Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-01-30
DEAD LETTERS.

\ short space of two days and his va
cation would commence. Two weeks
But two weeks were two years Of fun,
two centuries Of real enjoyment, two CEN
turies Of rest, compared to the constan:
drag, drag, in that lonely business which
took up all his night hours in dreams.
Two weeks away from the constant read
ing of letters which were written for
other eyes than his! How he ever got
into the Dead Letter Office he couldn't
say, and how he ever stayed there with
out growing wild to the extent OF pulling
out all his hair and ramming pens into
his brown eyes, he couldn't. for the life
Of him, tell. He had stayed on two
wears, and was much honored, in a small
way, as skillful clerk in the depart
ment. He couldn't tell why, again. In
fact, his career was a series of "couldn't I
tell why's" which, however, were the
cogs to the wheels which kept his life
a-going. Casual Observer might have
told why he was considered one Of the
best clerks in the department, and said
Observer would have remarked that it
was because he There I've got Just
so far without using name, and | hoped
Id get through the story without COM
mitting myself; but it's no use. These
pronouns are terribly exac,ing thinhs,
and shall have 10 get name for the
she" before the last dash, or | shall be
unable to proceed any further. Well,
Tom will do, won't it Toms name,
and there are lots of Toms in Washing
ton, and several Toms in the Dead Let.
ter Office. Now, then, we will take
another start with Tom and the Oh.
server.
say that the Observer would have
remarked that (go back few lines fol
the explanation of the it was because
Tom had very tender heart in his poss-
ession. A sad thing to have tender
heart when you're dealing with persons
they say. Tom thought it sadder wher
dealing with letters. He would choke
fifty times a day while reading some
earnest, heartfelt epistle which, despite
the love and fidelity mothers Land had
buried in the lines, had misr;arried, mol
would ever reach dear SON eyes. Or
perhaps, it was fathers strong call
strong in tears and strong in love-whicl
would never bring back to the home fol-
straying daughter.
The letters Tom read with a heartach
which spread like new algia. and some
how filed his whole boz ly with an untolC
pain. were by the thou sand year; bu
his interest in the sad cases was aeve
tagging, and be always made goot
push to have me letters which came fror
loving hands for loved ones take on
more chance of reaching their destina
ton. If Toms successes had each beer
a block of granite, the Washington Mon
ument would have been completed ov G
eleven months ago.
Tom was to have I wo weeks vacatio
two weeks commencing in two day:
He wasn't often idle; but this mornin
he held one of batch of letters-episto
latory corpses-and sat thin king of any
thing but his work. Where should
gu in vacation, There wal, no mother
or brother, or sister waiting for him
come home. There were 70 kisses
welcome waiting for him among II
green hills or by pleasant, Inning waters
Where should he go Hei gho! He coul
not make up his mind. With a shak
like cat awaking, he came back to b
work and gazed on the one letter fro
many a pile before him he had semi-ur
consciously taken up. The dir ection
the letter was as folio VS.: +" Miss Clara
bennett, st. Adams, Vermont II