Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-11-30

do) when / was put upon the null
tiplication table, that solid square
table, as constructed in the days
of Daboll and Willett.
remember how dim, how un-
certain, how unintelligible its
twelve ranks of figures looked, be-
ginning with l and ending with
IA.
Just SO that parallelogram of
hollow squares looked to me at
that moment. 1t seemed as if
each individual owner was gazing
with bloodthirsty eyes upon his
number, and unless he received q
letter he would 60 for the deputy.
In a fit of desperation | seized a
large package of letters.
AIonzo Plummer was the first
name. Where was Alonzo Plum
mer's box? IF the name had
been written on it in letters as
big as horse shoes could not have
seen it. | slammed it into the
nearest box.
/ did so with all the rest.
Every box had a letter as far
as they went, and then | raised
the slide. A rush was made for
the opening.
No. 9, No. ~, No. so, No. &c,
No. 1872, No. $40, if you please.
Anything for Stokes /? Anything
for Bilgar? No. 319, No. 1856,
Anything for Shellgrave q? No. g.,
Anything for me.
And so it went, every mouth
belching forth numberor name.
/ showed out the letters indiscrim-
inately and impartially, without
regard to age, sex, nationality, col
or or previous condition.
Everybody got letters, but not
one in fifty got their own.
"Here, Sam, is letter for you
in my box" says one.
"Yes, and here is one for you
in my box"
"What's this doing in my box?"
says another.
"Ah, yes; excuse me, mistake,
it belongs to Mr.. Bangs"
"4Bangs, did you say? I just
asked and You said there was moth.
ing for Bangs
With my pencil I marked on it
the number Of the box from which
| had taken it, and handed it out,
remarking in tone of injured
innocence, that it was a mistake
in the sender, and not of mine.
"What is that nasty Polly Ines
letter doing in my box?" screamed
a rural swainess on the right of
the attacking column.
"Mistook your name, Miss,
thought it might be. politeness. y
But the greatest pest of all
were the school children.
As soon as school was out,
there was one wild race for the
post Office. They began to en-
quire as soon as they came with
in shouting distance.
They would enquire for them
selves, and then for anybody who
lived within FIVE miles of them.
Anything for any of the Muir
phy's?" yells a little f-eckled-
faced, yellow-topped potato mound,
with nationality SO strongly de-
veloped that yon could smell it.
"Anything for Jane Murphy"
"No."
"Anything for Ann Murphy"
"No."
Anything for Tom Murphy?
"No."
s,Nor for Pat Murphy, nor Den
mis- Murphy, nor Pete Murphy,
nor for any Murphy, dead, living,
unborn, native or foreign born,
naturalized or otherwise, male or
female-why created He them?"
The Murphy family disposed of,
the Fitz Geralds, and Fitz Pat
ricks, and Fitz Moonleys were
thrown at me until caught them
myself. I had Fits chronic, and
could tell every day when they
were coming" on.
Children came TO the Office to
inquire for letters SO young that
they hadn't strength to carry
home the New York Tribune, and
who didn't know the difference
between a letter and a door plate.
Not weekly, nor semi weekly,
nor daily, but hourly, as often as
they could think of it.
! have often seen them hanging
around the outside waiting for
their hour to come and inquire for
letters.
Great strapping girls came eve
ry day for weeks and months, who
had the measles oftener than they
had q letter, but they might have
come to see the deputv. which was