Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-11-14
The Country Post. Office.

Iue COuutT1 IOstsOHCts
The country post-office is seldom
perhaps never, a building dedicated to
letters, with Uncle Sans initials on
the outward wall.
The postmaster usually keeps the
store'' as well, and regards the other
his business-nothing more. Wher
any one comes for letter he will be
apt to 60 away with sugar also. The
salary of the position is not worth
an office-seeker's struggles, as it is
sometimes two dollars per annum,
sometimes four. The letters are put
away in desk or box, if the post
master is very careful man if not,
he hunts them up when inquired for.
The official at my post-office-Frog-
land Station i is currently reported to
have replied to Miss Sabina Smiths
inquiry for letter, by shouting into
the hack room:
"I say, wife, warn't that ere letter
Baby was chawin' directed to Miss
Sabina Smith ?n
To which wife replied
"Yes I'll fetch it. I allow you'll
have to dry it, Miss Smith, fore you
kin read it. He's chawed the onvolop
clar through"
This, however, is strong case.
Generally, by going for letter to the
sFrogland Station, one would be apt to
get it with the envelope unbroken.
What q gathering place that post
office is? Perched upon the ba. rels,
or leaning on the counters, one may
find all the idlers of the heighborhood;
and here, too, about post-hours, young
farmers make their appearance, and,
while talking of crops, anxiously
watch the road down which some
young female figure Is pretty soon to
come. No doubt many proposal has
been made on the way home from the
post-office. If not, young, farmers
have no idea of what good chance
means. A long quiet road, no mortal
in sight; trees waving overhead ; a
little brook rippling on one hand, on
the other side the woods +; the summer
afternoon drawing to close all weet
things influencing her budding heart !;
and he "in his store clothes" and a
boughten hat" looking so we'll.
The question, practically interpreted,
would be:
After few months of courting and
kissing, will you wash, and scrub, and
milk, and cook for ME until you die of
it ?"
But why should the country girl do
more than her city SISTERS ? They see
a bright picture, often quite unreal,
through the magic circle of the mar
riage ring, and so does she of course.
Perhaps Frogland Station is not the
place, but it might have been, where q
letter directed to :. Mother" "and moth
ing more, lay so long, mystifying the
postmaster, until an old woman hob
bed in one morning and asked for &" a
letter from my son, what's at sea,"
when the epistle being handed over,
was found to have reached it's destina-
ton.
Squire Schenck claims the big en-
velope with Square skunk" upon it,
as matter Of coul ); and Miss Anna
Maria Morton does not feel surprised
when an epistle is handed to her with
this remarkable word upon it:
Observation-Disclosures
A letter is letter when it comes to
country post-office, and it is not ex-
pected to be clean, or to be directed in
any orthodox manner.
Letters addressed, Poly Jenkins.
or any of 'em if she's away" and
"Helen Diobons, forgetting, her mar
ried name," were received without
surprise.
One which bore the superscription,
& Mr.. Peter Parkins," remained for a
long time unclaimed, until the post
master remembered that that was his
o,rn name. He had been called "Uncle
Pete" so long, that he had forgotten
the fact entirely.
Yes, this is a queer little post-office-
quaint and strange. and simple, and
without rules or order; but through 1t
many a message of joy and sadness
had passed-many a story of marriage
and death. Hearts have beaten wildly
on their way to that frame building
perched, treeless, on hill; and many
q poor, quivering lip had been hardly
able to form the words, " None for me
yet ?"
There come the cars, sweeping along
the road with a great train Of coal
wagons, and one little passenger car
for Frogland Station. There will be
two or three letters handed over to the
postmaster at most /; but these may
break hearts, or fill them with untold
j6y.-Hary Kyle Dallas.