The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-11-03

But do You never read them 2
Never, unless they seem very inpor
tant or contain Enclosures of value 1t is
all we can do to keep up with tie arrivals
OF the dead mails now. If We were TO
stop and read one letter in hundred we
should be Iamentably behindhand be
sides, the privacy of these letters is
| point Of honor with us. We have no
more right to read them here, unless it is
necessary, than to pry into any personal
secrets
Here one Of tue clerks leaned over and
handed our companion tiny package
! From one of the letters he said i
thought the lady might feel interested in
it,
1t was a single curl of golden hair, tied
with bit of pink ribbon and wrapped
in a little piece OF paper on which was
written, 'Bahy's hair.
knew the history Of that letter in an
instant. Though had never looked on
It's folds. could see the fair young moth.
er parting the suny tress from the infant
head, and placing it, with half smile
and half tear, within the closely writ
ten page that was to gladden. the heart
OF the far away husband. And he ncv
er received the letter Perhaps he died
under the mighty shadow of Sierra Ne.
vada perhaps the turf Of some Missis
sippi Valley lay cold and close on his
puIseess heart, while she, the faithful wife
was growing more sad, less hopeful, with
every day that brough; no answering
! word.
Bahy's hair = could not bear that
the bright curl should be thrown careless.
ly among the hos, of letters-it seemed
like desecra,iou.
May | keep this little lock 2
Certainly if you like
And placed it carefully in my re,i
cule with tender hand. | know not
where the sorrowing young mothers
henr; i, breaking, day by day, but certain
am that there is An invisible bond o:
sympathy between her soul and mine.
clasped 10y lock curling silky gold
'Bhhy's hair
1t would be in vain to attempt to
chronicle the numerous iuciosures which
dropped from the various letters which
were opened during the short space of
. '''N wv = pp' ll'CIt' i'llN 'l ItllNb"
colorcd silk, sent for patterns, tiny muslin
collars, newspaper paragraphs, bank bills,
gold, cards, cOarscly written messages
, from l'ule ones at home, whose hands
were guided 10y mother or sister, so that
the absent father, cousin or brother might
have little letter, and innumerable other
affecting relics.
Where do all these letters 60 when
they have been opened and examined
Are they burned p
No; that was formerly the custom.
however We used 10 make great bon.
fires of them, hut aside from that, bits of
written paper would always escape from
the danes, thus destroying all priva-
! cy III ihe letters, it was found that many
people made II a business to seek among
the ashes for the gold, jewels, dollars, ect.,
/ which often escape our notice here, and
20 on. in the opened letters. SO now
they are all sent to n paper mill and re
manufactured as writing paper
Wo passed another room where were
many mementocS Of the good old days
before the laws Of pre- paying postage
"S"N 'iicCl were TWO OF tulCC
huge stones which had been sent for -
joke" involving an immense amount Of
postage 10 be paid 10y some unfortunate,
who luckily never received the ponderous
packages gigantic rag baby, said to
have been sent 10 some vinegar faced old
maid neatly manufactured nightcap
which some indignant old bachcior--
| name not recorded refused, in high duG-
geon, to receive, and which, consequently,
found It's way here; and q daguerreotype
| OF young man which had been cracked
across the nose and wrathfully sent back
10y some fair damsel with whom be had
quareled.
We asked the Postmaster General to
whom We were introduced, now IL hap.
pened that all the employees Of the Dead
Letter Office were gray haired old men.
Because they have more discretion,
| and less curiosity he said, smiling -
Gounger men could not be depended up.
on they would probably read the letters
oGener.'
And why don't you employ ladies p
am sure they could discharge the duties
admirably
Indeed said the Postmaster General,
miscbeviously. Il am afraid their curiosi
" would be so extreme that the depart.
ment would fall into inexiricable confu
sion, 10 say nothing Of the number of
secrets they would ferret out Of the dead
letters.
We were so indignant at this horrible
and heretical opinion that we asked no
further questions, but took our leave,
much gra,iiied with our novel and inter.
esting experience in the Dead Letter OF.
flee at Washington.
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