, 1876-04-08
Cur Washington Correspondence.

WAsutNGToN, d. G.
Heaven first tausht letters for some wretch's
aid,
Some banished lover or SOME captive maid"
So says Pope apropos af Abelard and
TIcloise. In those early days 1t may have
been only some excess \of feeling, or some
dire necessity which could impel tho average
human creature to put his desire or need to
pen ahd paper; but in modern times we
have changed all that, as the most careless
observer would I've convinced upon a visit
to the Dead Letter Office in Washington. 1t
is M lUngcr the priest, the scholar and the
scrivencr who alone WELD the pen aa when
the world was younger, but all mcn have
become scrhes, capable, each after his own
fashion, of putting into words more or less
iegi' lc, his wishes, his love, or his business,
when distance or circumstances separate him
from those to whom he would unbosom him.
self Nowhere does ths great fact of mod.
ern civilization cxemplify itself more strik.
ingIy than NJ this same
DEAD LETTER OFFICE,
where stray missiyes from every quarter Of
the globe urs collected, and redistrbuted
Whenever it IS possible to End either the
sender or to whom they are addressed.
Thousands are thus restored, hat other thou
sands furnish no clue by which either the
one or the othrr mag he discovered. What
could the most ygimnt OF pli!nthropical
official do with letter dated AT Home"
"Under tho Old Elm, In the Garden" ""At
the Store" ""Up Il Tree" or IN the Snug
gerry" and signed Tom" Kate or Your
! darling Ducky?' though these oddities and
endcamcuts may he to the person concerned
the most charming TEXTURES Of the letter.
There are, hOwever,a grcnt Macy applicn-
tinHs for lost letters, which are so tuccessful,
for n.o system by which thc5 aso examined,
rccur.p>l and registered is nearly perfect,
especially when they contain anything Of
value. But .'hen person writes te enquire
aitcr the price Vi wedding cake, what more
natum tn find thlt the boys, Il there were
any thrreabouts, hal eaten it9--cake, even
wedding cake. not belog one d those COM
nodites that improve With time, nor the
hoy OF the period much given to sentiment.
4 sentimental person, by.ihe way, might
find here mach to chime in viii, his mIsing
mood. Loves missives gone astrny. and
sweet hopes thus crushed, intrusive Fears
confirmed, dcSpairing tears shed in secret,
silent agcnies, solitary wanderings by pale
Lura's lightall the varying phases OF chill
ed affection and hope deferred The novel
list. too, might tind himself enivened in fancy
and quckencd by suggestions of new sitUa
tions ani combination in
THE EVER SHIFTING KALEIDOSCOPE
of human life, while the thinker and the
moraliSt might draw pew conclusions from
the bniiicd endeavors, the disappointed
hopes, the fruitless ventures, the untimely
eudings of so many hest laid Schemcs,"
which perhaps only failed OF success through
srch seeming tritleS 0s an impcrfsctly remcm-
bercd address, the carclessnss of 4 clerk, or
days delay.
But to take more cheerful view Of the
subject, these luuklcSs misSives and pack
/ ages frequently contain matter tor mirth,
and the articles that have been taken from
them furnish material for a perfect curiosity
shop of odds and ends. You would hardly
credit to what an extent the good people Of
America aud the rest Of mankind have made
use of Uncle Sans leather bags rs parcels
dclivery-particularly previous to the pass
age or the bill increasing the postage on
third class matter, during which period
many Of these articles accumulated. 1t ia
not only that friends Seud their tokens Of
love and friendship, but the merchant sends
| his goods, the manufacturer his wares the
publisher his books, the jeweler his watches
and trnkets, the farmer packages of seeds
and big ears Of corn, the miner specimens OF
ores, the mechanic tools, the undrrtakcT
coffin trimmings, the sportsman fishing tackle
and the musician violin strings and other
musical appliances.
THERE ARE BOOKS ENOUGH
for n village library ribbans, laces gloves,
thread, thimbles, buttons and tatting enough
to stock harbcrCnshery baby shirts, socks,
bibs, and irocks enough TO repenish an
orphan asylum; apple parers, peach. stoners,
| knife slarpeners, stove lid iters, and small
labor saving appliances enough to set up a
newly married pair at use.kecping There
are rattlrsnakes sent alive in perforated tin
cans, centipedes With, l have forgot how
many legs, but enough, | am very sure, to
make some OF us erdnl birds, bugs and but.
tcrfiics microscopes and steroscopes bot
tie of sympathetic blush, if anybody knows
what that is pound packages of roasted
coffee, Dutch wooden shoes, ladies' dresses,
perfumcd ornaments for chandeliers, switch
Is Of false hair, brass locks, sewing machine
needles and hemmcrs, corn. huskcrs, glue
pot, toy pistols. pruning shears, samples Of
vrneering, harness trimmings, clock hands;
cupping cups, time diaIs, securing bricks,
spirit levels, chignons, candy, curb. bits, syr-