Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-23
THE DEAD LETTER.
- '|- = . ~ u
( .Ns3l!st3tf II eEtiJ

g6heral pOsemaA mas proved Tome that the
handwriting of many people is SO execra- Il
bly, bad as to be altogether unintelligible. 4
= Many a halt hour has beeIfS tasteI by me
an an unsuccessful attempt to decipher al
jumble of pothooks- and hangers put to-
gether inspeH amanner IS teTesemble al
cryptograph. a,,s.
liability toTead 2 very peenliar haaawri6-
lug got me into trouble.
In the gEeaCoity Of New York there was,
and, believe, is now, Ferry street and a
Perry sire &c md, ,n my weekly " 'tfavels.SI
had usually occasion TO deliver sundry let
ters to Harringtons and Barringtons.
The letter Of which i am about to speak
was UNANIMOUSLY directed. The only thing
that was pain upon the leHYelope was the
word New York. aud il. ! had not had a
practical eye the chances are should have
taken il for some suburban locality.
The name of the person tor whom the let
ter was Intended was mystery. looked
yatits fifty times and, after all, could only
arrive at avAgue idea that it was for w :.
tHarfingtOn ESq. The Snane of the street
was equally difficult to interpret. The
conclusion / came &c, was, that the series of
gpen-aRd-ink scratches meaEt Ferry street,
and Oh that presumption acted - sgl g I
There was no number. ~, qsttt.,1itft I
II must, confess that it is all the more con-
tvenient for pOstman in q tenenleng- house
district to see NUN Der on the episte lie has
and to a certain extent insures che delivery
OF the letter. ,19-aasEas iafl /:
.g When one is busy, or has to get through
a certain amount of work in given time,
ieis not only ineOnRenienE, but something's
impossible, to hawk a letter about from
house TO house, and receive a decided mega
tive as you hold up the unowned paper
. i may be laying myself open to the ac-
cnSations of careleSsness by confessing that
after taking the letter to all the houses IL
thought "iikely In Ferry street. and asking
In vain for the name of Harrington, took
it back to the head office, and iG was indors-
ed, mot known as directed.'' sFca es2nt
didn't attach any particular import
iance to the letter, and should have forgot
tenit altogether had not subsequent events
-transpired 10 render it green IN my mem
!ory. ~ Fl tss7elsseq 7ialtF .sFeigi. > ieisss
E 1t was certainly distinguishing type OF
its class. The writing could hot we'll have
been worse.s1If / had one reseTnbli e it,
used to say my Sell, 'Its is almost as bad
as that Ferry street letter. ia gasis zIl
ss Why people don't take a little pains with
their handwriting is a riddle which, Lam
not prepared to solve. Certain it is that
some Imagine a postnan can make out any
description of writing. If a spider were to
fall into a bottle of ink, and then crawl
over the paper, it would be quite sufficient
for a particular class who delight.in illegi7
bic caligraphy. -
yHiOne DAY. about six weeks after the re- RI
turn of the letter, which then became, in
the slang Of the post office, dead, - was
walking down Perry street, my parcel un-
der my arm: had not tar to travel before
1"Worked out." igI5 ~ 10 45l...ss7.,4 ~
.ss It was a sultry summer day. The red
sun lay like. ball of fire in tue heavens,
casting its burning ray in volleys upon the
earth. / had walked many miles, aud it
may readily be imagined that was some
7PVhaI sHiFsty. 1zskscsE GIEf slsSs5
by large tree, was a qtiet retired tavern.
having rustic appearance; INTO this
Asien-painter, with genius for portray
ing anything but animals, had exercised
his talent upon staring ign board, which
represented something (which might have
been tiger or a cat; it was a toss up
=. which the wayfarer took it for. Not being
geological artist, / contented myself with
thinking that i5 was cross between the
two. on s'is 9a s .efae s'sr7 7a'eist p a'9Ii
- It was refreshing to make acquaintance
with the foaming pewter, take off my hat
and wipe my brow, moist with perspira-
nti0n, in the cool shade of the sheltered bar.
eAn agreeable surprise awaited me as /
placed the pewter pot upon the lead Gov
cred counter, and looked around me. A
CHEEKY voice, with whose amiable tones
was well acquainted. exclaimed:
II shall have to inform against you
this isn't the proper thihgIon duty.pl
lis it you, Charley ?" replied, shaking
hands with an old friend who had once
been in the postoffices but having married
advantageously, ha star ed in business as q
grocer. and was doing we'll. .bso9: -
.AssIf it isn't me it's some one remarkably
like me- he said, returning the hearty gfik
l. gave him. g = s5sfssssss p s5ts ss-s.2-sA
show do, you get,on in your new line?
hear most favorable accounts OF your pro-
ggress.n', - ss.. asal .ssr,
to my knowing my way about. There i:
nothing in my eye so remarkably green as
to want moving, he answered with {
knowing lOok.g a1..,,s.,s.ss ..,-,.ss
While he was asking what would hav,
TO drink man entered the tavern, aud look
ing earnestly at me, exclaimed, Are yot
the poStman?" >,
ii am postman, SIR" replied. "But
don't know that L am the particular post
man of whom you are in search. Do yoI
live in the eneighbOrhood? 1t so. perhap
you are insearch of letter; If 50 Istlll
be glad to look"
he said, in a tone of concebtrated rage, 81
you knew all you would scarcely ask tina
question" 7sa l.iiA set-e
= The mans air and manner were 81
Istrange, that starting inyoluntarily l fixet
snny gaze upon him with the same earnest
eIiess he had employed when first regardin;
tine. Heswas tall man, with very darl
yhair, q long beard and whiskers, togethe
with let black muStache; uuQueStiouabl,
he was handsome. The expression of hi
eyes was anything but reassuripg to timi
spectator; they rolled fearfully in q 1ren
zied manner. His lips twitched nervously
and itswas easy to see that, while he wa
addressing me, he was laboring. under eX
-eeSsiVe4 excitement. -' -
Ii~I presume Lam correct in supposin
that you are the district postfnan? p he con
tinued. z-.t,i..,. 5.- .s.s.. l. ei.al5r
-. One of them.n I replied. "a ~.
"Do you deliver letters in Ferry street
''Yes,"I / said land in Perry street also.
ssHave you delivered any for Mr.. Bal
rington lately %
This question he put in the manner of
grand inquisitor. interrogating an offende
against the holy Catholic religion in I'll
days Of bigotry which marked the reign
VI cannot say that have, though it
eiust possible that may have done So"
responded, adding. s'you see, sir, we haO
such multitude of letters TO deliver thi
1T tis out of the question that L should n
smember every one that | distributor 80
q Suddenly he put his hand in his pocke
and produced dead letter, asking me If
remembered seeing it. before. Whenl sa
the handwriting i remembered IL was Il
Ferry street letter which had given me
much trouble. The man reprOached n
with having taken no pains to discov
the person to whom it was addressed. -
ssDo you not see,'' he cried, that yc
have bIunderingIy mistaken Pr for {
sF' in this instance? This letter was #
Darlington in Perry street. I am the ow
sersof it, and by your carelessness you ha1
ruined my prospects, and blighted my f
ture career" rse.,-, - a4r
ssSorry to hear that, sir" said.
!, ssWhat is your sorrow to me?p
81 can't do more than express my regr'
and apologize"