The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-09-30
Some Curious Things About q City
POSt.Office.

els THERE any letter for me to-dayp"
inquiries low, soft voice at the delivery
window.
"What nameP" asks the cheerful
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 spasmodically,
when the voice through the window
calls:
''Did you say Mrs. or Miss?''
1t is from him-there is no nlistaking
his writing. She can hardly resist the
impulse to press that dear chirography
to her lips, and she hurries to an OBJ
scure corner, where she devours every
word, regardless of who stares at her;
he 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 a 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 Postmaster
sprinkles her with the official watering
pot, and the ladies of the office crowd
round in sympathetic group and
whisper, 'Poor thingr' 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.
Post-office 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 let
ter man in blue, who PAGES the cor
ridor, except to the registry depart
ment; they come here to buy stamps
sometimes. Although some innocent
good women sometimes do so, it is not
considered respectable for them to come
IN here evenings and crowd round the
delivery window. There's queer goines
on here sometimes, when women slip
IN In the afternoon and look all around
to see If there's anybody they know in
sight, and then ask for 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 popular divine who
breaches in one of our most fashionable
churches, rushed into the Postmaster's
room, overheated and exhausted, to ask
that letter mailed by an impostor to
gentleman in the city, should be stop
pea, as it contained reference from
him which had been given before the
facts of the case were known. He re-
quested the Postmaster to retain the
letter and have the man arrested when
ne 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 in
the moon. or some other equally OBJ
scure individual.
Parents cannot even handle the let
tiers addressed to their own children
unless the children are under age and
non-supporting.
'.Do not give my letters to any one
without written order from me-" is
frequently heard from the lips of miss
OF sixteen. Forged orders are fire.
quently presented, but seldom hon
ored.
From one to ten blank letters are
daily dropped in the office boxes, and
1t is a common thing for the clerks to
md three-cent pieces and pennies, the
letter and money being dropped to-
gether. Occasionally the two are
united by paper and string. A few
days ago woman rushed into the Of
nee and presented letter at the CEN
trail window.
,".Stamp it" she said, in a vague
whisper.
The obliging clerk offered the stamp
ana the woman was moving away.
Three cents, if you please.
ma am" F'