Show LITTLE TIME FOR IDLING clerkship not such sine cures as ig generally supposed the impression still exists in the minds of many people who come to washington and secure government positions that the department clerk has little or no work to do but the manual or rather pedal labor involved in standing in line upon semimonthly occasions and pocketing a salary this was instanced some weeks ago says the washington post when a newly appointed young clerk of the gentler sex made her appearance in the pension office the other clerks viewed with curious eyes the contents of a rather large bundle of fancy work which she spread out on the desk and leisurely essayed to weave she was somewhat surprised and impatient because the messenger came in several times during the day to deposit office papers on her desk thus interrupting the plying of her needle she grew more surprised as lay by day her work increased and she had no time to spare for her avocation she got enough of it in about a week one day she rolled up the unfinished tatting and took it home with alie remark that she really believed ahe not be able to do any fancy work after all A somewhat similar etory is related of an old gentleman of a literary turn of mind who entered upon his duties in the sixth auditors office with a select assortment of the poets and essayists under his arm his chief inquired if the volumes in question were expected to throw light upon the auditing of post office accounts 1 I usually devote at least two hours a day to elevating reading re plied the clerk but reading the poets during office hours was found to be incompatible with disposing of the enormous pile of work that soon loomed up on the new employed emp loyes desk until at last the lover of literature strapped up his library of master minds of the world and took them away never again to bo subjected to the indignities of government routine |