Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-07-17
Dead-NOt Delivered.
Baltimore Every Saturday.

Meeting the letter carriers as the,
leave the post Office with their bulk
sacks crowded with letters, one mus
wonder how they can distribute eacl
and every one to its proper owner; but
bless you'll they 60 further than that
Alter they have been ON route for 8
while they can tell much more about 6
family than they ever do. They know
II one of the children is away, if visit
ors are coming, if any of the relatives
are dead, and man. other things hardly
known to the nearest neighbor. An
envelope Is nothing but an envelope to
you: You may criticise the hand
writing and the orthogrcphy. but be-
yond that you care nothing. To the
letter-carrler it is book. He knows
when father and mother are coming
where a truant boy is-whether the
family is respected or not-and Sarah's
beau cannot blind the carrier by get
ting some one else to direct the en-
velOpe.
One day one of the oldest carriers
had q letter left over after he had gone
his usual round. 1t was directed to a
woman living in q little old house stand
ing back from the street, and as he
studied the address be said to himself
that he never had an epistle for her be-
lore IN all the SIX or seven years he had
been on the route. The postmark was
that of an Office in the east and the
carrier mused to himself:
" This is from her son, and she will
be crying before I am out of sight"
He delivered the letter to a white
faced woman of sixty, who seemed to
be living all alone, and she looked sur
prised as he placed it in her hand.
" A letter for mel haven't a relative
on earth!'' she gasped.
But he left it with her.
In about three weeks second letter
came, and the old lady opened the door
before the carrier was inside the gate.
She did not say that it was from her
son, but the carrier knew for all that.
and be hoped that the truant boy had
settled down Tor life, and was writing
cheerful words and sending aid to his
poor old mother. Regularly every
three weeks, for half year or more,
there came q fat-looking letter for the
cid woman in the little cabin; and if
the letter was day late her white
lace at the window reprOached the
carrier more than words could have
done. Ii it was day earlier she was
at the door to meet him, knowing his
step from all others who passed that
way.
The other day, when the carrier
found the buff envelope, directed in the
old, familiar, cramped hand, he said to
himself:
" will hurry around to day, for the
asst time [ saw her she seemed i'll and
weak, and a letter will give her new
strength"
He opened the gate with bang to
give her warning, but no white face ap-
oeared at the window, and no hand
'alsed the door-latch. The carrier
Oh the door for the first time,
ind after moment woman opened it
IND said:
:" She is dead, and she hasn't a relative
Il this city"
Among the letters to go to the dead
etter office next week will be one across
whose face is written whole chapters in
hrce words, Dead-not delivered."
IN Old woman has passed AWAY cot
age is deserted-a letter returned. The
world will see nothing in these simple
acts, but yet in them is contained ali
he sentiment God has ever given TO
ny human heart.