New Orleans Republican., 1875-01-24
As.
BIZ NYM CRISKLE.

1 am the little old man with basket,
who sits IN the front corner of No. 4S on her
last trip up.
You must have noticed me.
don't mind telling you that l am in the
postoffiee; that ] work when you are asleep.
There's late mail has TO be distributed,
and l must have my hands full up to half
past one in the morning.
I've been at il ten years. They never re-
moved me. Somehow I've chung to the
place all through, in spite OF politics and
Presidents.
You'd think, to look at me, that 1 am
older than ! really am Sixty-one last Sep
tember. Not day more. You see it de-
pends a good deal on what man does. I've
known men who did all their work in a dry,
hot atmosphere, to pass for veterans before
they reached middle life. Shutting letters
is not as wholesome as making hay or
driving a car, take my word for it. And
when a man sticks at this for ten years,
fancy he gets a peculiar appearanee-I
might say postofice appearance, as if the
goVernm ent had stamped him.
But it wasn't about the general Office that
wanted to talk, but about the car that
ride up in. I've often thought, sitting in
the corner there with my lunch basket that
! see some things that you, being asleep,
scarcely ever dream Of
Perhaps magnify the incidents, and give
them more meaning than they deserve,
That would be natural enough in person
whose eyes are tired out with looking at
buff and white letters. And yet 10 seems
TO me sometimes that the great wide awake
daylight world, which never rides in As,
can have no idea of the people meet.
You see, there is something about the
night life Of the city, at least / fancy there
is, that never shows itself in daylight.
Most of the stragglere that 4S picks
up on her last "trip seem to be labelled
L. vazAfafmtam tKnau n the
sight" I've an instinct that they don't
work at honest labor in the night as l do.
They are differently stamped, The fact is,
when the wholesome world shuts its eyes,
there is an unwholesome world that opens
its eyes and begins to stare and blink.
Something of the compromise that exists
between the vice and the self preservation
of society of course comes over into the
night bat ] don't think you are as sure of
it after twelve o'clock.
Light itself Is in some sort conserving
moral, as it is a beneficial, physical in
fiuenc0. suppose society never quite out
grows the ehiId's natural sense OF helpless
mesa in the dark.
Wen, 4s on its way 10 Harlem has to 60
through q sleeping city. 1t picks up all
the late workers, the tagged, unresRsting
and aelHshly insensible fellows, who want
3 60 onf0Ftable seat and fOFty-hve minutes
nap, and who. don't want 70 be disturbed.
III Won could see these people once you
would recognize the night influence. Their
elasticity is gone. They are sullen. queru-
IONS. dr5wsy and chilly. They huddle to-
aether, with their heads sunk in their coat
eollnrs and their handA deep In their
poeketa. There ie . epiteful protest -
-9beir whole aspeet agsinet the unnatUfal
1aeeessitv that Keeps hem ont Of their beda
AZ nirhs They know me BY sight, but they
neveT notice me Why should theyll
pm very much bent ] have q thin,
Dinched and furrowed face. wear
steel spectaeles. Altogether 1 present
an uninteregtinR picture Of helpless and
sgsd respectRbAity, WHICH is not ayailaeie
8or any car emergencies, II 4e runs on the
freek and The conductor asks tho sullen
and eleeBy passengers % get out and help
Ret Il an. they enrse and grOwi under their
,7fsMi eanss and shuttle out, but they LET me
MA ntiN III tha1e ~ = fight Ia 4e, thing
Whioh often occurs, it expends itBeh around
Ms wifAaat tQaeAing ne.
Hut taa lasa workers are not the only
unaeenNera thaf a. Piahs up. There %
3Ween Efin1lpa Hoses square ana the bow
cry e asrk. nplsen|e. qatlying region, Nita
AHsAN k4ge street. Ii "A full q psnaile.
H 81 fs8 o9siegs hnA haak AileYg are tho
Ha eEsFf4 st She ty-~lAQst rsjeeteq
sad IBaasd eteltafl. half besat end
Aal4 Aesaar. whn ia Ia wAiR Ana prey upon
asth e Ehog nenina assh " At1. &hAV
hte1 sifhF, predatory WY vita ihezn,
efNe Heiinet haAlt t4Ee.AE
passAals
kA't # ze sypN nAau
eHtlle& fhee tAsF EssA
s Is sassa oas sn6
M t Ns ANnlN Nees 4aey lelaaha