While the Down Easter went to see the lions about town, our delegate found his way to the apartment of the Post Master General, and inquired for that officer in a manner which said very plainly, "I am John Harmon, of Harrowfork; and I guess now we'll have that little post-office affair settled."
Unfortunately—or rather fortunately, for his own peace of mind, at least, the Post Master General was engaged that morning at Cabinet meeting at the White House, and John Harmon was referred to the First Assistant, who listened patiently to his statement. Our delegate had a speech prepared for the occasion, which he now declaimed in a very high tone of voice, "with a swaggering accent, sharply twanged off," as Sir Toby Belch would have said, and with vehement and abundant gestures.
"I am instructed by my constituents," he said, in conclusion, "to demand of the Department satisfactory reasons for the delay and procrastination to which we have been obliged tamely to submit!"
"You should consider," politely returned the Assistant, "that Harrowfork numbers only one among some twenty-four thousand post-offices in the Union; and that it is a little unreasonable to expect us to bear in mind all the details of an occasional and not uncommon case. We will attend to your business, however, directly."
The papers relating to the Harrowfork Post-Office were sent for, and promptly produced. The delegate seized them without ceremony. The first endorsement that caught his eye, checked his eagerness, and induced reflection.
"I'd like to know, sir," said he, "what that means?" as he called the Assistant's attention to the word "Rest," inscribed in formidable characters, very much resembling the hand-writing of the Post Master General.
"If you think," he continued, "or imagine, or flatter yourselves that you're to have any kind of rest in this marble building, till that rascally Blake is turned out, you're very much mistaken. Or if it means that you want the rest of the temperance men in favor of his removal, I can promise you so much, on my responsibility as a delegate."
The Assistant smiled. He had dealt with persons of John Harmon's temperament before.
"Permit me to inform you," said he, "what that harmless little word signifies. It means nothing more nor less than that, for the present, no action is to take place. Ah!" he added, glancing at the brief upon the papers, "I remember this case very well! It has been from first to last an exceedingly vexatious one to the Department, and these memoranda bring it pretty fully to my recollection."