No cramped or sprawling writing passed muster. Typewriting
was not dreamed of, and, at Derby, shorthand had not appeared on the
scene.
One or two other juniors and myself sedulously practised imitating the
penmanship of those senior clerks who wrote fine or singular hands. At
this I was particularly successful and proud of my skill, until one day
the chief clerk detained me after closing time, gave me a good rating,
and warned me to stop such a dangerous habit which might lead, he said,
to the disgrace of forgery. He spoke so seriously and shook his head so
wisely that (to use Theodore Hook's old joke) "I thought there must be
something in it," and so, for a long while, I gave up the practice.
Office hours in those days were nominally from nine till six, but for the
juniors especially often much longer. In 1868 or 1869, 1 do not remember
which, a welcome change took place; the hours were reduced to from nine
till five, and arrangements made for avoiding late hours for the juniors.
This early closing was the result of an "appeal unto Caesar." The
clerical staff in all the offices had combined and presented a petition
in the highest quarter.
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