Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-17
nailp Nennfbft sournal.
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WAITING FOR A LETTER.

You see. the people at the post office
coon raooon;ze faces and names and after
a man or woman has appeared at the gen
eraI delivery window three or four time:
thew are pretty well known. 1t is a rea
nlessure TO hand out letters to some
while the clerks care little for the calls Of
others to get hold af their epistles.
One day a year or two ago lunky-
looking little old woman wearing iadeo
garments, but having tidy look and
motherly face, appeared at the window
and asked for a letter. There was one ioa
her sent from distant city. and any one
could have told that an unlearned boy dl'
rected the envelope. There was little
..dn in .'Detroit," with a big ~ to enc
the word and it seemed wonderful that
the letter ever reached its destination.
The cid lady felt so good that tears
came in her ewes and yet trying hard to
smile, she put her hand into the windo"
and said:
Thanks Its from my bog Dan and
Won don't know how much good 1t does
me-"
The lady delivery clerk rose up 10 look
after the old woman. and when second
letter came she was looking and watching
for "Mother' whole day before the let
ter was passed out.
ITS from nv little Dan again cried
the old lady as she noted the subscription,
He's only bit of a boy, and there
wasn't show for him in Detroit, and be-
sides he was running out nights, and 60
ing to the bad. | sent him away and he'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
goods"
Il hope so too added the clerk, and
after that the two were friends. Some
times the letters were far between, and
when the old woman would worry over
the DELAY. and the tears would fall, the la
DIV would almost she'd tears with her.
Mother" would open her letters at the
window and if Dan was feeling brave
hearted and getting along well both
would rejoice. while both would still be
anxious if he complained and was dis
couraged.
Almost every week for Il year and 4
half the old lady received a letter and just
as regularly she came to post an answer.
She wrote in quaint old hand; but the
boy could make out every word, and once
when he wrote that her writing was i'm
proving she felt all the pride which a
schoolgirl could have shown. He i'm
proved as well. BY and by he wrote de
troitn plain and fair. and he took extra
pains to commence his "Dear Mother"
with grand flourish. and 10 add some
thing extra after the words: your son
DAM
Those letters were food and drink TO
the old lady, and she seemed actually to
grow younger. Little Dan had many
friends in the Post Office and had the
mother been i'll any carrier would have
hunted till midnight to find her and hand
her the long looked for letter. Three or
four weeks ago, when she opened her let
ter she wept and smiled as over the
first. Dan wrote that he was coming
home for week, and her heart was full.
She said she'd have the cottage looking
like new for him. and she'd be at the
depot to welcome him first of all. Every
body felt glad with her, and the lady CLERK
was to go up some evening and have tea
with her and see 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 excused4its absence by saying
that Dan was getting ready TO come home
That was early in February, and he wa
10 come about the LIST oil March. TIE
next Tuesday there was letter but thu
handwriting was not little Dams. 1t wa
strange, business hand, and the clerl
felt chill 90 over hCr as she turned il
over. 1t might be good news, but sh'
feared not. Mother came in at the re-
ular hour, and she turned pale as she tool
the envelope. Her fingers trembled Al
she opened it, and she had to wipe The
mist out of her eyes before she could de
cipher word. She hadn't read over foul
or five words when she uttered Il moar
and sank right down, like one crushed by
some awful weight. They picked her up
and took her home. the letter clasped in
her stiff fingers, and though she came out
of the faint after while, her heart was
broken, and in week she was in hen
grave.
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 hairs and
childish heart. and her little cottage i,
without a tenant.
No more letters commencing "Deal
Mother come for the dead, and tht
trembling hands which used to iinge
iondly over the words, ''My dear boy
Dan," are folded over liieless breast
there TO rest till the angels unclasp them
Detroit Free Press.