The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-02-26

|
ton of their long repeated inquiries. They
began, also,- to blame Uncle Sam, and
after the fashion of larger communities,
complained Of irregularities in the mails
--ssson,e fault in Sam agents somewhere
| A post-ofice and postmaster were there,
| it was true, aud that was one comfort, but
:swhar are the letters % they howled ard
grumbled Not that any one Of them had
! any reason to hope for letter for his or
| her individual self but they thought that
sonae50t7g ought to- 1t would be crafty
| ING to know that the wheels were work
ing
TIE postmaster himself felt ashamed to
see the old, fat mailbag come and 60,
empty; but he did. all he could to have
the applicants, at least, go full-of whis-
ky and while he doled it out, he condoled
with them. To appease their wrath, he
even let them search the bag themselves,
and kick it, in lieu Of himself
Nightmare was, indeed, an utterly uu-
lettered part of the earth. There had
never been school in the place, which
could truly boast, as others have, that In
it ''here was no minister, no lawyer,
no doctor, and no torn poor" The people
were independent, living on their own
hook The post office was the only favor
they haG ever asked from Government
''But whar, whar were them letters p
Such was the long-unanswered inquiry,
until, one suspicious day, the tidin9s came
among them that "a letter has Gomez
The news spread like wild-fre. Wo-
men and children ran from house to house
in great excitement, announcing that "a
letter has come -
They wouldn't believe it, at first. But
Bill Handy had met John Digger, who
had seen Luke Swimford, who had Just
taken ten horns Of whiskey with Jimmy
Herod himself, that morning; and the
postmaster had not only shown the letter,
but had sworn to If.
Such intelligence was not to be long
doubted and the cry now was: 8 Who is
that letter for ?''
Of them, aud which. There had never
been such congregation of the people
yf the place since the pine sign was put
up
"Who is THAT letter for, jim Herod ?"
nssailed the postmaster from every side
as it for me? Or me ? Or me ?''
And each of the crowd racked his brains
to consider who on earth was likely to
have sent letter to him.
Oue would have thought that the
postmaster would have looked elated, with
such prize in his hama. But no He
looked sheepish
He turned the letter over and over re-
pcatejiy, in the midst Of the crowd, and,
at last, asked.
''W no rrpects one y s
"Can't you read Z" cried severalsg
s'Of course kin ! k;n read. But
who er3ects a letter ?'''
''No matter Say Who tina. ar letter is
for"
sIf it va in print, I could read it,
replied he coloring up, and vair.ly trying
to puzzle ont the superscription.
az hy, the old, blind oar can't read y
sneered some one; and al regarded him
with lHoks OF contempt.
''Sniart chance of "a postmaster -
'He,s heap Of a scholar, hy cata-
mount p
"It's,spelt mighty poor" plead Uerod
"and aorut like u snake-track"
"Givo us a sight ont, yer small spec
linen - crafty shouted the throng, selling
the curiosity, Slaring at it, and passing it
from hand 10 hand, with nany murmurs.
But ali were, in turn, confounded for
the truth was, that not oae could read
and but few could even tell printed
letter, except after much study aud pers
plratIoa OF uiiad.
"Who's it f0rY' asked several
'Chaw me if [ know. That big mark
thar. looks like a B. Its for Sim Boldkin,
sure
..D'ye call that thing thar By That's
no b. That's a y. y stands for Wat /
Annis. Here, Wat@
Nv hat" said Wat, stepping up to
look
That's for you. Eth ?'
''No, il are not said Wat. "Thar's
two big letters, and one on ems s;
and the secondary large one are Z, or |
p-bite my eye out'n my head, if | know
which,
"iihnh ?' interposed another, exam
ming it, thar am not "a Which Ill
town. SO. if that opening mark are a
Il, II stands for Hitch, aud that means
Sam Hitch. known him this two year.
t. What's the slnssy'
No you don't, Bob WidIle" said
another, seizing the letter 81 90 you
,nc better on that pile | know IA si,rink-
ing OF letters, myself; aud that name
liar are no mure Sam .litch than alli-