You would then see the ardent reformers at their wits' ends; while, the honourable person 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 rarely the case; for, the money would not be refunded, be never-so-many minutes made of the incident--the parties concerned being commonly scattered all over the globe, and, if appealed to, would probably reply that they knew nothing now about the circumstance, and cared less, most likely.