American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-05-21
Morgantown, (vaD Friday, May 2A, 1858.

pulseless heart, while she, the faithful
wife, was growing more sad, less hope.
full with every day that brought no
answering word.
"Baby's hairw 1 could not b ear
that the bright curl should be thrown
carelessly among the host of letters |;
it seemed like desecration.
"May / keep this little lock ?"
Certainly, if you like"
And | placed it carefully in my re-
ticule with tender hand. l know not
where tho sorrowing young mothers
heart is breaking, day by day, but
certain L am that there is an invisible
bond of sympathy between her soul
and mine, clasped by link of curling
silky gold-"Ba6y's hair"
1t would be vain attempt to chron-
icle the numerous Enclosures which
dropped from the various letters which
were opened during the short space of
time we stood there. Bits Of rainbow
col orcd silk sent for patterns, tiny mus.
I'm collars, newspaper paragraphs, bank
bills, gold, coarsely written messages
from little ones at home, whose hands
were guided by mother or sister, so
that the absent father, cousin, brother
might have little letter, and innu-
merable other affecting relics.
"Where do all these letters 90 when
they are opened and examined? Are
they burned! s.
"No; that was formerly the custom.
however. We used to make great bon
fires OF them, but aside from that, bits
OF written paper would always escape
from the flames, thus destroying all
privacy in the letters; and it was found
that many people made it business
to seek among the ashes for the gold,
jewels, dollars, etc., which often escape
our notice here, and goes out in the
opened letters. So now they are all
sent to paper mill, and re-manufac.
tured as writing paper"
We passed another room, where were
many mementoes of the good old DAYS
before the laws of prepaying postage
went into effect. There were wo or
three huge stones which had been sent
for "a joke" involving an immense
amount of postage to be paid by some
unfortunate, who luckily never received
the ponderous packages-a gigantic
rag baby said to have been sent to
some vinegar'faced old maid-a neatly
manufactured night cap, which some
indignant old bachelor-name not re.
collected-refused, in high dudgeon
to receive, and which, consequently,
found its way here-and daguerreo.
type OF a young man, who had been
cracked across the nose, and wrathfully
sent back by some fair damsel with
whom he had quarreled.
We asked the Postmaster General.
to whom we were introduced, how it
happened that all the employees of the
Dead Letter office were gray haired
old men.
"Bocausc they have more discretion,
and less curiosity" he said, smiling.
younger men could not be depended
upon; they would probably read the
letters oftener."
"And why don't you employ ladies /?
am sure they could discharge the
duties admirably"
"Indeed," said the Postmaster Gen.
eral, mischiovously, 81 am afraid
their curiosity would be so extreme
that the department would fall into in
eXpllcablc confusion, to say nothing of
the number of secrets they would fer,
ret out of the dead letters"
We were so indignant at this hor-
rlble and heretical opinion that we
asked no further questions, but took
our leave, o,much gratifed with our novel
VISIT and experience in the Dead
Letter Office at Washington.
n beautiful girl with pair of pout-
ing lips, stepped into a store to buy
par of mits. 'How much are thew