The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-11-17
MARIA u. RUSSELL,
NEW YORK PosT-oFFICE.

Ii was always ''drop-letter, one OF
the many thousands that found their
way through the little crevice in the wall
daily, and no one ever knew who brought
it; although, when the regularity Of her
visits began to attract attention, the IN
known correspondent was carefully
watched for about the first Friday II
every month But il was never known
who brought that strange yellow en-
velope, nor Gid any one ever get a
glimpse Of its contents, although its
outside was examined with curiosity a
great many times. And the mysterious
letter passed along like the thousands
of daily messages of love and hate, Of
modification and pleasure, of good
cheer and evil bidding-the duns and
remittances and promises to pay.
Years passed. The delivery clerks
were changed one after another; some
of them died; others were promoted /:
some went % other employment; but
as each left he told the story of the
strange woman TO his successor as a
part OF the Instructions OF the Office,
and the new clicks soon became famil-
lar with her visits as the months went
by.
She was often Questioned; inquisitiEe
glance5 were often east into her face,
and several times shs was followed by
curious fellows; but no one ever dis
covered whence she came or whittier
she went.
One day a new clerk who had con-
ceived a scheme 20 discover her identi-
~ told her he was not sure the letter
belonged TO her, as he knew other Ia
dies in the city OF the same name, and
asked her II there was not some one in
The reighbOrhood whom she could call
TO identify her.
al am a stranger 10 this part of he
city, SIR" was her quiet, dignifed re-
ply, shut / have been here a good
many times and never before was ask
ed to prove my indemnity. IL il will be
any satisfaction TO you / will describe
the appearance OF the letter expect
but wait; ! am quite sure Il will CORE
spond with this one and she took
from little reticule she always carried
the one she had received a month be-
fore.
A whole generation had passed away.
Men and women had been born and
buried, but still the queer letters came,
and were called for by the queer wom-
an. The clerks in the Post-oiiice had
heard of her from those who had pre-.
ceded them, and her mysterious APP
pearances had gained a romance with
age, and strange stories that had been
invented by the clerks long before were
told of her as true.
Her face was smooth and round and
placid when she first came, but il was
getting wrinkled, and her hair was get
ting gray. One time, only once for
twenty years, as nearly as could be re-
membered, she failed 70 come, and one,
Two, three letters were waiting for her
an the pigeon-hole. The clerk did not
advertise them nor send them to the
Dead-letter Office with the rest, for he
knew il Maria Russell was living she
would come for them in time, and IL
she was dead nothing could be gained
by hurrying them Off 20 the great mail
morgue where all unclaimed letters 90.
But after four months her familiar face
appeared at the window again, and the
clerk was as glad TO see her as N she
had been an old friend. BUTT was not
-ihe face he used TO see. Its calm smooth