Seven Stories With Basement and Attic Author:Donald G. Mitchell Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SECOND STORY: Account of a Consulate. JULIUS O3ESAR was a Consul, and the first Bonaparte ; and so was I. I do not think that I am possessed of any very... more » extraordinary ambition. I like comfort, I like mushrooms; (truffles I do not like). I think Lafitte is a good wine, and wholesome. Gin is not to my taste, and I never attended caucuses. Therefore, I had never entertained great expectations of political preferment, and lived for a considerable period of years without any hopes in that way, and with a very honest indifference. And yet, when my name actually appeared in the newspapers, as named by appointment of the President, Consul to —'-— Blank, I felt, I will confess (if I may use such an expression), an unusual expansion. I felt confident that I had become on a sudden the subject of a good deal of not unnatural envy. I excused people for it, and never thought of blaming or of resenting it.My companions in the every-day walks of life, I treated, I am satisfied, with the same consideration as before. In short, I concealed my elation as much as possible, and only indulged the playful elasticity of my spirits in a frequent private perusal of that column of the New York Times which made the announcement of my appointment, and where my name appeared in print, associated with those of the distinguished Mr. Soule, Mr. Greaves (I believe), Mr. Daniels, Mr. Brown, Mr. McCrea, and a great many others. I cannot accurately describe my feelings when the postmaster of our town (a smart gentleman of great tact, but now turned out), handed me a huge packet from the Department of State, franked by Mr. Marcy (evidently his own hand had traced the lines), sealed with the large seal of the Department, and addressed to me, Mr. Blank, Consul of the United States for Blank. I to...« less