Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1875-03-27
Little Dam
I From Tie Detroit Free Press. I

You see, the people at the Posteffice
soon recognize faces and names, and af-
ter man or woman has appeared at
the general delivery window several
times they are pretty well known. 1t is
some, while the. CLERKS care little for the
calls of others to get hold Of their epis-
ties.
One day, year or two ago, funny
looking little old woman wearing faded
garments, but having a tidy look and a
motherly face, appeared at the window
and asked for letter. There was one
for her, sent from distant city, and any
one could have told that an unlearned
boy directed the envelope. There was
" I'' to end the word, and it seemed
wonderful that the lette' ever reached
its destination.
The old lady feltso good that, tears in
her eyes and yet trying to smile, she
put her headlinto the window and SAID /:
"Thanks It's from my boy Dan, and
you don't know how much good it does
me-
The lady delivery clerk rose up to
look after the old woman, and when a
second letter came she was looking and
watching for mother a whole day
before the letter was passed out.
It's from my Dan again." cried the
old weman as she noted the superscrip-
ton. He's in buffalo learning a trade.
He's only bit of boy and there was
not show for him in Detroit, and be-
sides he was running out of nights and
and going to the bad. / sent him away
and Ee's working hard and trying to be
good God bless my Dan I'm lone
widow with. only him to love, and [
hope he'll be good y
81 hope so, too" added the clerk and
after that the two were friends. -
Sometimes the letters were far between,
and when the old woman would worry
over the delay and the big tears would
fall, the lady clerk at the Office would
almost shed tears with her. Smother"
would open her letters at the window,
and if Dan was feeling brave-hearted
and getting along well both would re-
joice, while both would still be anxious
if he complained and was discouraged.
Almost every week for year and a
half the old lady received letter, and
just as regularly she came to post an an
swer. She wrote in q quaint old hand,
but the boy could make out every word
and once when he wrote that her writ
ing was improving, she feltall the pride
which school girl could have shown,
He improved as we'll By and by he
wrote Detroit plain and fair and he
took extra pains to commence his Dear
mother with grand dourish, and to
add something extra after the words
g Your Son Dan"
These letters were food and drink to
the old lady, and she seemed to actu lily
grow younger. Little Dan had many
friends in the postoffice, and had the
mother been i'll any carrier would have
hunted till midnight to find her and
hand her the looked for letter. Three
or four weeks ago, when she opened her
letter, she wept and smiled as over the
first Dan wrote that he was coming
home for a week, and her heart was
full. She said she'd have the COTTAGE
looking like new for him, and she'd De
at the depot to welcome him first of all.
Everybody felt glad with her, and the
lady clerk was to go up some evening
and have tea with her and see her little
Dan and praise and encourage him, for
the more kind words boy can have
the better will he seek to do.
There was no letter the next Tuesday,
but the two excused its absence by say
ing that Dan was getting ready to come
home. That was early in February and
he was to come early in March. The
next Tuesday there was letter, but the
handwriting was rot little Dams. 1t wa
strange business hand, and the clerk
felt chill go over her as she turned it
over 1t might be good news, but she
feared not. I" Mother came in at the
usual hour; and she turned pale as She
took the envelope Her fingers trem
bled as she opened it, and she had
wipe the mist ofso her eyes before she
could decipher u word. She hadn't read
over four or five lines, when she utter
ed a moan and sank down like one
crushed by some awful weight.
Dan was dead- The letter said that
he had been taken suddenly ill. and
that nothing could save him. The blow
was too heavy for one with her gray
hair and childish heart, and her little
old house is without tenant.
No more letters, commencing "Dear
mother" came for the dead, and the
trembling hands which used to linger
fondly over the words, "My Dear Boy
Dan" are folded over a lifeless breast,
there TO rest till the angels unclasp