The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-05-30
From Homespun.
THE COUNTRY POSTMASTER.

A country post-office, as a general mat
ter, is simply country store, with some
odd corner rallied off for secresy, if not Sc
curity. Anybody can 60 around behind
there, if he is so fortunate as to be in the
con6dence-social or political--of the vii
lage Postmaster. Il is chiefly the women
who step up TO that desk timidly and
doubtingly, as if asking favor ,--or side
along, as girls do, and inquire for letter
in the softest whisper, lest even their names
should be pronounced aloud in that public
presence. To the rude boys the place is
eaviare. For them alone is the iron rail
spiked down so rigidly into the COUNTER
to keep of trousers stuffs and heavy swing
ing boots.
Kegs and barrels-nail-boxes and soap
boxes-eustomers and letter. riters-men
and boys-women and dogs-the box-stove
and the department letter-boxes-are all
mingled at the post-ofice establishment
with picturesque incongruity. OF a close,
wintry evening, the apartment is redolent
Of savors unnumbered and Undesirable.
A row of men sit perchcd upon the smooth
faced counter row Of boys, and men
too, sit on boxes and nail-kegs opposite the
stove whistling idlers stand and stare at
the hoe and mop handles SO nicely balanc-
ed overhead, possibly calculating if they
would hurt "much" if they fell on their
crowns; the iron stove roars, and growls,
and sputters, from being frequently stir,
ed up with sticks; little boys come in,
every few minutes, and look up into the
expressionless faces of the men sitting idly
around,-o listen attentively, with open
mouths, to what they happen to be gossip
ing about,-and then run uneasily out
again in the solemn pauses, the dull and
heavy tickings Of wooden-wheeled Con-
necticut clock, perched up among the
snuff jars and preservc-pots, sound like
Fate solemnly notching off Time, as it
passes; now and then, one of them, with
an acuter sense of hearing Cor longer ears,
perhaps than the rest, lifts his head and
announces that the "stage is coming" and,
like the turning over of your hand, all
present get up and shake themselves out,
against the arrival of the government mes
senger and the fetching in of the mail
bags.
It makes pretty scene. Teniers might
have added it to his portfolio. How ex-
tremely odd it strikes one, thinking of all
the men in little town grouped around a
hot stove in country store, under a full
Roadway of gossip about the affairs of 9th
er people, and, to appearance, as much
impressed with the weight of their respon-
sibility as if the nation itself rested on
their round shoulders.
Their wives at home, poor women -
else how would the affairs Of the house get
onS They must not go a-gadding but
the tords,-they may sit about in the post
Office till they have to come home for
patches to their trousers seats, and not a
word of complaint must be uttered against
it
Well, and the mail-coach rattles up.
If in the winter, it is after dark long
while; but if it be summer weather, the
sweet twilight is cleaning all over the
town. Such delicious draughts of enjoy
ment as one may drink in, on the summer
nights, at this particular hour,-draughts
like the cool airs of spice islands, that play
about ones temples and daily with his very
heart
The echoes Of the drivers voice are to
be heard all over the secluded street.
f" Get up along Giang!" The heavy
rattling of the wheels makes music against
the sides Of the meeting house, and fills
the town with the notes Of its warning.
The post-office door opens, and forth steps
boy to take the mail; and a pencil of
light from the one or two tallow dips with
in projects itself far out into the desert of
darkness.
The cluttered little Office is instantly In
a hubbub. Every eye is turned on the
mailbag and the Postmaster At this
particular moment, the latter is at his ze-
NTH. The by-standers watch him as he
proceeds to void the responsible pouch of
its precious contents. They count up ev-
cry package, parcel, and newspaper that
comes to the light, and appear as much
pleased with what they discover as child
rem are over the miscellaneous contents
of their misunderstanding. They give
their minds to the study of color, size,
and relative importance of each
article that is exposed
Many of those nearest the counter, and
those who, by reason Of age or property
value, feel privileged" in the place, ven
ture upon taking a piece or two Of the
Matchmaker into their hands, which they
proceed to "heft" and make shrewd com
putations about. Some of the more for
ward lads crowd up under the mems el-
bows; and you can find an odd head here,
and an odd body there, and spare leg or
arm somewhere else, which, anatomically
arranged, would fairly present you with
the manners common to country boys in
the post-ofice, at the hour when the mail
arrives.
In good time, the contents of the bag
are all assorted; that is to say after wait
inc and srn,f;s1 II ,.o,,il ....A