Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-26
At the POstOhce.


voice inside.
"Mrs. Carol Peters,"
"No."
The little figure turns quickly away,
tears culver on the long eyelashes that
veil the tenderest of blue eyes, a little
hand clutches itself systematically.
when the voice through the window
calls:
"Did you say Mrs. or Miss?"
It is from him-there is no mistakipg
his writing. She can hardly resist the
impulse to press that dear chirography
to her lips, and che hurries to an OBJ.
scure corner, where she devours every
word, regardless of who stares at her;
hc is her own husband-let them stare
The woman who faints is one of the
mysterious characters with which all
public places are supplied. She calls
once in several months for registered
letter or package. She is arrayed in
limp and shabby mourning, and she al
ways selects the best chair in the Post
masters room, and then faints dead
away. The handsome deputy fans her
with his hat, and the Postm aster sprin-
kles her with the official watering. pot,
and the ladies of the Office crowd round
in sympathetic group and whisper,
"Poor thing!" And presently she
comes TO. and goes away, but where, no
one knows. She has made her little
sensation and disappears into another
six months obscurity.
Postoffice etiquette is absolute as the
law OF any social code. Ladies do
not come to the office to mail their let.
tiers or to receive them, says the letter.
man in blue, who PAGES the corridor,
"except to the registry department;
they come here to buy stamps some
times. Although some innocent good
women sometimes do so, it is not consid.
cred respectable for them to come in
here evenings and crowd round the
delivery window. There's queer goings
on here sometimes, when women slip
in in the afternoon and lock all around
to see if there's anybody they know in
sight, and then ask Tor letter that is
directed to some other name. There's
lots OF correspondence passes between
young folks that their parents don't
know anything about"
A few days ago q popular divine who
breaches in one of our most fashionable
churches, rushed into the Postmaster &
room. overheated and exhausted, to
ask that letter mailed by an impostor
to gentleman in the city, should be
stopped, as it contained reference
from him which had been given before
the facts of the case were known. He
requested the Postmaster to retain the
letter and have the man arrested when
he called for it, two important detective
services that official was utterly power
less to render. Every day wives call
who are looking after the correspond
ence of their husbands, and husbands
who imagine their wives are writing to
or receiving letters from, the man il
the moon, or some other equally obscur'
individual.
Parents cannot even handle the let
ters addressed to their own children
unless the children are under age ani
non-supporting.
DO not give my letters to any ont
without q written order from me-" il
frequently heard from the lips OF mis-
of sixteen. Forged orders are fire.
quently presented, but seldom hon
ored.
From one to ten blank letters ar
daily dropped in the Office boxes, an,
it is q common thing for the clerks t,
find three-cent pieces and pennies, tn
letter and money being dropped to
gether. Occasionally the two are unite,
by a paper and string. A few days ag,
q woman rushed into the office ant
presented letter at the central win
dow.
Stamp it," she said in a vagu
whisper.
The obliging clerk offered the stam]
and the woman was moving away.
"Three cents, if you please, ma'am.
"What for?"
"The stamp on that letter."
Isn't this a government Officer"
"Yes, msam."
"And don't they furnish thos
things pointing to the stamp.
But the clerk was busy, and the little
blue man took her in hand, and finally
succeeded in getting the government
dues.
It would break q mothers heart t,
see the lovely baby clothes, that neve
get beyond the Detroit Postoffice. The,
are sent in whole wardrobes often, ant
in detached pieces, directed to friend
in Canada or England, and subject to
heavy duty that is never paid. In tn
printed list they read:
Baby's shoes.
Bsby's embroidered dress front.
Baby's shirt.
Knit ahoea for bahv'