Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-10-02
An Hour in the Dead.Letter Office.
\ female corresrondent Of lifc Illnstrnt

cure the cRt7~c To this place through special
favor and influence, although, as a general
thing, 10 visitors are admitted 1t was a
large light room, with two or three desks,
at which were seated aged officers in silent
occupation among literal drifts Of letters.
The walls were lined on every side with
huge mail sacks, which had been returned
full of unclaimed epistles, from myriads of
post offices. There might have been fifty
or hundred of these sacks, and each prob
ably contained thousands on thousands of
letters
Glow rapidly you dispose of them 7"
said !, watching the speed with which the
clerks tore open the epistles glancng over
them to sec that no drifts, checks, or other
important documents, were incloscd, and
then threw them upon an immense heap of
opened letters at their feet
"lt is MI in habit, ma am" said the gen
tleman nearest nc; eve are accustomed TO
open certain number daily, and to those
who do not understand the expedition and
accuracy with which we work, it would
seem, indeed, almost Incredible"
AS he spoke, tiny gold ring rolled from
the folds Ola rosc-tintcd letter, whose pages
were evidently written over by delicate
female hand
"A child's ring" he said, taking it up,
would you like to look al it, ma a'am 2"
took it in my hand-it was fairy cir
clct of virgin gold, with the words "Mary
to II. v" engraved within--and wonder
ed who the Mary was, whether the little
"E. W. who never received the tiny gift,
was dead or living.
Meanwhile, the clerk had been taking a
rapid note of the signature, direction, &c.
"Whot will YOU do with it? Inquired,
returning the ring to his care
awe lay all such things aside, in case
they should be called for"
"Aud arc they often redeemed 2"
"NOt oftcn-not once in hundred in
Stances nc replied, taking little gold dol
lar from beneath the seal of another letter,
and laying it carefully under the desk.
We stood in silence regarding the pile
of opened letters, which was growing high.
or with every moment. 1t was a strange
medley of styles and handwriting. Some
were inscribed on huge sheets of foolscap,
in manner that conveyed the impression
to your mind that the writer must have
grOspcd a pen with both hands, and gone
at the paper as if he would dis spade into
the earth, and folded with glorious disrc-
gard of all geomctrical precision, Others
again were daintly written on colorcd It's
sue-papcr, and somc were in that easy flow
ing hand that bcspcaks energy and refine
I'ncnt Of character in the calligrarhcr.
"Oh, how should like to read these let
tcrs, said |, involuntaiily
The official smiled "Ths is what all
the ladies say. 1t would be almost impos-
sible ts preserve our charge from the Gu
riosity of the female sex, it. fortunately,
our rules did not protect US from many Wis
itors."
"Do you ever read th'em?"
"Neyor, unless they seem very impor-
tant or contain Enclosures OF value. 1t is
ali we can do to keep up with the arrival
of the dead mails now five were to stop
to read one letter in hundred, we should
be lanentably behind hand ]; besides, the
privacy of these letters is point of honor
with us. We have no more right to read
them here, when unnecessary, than to pfiS
into any other personal secrets"
iIIo.c 2ac of tho clcrks lennnd over md
handed our companion tiny package.
"From one of the letters lie said. ~
thought the lady might feel interested III
it,"
1t was single curl of golden hair tied
with a bit of piuk ribbon, and wrapped. in
little piece of paper, on which was writ
ten "boby's hair"
knew the history of that letter in an
instant, though had never looked on its
foldsj ! could see the fair young mother
parting the sunny trcsscs from the infant
head, and placing it with half smile and
half tear, within the cloSely-written page
that was to gladden. the heart of the far
away husband. And he never received the
letter Perhaps he died under the mighty
shadow of Sierra Nevada; perhaps the turf
Of some Mississippi valley lay close on his
pulseless heart, while she, the faithful wife,
was growing more sad, less hopeful with
every day that brought noanswering no word,
"Baby's hair?" could not bear that
the bright curl should be thrown carclessly
among tie host of letters; it seemed like
deseoration.
"NIay / keep this little lock ?"
Certainly, ifyou like"
And placed it carefully in my rcticulc,
with tender hand. know not where the
sorrowing young mothers heart IS breaking,
day by day, but certain am that there is
an invisible bond of sympathy between her
soul and mine, clasped by lock of curling,
silky gold-"baby's hair"
1t would be vain to attempt to chronicle
the numerous enclosures which dropped
firm the various letters which were opened
rInrino ~ tl,n- nhnrt a,,non &c -, - u