The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-02
n1LLY MoRE,s LETTER.

I'm Aunt Gunter Job Gunter Is my
husband. We keep the Anchor Port
post office and o store, and sell groceries
and garden sass, calico, shoes, and inedi-
cines, like other folks in our line, when
nJbody asks foi 'em.
When slnp comes In, and the sailors
come home 10 their wives and mothers,
trade grows brisk. Tho housekeepers
do their best and the raisins and dried
currents and eggs and butter go of fine
ly, ind it's worth while to lay In ribbons
for the girls, and smoking tobacco and
long pipes for the men.
Jack and his wages make old Anchor
Port brisk for o while, bnt at last he sails
away, and all the women seem to ask
for will be letters-letters, letters, when
they have q right to expect them, and
when they haven't, all the same.
It's "Please Aunty Gunter, look over
them, and see u there aren't one for mes"
and it's "please, Uncle Gunter; II
might have got mixed up and overlook
cd somehow often and often-God
help the poor souls latter Jack lies at
the bottom Of the seq, and nothing will
ever reach them but the news OF his
-. shipwreck. But plenty OF letters come
after oil, aud sometimes we had to read
them for the folks, job and /, and 80 we
get to know something Of their lives.
Milly More could read and write her
sell, but still ! always knew when she
bad letter from Will Masset. I knew
It by the handwriting. and Iknew IL by
her blushes, and by that happy look in
her face. When he came home, she
bought ribbons and bits Of lace by the
aproniul /; and I knew where the pack.
ages Of candy that he bought were to go.
And I used to keep Job from fishing
down in Pullman's creek Of afternoons,
because knew that was where MTilly and
Willliked TO walk. Counting tine CONES
but once In q lifetime, and / always like
TO sec 1t prosper.
AT lust he sailed away, second mate Of
the Golden Dove; and when he came
back from that voyage, they were to be
married. n if 53
It was sad day when that ship sailed.
Mrs. Captain Rawdon and her girls were
crying on the shore. Twenty women
from tho Port and five from the Hill
were there to see her set sail.
1t was grim, gray day, and the yoy.
age was 10 be a long one.
II was under our old sycamore that
viii took Milly to his breast.
"Don't fret, darling he said. "I'll
come back safe aud sound. / couldn't
drown now I've too much to live for
Poor boy ! in spite Of that, the Golden
Dove went down in mid.seas, and only
three men reached Anchor Port to tell
how Captain Rawdon, and the rest were
lost, at dead Of night, in a most woeiul
storm.
Captain K;ncaid brought the news mp
to Mrs. Rawdon. He stopped OF our
store to tell about II. A nice old man.
A bachelor still, at fiity-eight, and as
handsome, with his white hair and red
cheeks, as n picture.
That was twelve months ago, the night
] went into the store TO sort some things
out, as always did Saturday nights,
Through the week Job used 10 Ret every.
thing mixed np-lettets in my Tea. boxes,
candles III the letter.hox, eggs where
aiey oughtn't to We, and all lie place
askew. II was o warm autumn night, and
Captain Kipcaid's vessel was Ia port
and had plenty Of custom, Job served
the people while 1'tidied up. I found
lalith last mail In sugar box, and
clothes pinsin the ground coffee clnistsr,
and Il 1t dumped them oui. y
"G6ther up ybnt letters job" said !,
"Wbat possesses you, old many"