Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-04-01
" Little DAN"

ONCE soon recognize faces and names,
and after man or woman has appeared
at the general delivery window three or
four times they are pretty well known.
1t is real pleasure to hand out letters to
some, while the clerks care little for the
calls of others to get hold OF their
! epistles.
One day, year or two ago, funny
| looking little old woman wearing faded
garments, but having tidy look and
motherly face, appeared at the window
and asked for a letter There was one for
her, sent from distant city, and anyone
could have told that an unlearned boy
directed the envelope. There was little
I'd" in Detroit" with a a big "T'' to
the end of the word, and it seemed Won
| derful that the letter ever reached its des-
| tination.
The old lady felt so good that, tears in
her eyes and yet trying hard to smile,
| she put her head into the window and
said:
Thanks! It's from my boy, Dan, and
you don't know how much good it does
mer'
The lady clerk rose up to look after
the old woman, and when a second let
ter came she was looking and watching
for mother a whole day before the let
ter was passed out.
6 It's from my little Dan again." cried
the old woman as she noted the super
scription. He's in Buffalo, learning a
trade. He's only a bit of boy, and
+ Ior N CJ,s, fo,b
beside he was running out nights and
going to the bad. l sent him away and
he's working hard and trying to be good
God bless my DAM I'm a lone widow
with only him to love, and l hope he'll
be good"
"I 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 big tears would fall
the lady would almost shed 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 lie complained and
was anxious.
Almost every week for year and
half the old lady received 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 improving she felt all the pride
which schoolgirl could have shown.
He improved as well. By and by he
wrote Detroit" plain and fair, and he
took extra pains to commence his Dear
Mother" with grand flourish and to
add something extra after the words
Your son Dan"
Those letters were food anu drink to
the old lady, and she seemed actually to
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
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 good with her, and the lady clerk
was to go UP some evening and have tes
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,
and 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 about the first of March.
The next Tuesday there was letter, but
the handwriting was not like Dams. 1t
was strange, business hand, and the
clerk felt a chill go over her as she
turned it over. 1t might be good news,
but she feared not i" Mother" came in
at the regular hour, and she turned pale
as she took the envelope. Her fingers
trembled as she opened it, and she had
to wipe the mist out of her eyes before
she could decipher word SIZE hadn't
read over four or five lines when she ut
tered moan and sank right down, like
one crushed by some awful weight.
They lifted her up and took her home,
the letter clasped in her stiff fingers, and
though she came out of the faint after a
while her heart was broken, and in a
week she was in her grave.
Dan was dead! The letter said that
he had been taken suddenly i'll, and that
nothing could save him. The blow was
too heavy for one with her gray hairs
and childish heart, and her little old cot
tage is without a tenant.
No more letters commencing "Dear
Mother" come for the dead, and the
trembling hands which used to linger
fondly over the words, my dear boy,
Dam" are folded over a lifeless breast
there to rest until the angels unclasp
them.-DetToit Free Press
in few years two rats become &c.