The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-11-18
.B SSiIJ- ,. = .'hW4E ~ ID i'I'7''''' j
BEAD .@IETTERS,, =

mAsshors space of two days and his
vacation would commence. m Two
weeksto But two! weeks were: two
yeatsiof fun, two centuries of lreal'enJ
ioyment, two eternities of: rest, com!
pared to- the constant drag, drag, in
that lonely business hiehs took up
alb his day hours in work, and all bis
nigbt ghoursin, .dreams.lo Two. weeks
awaY FROM The constant reading sofs
.lattsrs which sYsEsa xsitteRs f2Es stheE
eyes than, his How lhe eyer, gott
into the Dead Letter office, he, couldn't
say, and how he eyer stayed there
without going wild~to the extent Of
pulling out ali his hair, and running
pens into brown he eouldn't 7
for THE life Of him., tell. f"He had
Stayed 81. two years, and, was much
tfiohored, IN a small way, as'a skiifful
clerk if the department.. He couldn't
tell why again; In fact, his career
was a series Of "coaldn't tell why's"
which, however, were the cogste the
wheels which kept his life agoiug!
Casual observer might have teld'whyi
he was considered one of the best
clerks lin the department, and said
Observer would hayeirremarked-ythat
it,lwas, becanserhe-Athere l.: I've Igot
just 80 far without usingta name, and
+ hoped I'D get clean through the
story .withoutIEco com hitting myself;
but itssnoause. These pronouns< are
terribly exacting things, and ! shall
have, to get Q name forthe she" be,
fore the, last, dash, or. + shall be jun7
able to proceed any flrtherru Well,
Tom will do, won't it? Toms a
name, and there are lots Of Toms in
Washington, and several Toms in the
Dead Letter, oficee.. Now, then, well
take another, start with Tom and tie
Observer. -, " !, -. ST.,
say that the observer would have
remarked that it EGO back a few lines
for the explanation Of the''it") was
because Tom had tender heart in
his possession. " A. sad thing to have
a tender heart when you're dealing
with persons, they say. Tom thought
it'wasi sadder when dealing with let
tersaiiHe would chokeffty times each
day while 'roadingh'somea earnest;
heartfelt epistle which, despite the
love and fidelity a mbther'si hand had
Iburicd in the lines, had miscarried,
norf.would ever reach dear SON 8
eyes. Or, perhaps it was al fathers
strong call-strong in tears and
strong in love7-whichD would never
bring, to tho home-fold, Q straying
daughter. ~. ,ic,lnqu ,LJ ya.!i. .n;a- .
The letters Tom read with heart
ache, which, spread like neuralgia,
and somehow filled his body with an
untold pain, were by the thousands
year; but his interest in the sad cases
was, never tagging, and he, always
made a good push to have tho letters
which came from loving hands for
loved ones take one more chance Of
reaching their destination. If Tom 8
successes Fad been each a block Of
granite, The Washington Monument
would have been completed over
eleven months ago.
Tom was to have two week s. vaca.
tioh4two weeks, commencing in two
days.l'He wasn't often idle but this
morning he held lone of q batch oi
lettsrsAepistolary corpses -and' sat
thinking or anything but his work:
Wheroo shouldinhe agoiin II vacation
There was no Jmotker' or brother, ,4or
sister waiting for bin to come home
There, were nooikiRsessTof sfselcome
waiting for him among green hills, or
by pleasant shining waters.an'W here
should .he,ge2 sHeigAot He eouldnt
make up ehisl mind.,asWith4 o shake,
like o cat awaking..he. came back to
his work AMI gazed iop athe onellet,
ter from many in pile before him he
had semi-unconsciously taken up. The
directioh!of the Letter was as follows
d i,aMIss .cIAia:4l F: DESNErtTr,' '1t ,,.s - :
aanlsI,n,,. ,,apSl11s1 bsst s,Ysrmtoqpt, ,,n
Ths,post. mark bore the.pame ofoRroy;
idsnes, ,Rhpde !. Islapd, ;, artH'if 81