Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-07-24

might DO ulSCOVCTCu. HhI tculpta
ton they were.
The chief of the delivery Office ordered
them advertised.
NO said the clerks. "She will come
for them. She knows they are here,
She must re sick or something. She has
como Tor them for thirty years, and they
never have been advertised yet. let
them wait another month"
50 they waited another month, two
more, and still the queer old woman
didn't come. And they had to be aIvcr-
tiscd. On 3 long list in the newspapers,
near the bottom, under the head oi La
dies Letters" were these words:
Russell, Msria II G.
People glanced al ih,m-almosl overy
body looks over Iho li,t OF advertised
letters TO see il is some chaLce one b,-
longing to them Lad sttaycd among lie
vagabonds, and people remarked:
Il wonder who Maria II Russell is
she has six letters advertised"
To the clerks in the post Office il
seemed shame that old Mrs. or Miss
perhaps she was an old maid) Russcll's
letters should bc advertised and stuck oil
into dirty corner with lot of soil,
envelopes. and there was qrite an i'll
dignGtion meeting held over the matter.
But still the queer o!d woman did not
come.
Perhaps she is dead" they said, "poor
thing. Perhaps she is dead
But il there were whispers of dis
pleasure when the letters were adver-
tised, there was n stol N OF wrath when
The clerk announced that they must be
sent 10 the Dead Letter ONCE. Tbe post
master was appealed 10. He was man
OF business, and didn't care for romance,
so he said the letters must 60, aud The
rules Of the department be carried out,
ard that The seventh letter, which had
come in since the six were advertise d,
must 90 with them.
But through all the sorrow there was
cleaning the sunshine OF reli,i. At the
Dead Letter Onlce Il would be i1urd out
what these mysterious envelopes cen
Isined. And the lady who made up the
packages for the Dead Letter Office
pinned this note TO Maria RussclI's seven
letters:
These are very peculiar letters They
belong to woman who has been coming
to the post cflice regularly every month
Tor thirty years; bot she mas ceased o
come, and We think she is dead. Who
ever opens these letters will confer a
great favor toy informing the clerks Of
the New York pos. ollieo OF thcir con
tents, as we have a great curiosity 10
Know WHO Maria Russell i, on was, and
something u.,he person who has been
sending her these letters regularly for so
long"
This note was submitted 70 g cJuycn-
ton OF clerks, and doclared unanimously
to bo the proper thing. y reply was
awaited anxiously. Before il came two
more letters had followed their fellows
in, and were awaiting tor Maria Russell ,
bu, she never came to get them. and they
were sent of ike The res, to have Their
secrets revealed in the 5rea, mai. morgue
at Washington
Finally there came m envelope et-
dressed 10 The clerks of the New York
Post Office" and it was opened by the
itst person inc,ndet in that category into
whose hands i, came. That person read
the enclosure hu,ricdly through, and
called convention to which he read lhc
following:
Although it is directly against The
rules OF the Dili ,e, take the responsible
ity of gratifying your curiosity. Nine
letters addressed 10 Maris ii. Russell
have come to my hands. Each one con
tanned brief note, calling attention tC
an enclosure. without date or signature
We have great deal OF curiosity our
selves here to learn something about thi:
strange matter. Won't some of you
write us what you think? And if any
further disclosures arc made we will in
form you
Here was O romance indeed. Nine un
signed notes, each with a similar enclos
ure of money. Was it possible, they
thought, that Tor thirty years these same
sort Of letters, with these same enclos
ures, had been coming to Maria Russell
Aud why didn't they stop, if she wa
dead, as she certainly must be. Th
whole post Office was excited and per
picked in its efforts to find q solution o
this mystery. But there was no clue t.
Mr.. and Mrs. Russell; no clue to he
mysterious correspondent. l carnot re
peat the many theories that were ad
vanced, or the many speculations tba
were put out to explain the matter; bu
each was different one, and each had a
good ground for believing his The tru
one as any other, because none OF then
had any ground at all. TO add to tn
mystery, some one brought in dali.
paper which contained the following ad