The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1866-01-11


They are querulous, crowd others aside
and seem wanting in every good quality
that goes to make up either the lady OIL
gentlsman.. One says he knows there
must be;a letter lying around some place
in the otficeyfor him; another says "you
u must have given my letter TO somebody
else. i knoH you have One grumbler
insinuates that the clerk did not send his
letter off, else he knoWs he would have an
answer by this time. He throws out in
4 situations against the honesty ofthe clerk
A remarkable instance of this kind strikes
US just now. In this case a most deserv-
ing young man was ruined. We would
give, with pleasure, the name Of the
young man, and the place of the incident,
but both have escaped our memory. 1t
happened in, this wise: The clerk was
charged with purloining q letter put into
his Office The writer Of the letter report
ed tar and near that ------7-------- abstracted
letter which he dropped into the Office,
and which contained q large amount of
money The clerks friends repelled the
base charge; thase whor knew him best
WOULD not believe word of such report.
| The spirit of the clerk wts broken D. he,
could not live, under such a charge,
thsught it had no, foundation. lie resign
ed his position and enlisted in the army
A mothers heart was broken! Time
rolled on slowlyan weariiy. y.?'i1 TGa" -hr
| The postmaster always looked anxious
ny in opening the Eastern mail to see if
there We're any dead letters. What was
hsjo in finding in one mornings mail a
large official document from the Dead Let
ter Office, addressed TO, him, Quicker
than can be said he saw the foul, fictitious
stain vanish from the escutcheon of his
much injured clerk. He opens the pack
age, and to his delight, found in it the lost
| letter. He is overcome, tears freely roll
d own Bis cheeks, and he hurries to the
widows home to bear tidings more joyful
than ever before fell ON her delighted ears.
The report spread rapidly and thousand
hearts are made glad, though many have
cause to repenttfor the injury they did to
the clerk. WiiIthe clerk everreioice with
his friends upon earth? Upon tie eve
ming Of that happy day which was the
cause OF so much happiness to that lonely
mother, came The news that her son fell on
the bloody ticid Of Stone River, She was
resigned to her fate. She felt proud that
he died in a good catise; but her greatest
comfort arose from the thought that her
sons reputation remained untarnished.
The boy, unfortunately. did not live long
enough to hold up his head amongst his
friends, though of course he knew he was
innocent otthe charges made bv his enc
mics. The whole difficulty sprang from
carelessness and want of due regard in
speaking of others. '.''
The writer of -ihe letter intended to direct
MS letter To, some town in Illinois, bat be-
ing accustomed TO write Ohio upon most
of his letters, he did SO cn this, and then
ruined young man by charging him
with dishonesty. Such Instances, are not
rare, but do uot always turn out so melan-
.choly. Frequently the post Office clerk
though wearied With his exces ,iye labors.
cannot sleep from some base inSinuation,
though generally, it may be thrown out by
some careless, IiiconSiderate person. Now
ana then the clerk comes in contact with
those who know how, To treat person, land
his heart is made glad. = ...,. ,..,......s,
The sierll7 must he "A paragon of goodness
II he III turn does not become rude. He
meets with SO muc,, that would makeeven
a saint OF good humor rude individual.
Hundseets of children in goiiig to school
and from school, must run to the post Of
flee to ask for letters. This they do laya
after day, and urobably do not get a letter
in year, An excitable individual sees
letter IN his box. takes a illmp towards his
box, and begins humping upon it. An
other 9cntieHtGat whistles at the clerk as if
he were calling dog. Another wells out
IN trumpet tones 10 jump around and wait
upon him, and ssitl., another stands to
grumble about the non7reception of his de-
funct PGHmPkintowa iHfrqtd. This and Of
ten mach mare, takes PLACE at, the same
moment zEt.-p ,rroiEhlfs :! ..ar .suoarn
Such is the life ola post office clerk and
how miserable it would be ifnothing pleas
ant were interspersed with so m uch tlii,t is
disagreeable. But he has his pleasures.
There is always something agreeable i'm |
seeing the numerous persons that call at |
post Office. III every expression there is |
something beautiful to be, learned, The |
post office clerk has ample material atol
study the connections between the inner |
and the outer man the relations between |
the expressions of the soul and the actions
OF its posseSSor. ... 49,. .so-.r s,..s ..,r ..,
s. Judging by our experience in the bust
ness, we would say that the post office
clerk has an important but tlmnkless and
unappreciated situation. A few years of !
such hseryice merit promation, and "a post |
masters commission should reward the !
post office clerk, for his labors. ... .. |
s r"H2 ---~---------- -------A- ....f "A. |
.'"'~ ' A Remarkable Case"
' A Kalamazoo, Michigan, correspondent
of the Detroit Advertiser, relates the fol-
lowing, 'i'' #stsH. a'"' ...'E't'"''. '.s