Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-03-29

ton and interest, is peculiarly happy in III,
relation of the following simple and touching
story:
CATHARINE McINNES,
OR THE WRONG LETTER BOX.
Amusing incidents often occur by per
sons mistsking the letter box of stores ant
Offices in this vicinity, for that Of the Pos
Office. We sometimes find three or fouI
letters in our own letter box, intended icl
the mails. These we, Of course, put on theil
way.
Standing once at our front window, we
observed a young woman, whose face was not
visible TO us, drop u letter into our box, and
on taking il out, we found that she had mis-.
taken our establishment for that of the Post
Office. twas directed 10 Thomas
in Ireland, and the inland postage accom-
PANIED it. The letter we caused 10 be sent
with some others to the Post Office, and
gave the circumstances no further thought.
Busted a few months afierwar in exam
ming the contents of our exchange papers,
and indiling such paragraphs as they sug-
gesied 10 us, we did not pay much attention
10 a gentle tap at The door ofour private room,
TO conclude our labors TO open to the appli-
and continued our Iabors without: lifting an
eye TO the door, which was opened quietly,
and quietly closed. We were startled at
length With a sweelly modulated voice, in
curing "is there letter here for me?
We at once raised our eyes, and saw fe>
male about eighteen years OF age-or, as we
have of late lost the art OF Judging closely in
these matters, perhaps t,eenfy. IL did not MAKE
dimple's difference TO her lace ,andw ould not
il five more years had been added TO them
There was an oval face, with natures own
blush, and slight projection of the mouth
that told OF Ireland, even without the soften
ed meditation of voice that belongs to the
women OF that island. Neatness was all that
could be .scribed 10 her dress--it deserved
that
Letters are frequently asked for in news
paper office, in reply TO advertisements-ss
we babe the young woman go 10 the front
office and inquire of the clerks.
She had been there, and there was no one
hut boy, who could not give her the ntor>
nation.
So we inquired tie name.
kitty McInnes but perhaps II will be
Cattarine On the letter." said she, "as that is
my name"
We looked On the letter rack in the front
office, among the"A. BIS" the "X. WIS"
the "?. Q.'s," &c. but saw none for Catha
rine.
Returning, we inquired TO what advertise
ment the letter was 10 be an answer.
to no advertisement
II would be in answer to nv letter"
And from whom do you expect letter."
The young woman locked much confused
but apparently surprising the question per-
tinent, she said, "from
We saw at once that she had, as hundreds
before Ind done, mistaken our Office for the
Post Office, and the name given was that up
on the letter which we had some months be-
fore sent from our letter box 10 that Of the
Post Office.
Gle has not written, them" said Catha-
rine, in low voice, evidently not intended
for our ear.
"But-he may have written"
"Then where's the letter :" said she look :
ing up
"Al the Pest Office, perhaps"
And we took Catharine by the hand and
led her to the door, and pointed out the way
to the Post Office.
"You will ask at The window" said we /;
"but as the clerks are Dung men you need
moi tell them from whom you expect the let
ter"
4Not lOI tBc W0Ttu, sdlu snc, tOohtbR iUS
TO our face with glance that seemed TO say
there was no harm in telling US.
We must have used less than our usual
precision in directing Calharine TO the Post
Office, as quite half an hour afterwards, when
visiting the place, we saw her at the window
receiv ing the change and letter from one
of the clerks, and the impotence, shall we
say OF woman or o: love, induced Catherine
10 break the seal at the door. A glow o
pleasure was or the cheek of the happy girl
We would not have given penny 10 be in
formed that Thomas was well and was com.
ing in the next packet. We felt anxious TO
know whether Thomas would come, but the
names OF such persons rarely appear among
the passengers of the Liverpool packets, oe-
ing commonly included in that comprehen
sive line, "and two hundred in The steersge.' y
So we gave up all hopes of knowing when
Thomas would arrive, put concluded that we
would see The name with that of Catharint
in the marriage list, 10 which we had deter.
mined to keep steady look.
Ii was but short time afterwards tina, we
did indeed see the name of Thomas in the pa
per. He was one of the passengers cast a.
way below New York, OF whom nearly eve.
ry one persisted, and Thomas among the rest
We had never seen Thomas, bu! hat
somehow cherished such an interest in hi.
fate, that we felt severe shock at lis an
nunciation-and what must have been the
feeling OF Catherine, with her ardent, SAN
guine, Irish temperament Loving deeply
as she must have loved, aud hoping ardently
as 'be mus, have hoped, what must have
been her ieelingsH
We paused few weeks afterwards, tt
mark The young grass shooting, green and