The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-12-28

.SSs e'n- Sci aHSe SIOrleS GnaG mad been /
invented by the clerks long before were
told of her as true. Es
her face was smooth and round and
placid when she first came, but it was
getting wrinkled, and her hair was get
ing gray. One time, only once for
twenty years, as nearly as could be re-
membered, she failed to come. and one.
Two, three letters were waiting for her
IN the pigeon-hole. The CLERK did not
advertise them nor send them to the
Dead-letter Office with the rest. for he
knew II Maria Russell was living she
would come for them in time, and if
sne was dead nothing could be gained
oy hurrying them off to 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 if she
had oeen an old friend. But it was not
-ne face he used to see. Its calm smooth
ness was shrunken, its fullness was
wasted; there were deep-drawn lines
around the mouth, and eyes, and the
fresh flush had turned to a wan pale
ness. A friendly greeting was on the
tongue OF the clerk as he turned to meet
her, but when he saw how pale she was,
how wasted, and how the calm express
sion of her face had been erased and
covered with the autograph of pain, he
suppressed the cordial words that were
pushing his lips open, and simply re-
marked:
"You have been sick?'
"Yes, I have been sick," she said,
and gathering her letters in her hand
she left the window, and, like a snow
flake in the sea, melted away into the
surging wave of humanity that was
roaring in the street outside.
After this she came regularly again,
but the paleness never left her face,
and the wrinkles heightened and deep
ened instead of growing less.
The clerks began to talk of her
changed appearance, and concluded
that she was suffering from some cause,
they could not decide just what, al
, though there were plenty of reasons
, suggested, and it was concluded at an
t informal meeting behind the wall of
| boxes in the post-ofice one day that the
7 next time she came it was their duty to
find out if she was needing any thing
: that they with their i'll filled purses
3 could supply. So when she came the
: clerk who happened to be at the win
4 dow held her letter in his hand mo-
3 ment to delay her, and said with great
/ deal of trepidation-for the mystery OF
D her life and the distant self-possession
of her manner discouraged any inquisi-
{: tive attacks:
I: 81 pray you to excuse me, madam
!: I thought that if you were in any y-sort
4: of need"
"I am very well cared for, thank
: : you,'' she interrupted. I" You have q
!, letter for me, see."
= :. And she was gone again.
= = The clerk went back to his fellows,
and, being person OF pride, related
s the incident, with some details that
! were not supplied in the occurrence
!. He said he had rendered the lady in
Z their name, as delicately as possible
!, : any aid that she might need, explain
9 q ing to her that they had learned from
= long association to feel an interest ir
. her, and hoped if she was in want o.
= any of the necessaries of life, or if she
. needed assistance of any kind, tina
!, = they would assist her to the extent O
= = their abilities.
The clerks applauded the defines
. with which their fellow had performed
e the duty, and inquired anxiously for he
!. reply.
Z "She told me-" he said, "that sh,
o was in good circumstances, and wa
- not just now in want of any assistance
but, with our permission, she woul'
/ remember our kind offer, and if eve
= in need would not hesitate to call upol
u.s.
% And if she had been heroine for
merly she became goddess from tina
y hour out-a goddess in an old-fashione
!, leghorn bonnet, a rusty broche shawl
~ and q reticule like the ones their grand
mothers carried. But she was as diyin
n to those habit-hardened post-offic
i clerks as ever was st. Cecilia to tn
y tone poets ox the medieval, or s.
!. Agatha to the suffering women of tn
a church. The gray hair of the goodies
IN had grown much thinner, in the las
n few years, her eyes were sinking bac
= under her temples and growing din
70 and the hands that clasped the letter 8
~ ~ each month came round were gettin
a very gaunt and shriveled.
K The war came on, the mails were Ii
,e den down with messages of sorrow an
be bereavement; the clerks were hurrie
. off as soldiers, and the widows and si
e tefs of those whose places they went
,k fill came into the Post-office to do tt
ed public service; but the. wan old woma
e. came just the same as ever, and the ye
low-wrapped letter was always waitin
y. her there.
1d The war was over; the clerks WI
e. went out to fight came back limpir