room in which I was placed
at the office was not by any means of an interesting character. In
fact, it was rather the reverse, you will say, when I tell you what it
consisted in.

Some eight of us were engaged from ten to four o'clock every day, six
mortal hours, in checking a lot of old accounts, and bills, that had
been paid and settled years before.

There was no benefit to be derived by the country, even if we _did_
detect an error of calculation, which was r