Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-16
CITY AND DISTRICT.
Dramas Of Rca! Life a. Witnessed; from
His pOiii, OF View.

His rOiii, OF View.
LOVERS STORIES TOLD 81 THE FREQUENCY AND
SIZE OF LErIEHs-Eow Such LETTERS DIFFER
PROM OTHERS PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS
WAITING FOR A NEsSACF:-THE HUMOROUS AND
PATHETIC SIDES OF LIFE.
There's another" said an old letter carrier
as he tied up little bundle of letters and
dropped it into his bag along with a lot of other
similar bundles. assorted Tor delivery along his
route There's another" and he held the
mouth of the bag open and watched that par
tieuiar bundle as it settled itself down along
with its fellows. Then he gave three KNOWN g
winks and smiled grmly. He continued to
smile as he tied up the remaining letters which
were laid cut on the board before him. He
smiled as he stuffed the last package in the ba,
ana threw it over his shoulder. and he was still
smiing-a curious grim sort of smile-when
The STAR man. who had been watching him all
the while. acccsted him with good morn to
you, SIR" as ne trudged up the street at quick
pace on the way 10 his route. "What pleases
You so this morning.?
'Letters-lOve letters he replied with a grin
and n wink as he shrugged his bag into q more
comfortable position on his shoulders. You
must walk fast if you're going along with NE.
Love letters SAID THE STAR man. How
do you know they're love letters? You don't
read them. do you =
Read thenl Can read them through that
blue envelope: Can see through that fancy
bit of sealing-wax? j guess rot; but know
all the same
But how do You know -
Just wait until you have been a letter carrier
rs long as have and you'll know how. Why /
can tell love letter from business letter.
SaN IN fro D.. l. i,Io - 80
either They are always so neat and careful like.
The address is always carefully written. The
stamp Is perfectly true in the cOrner-neyer
skewed or smeared. The envelope is always Of
good quality neatly sealed. and no blots or fin.
ger prints bout it. Oh. ] know EN-.
But that was a particular letter l was
smiling over" he continued. Ills one
of the regular ones. It's fCr-I guess
i WON'T 1 was about to tell you who it
was for, but it's against rules. Any how
1t don't matter who she is. She lives over
that way. ami is mighty nice girl. Her lover
Is long ways off. | guess he's off seeking his
fortune-and hers. toO-and some Of these DAYS
he'll come back and take her away to nice lit
tie home. I've seen lots of these things during
NY time. But. as ! was saying she's q mighty
sweet little girl and she'll DC out to the door
waiting for me this morning. She knows have
letter for her. This is one of her DAYS She
knows when they are cOming-twice a week
never fail That's downright earnest case
through maze.
But sometimes it does" he added thought
1nily- 1t generally does. reckon, though it
depends lot upon the persons. Sometimes
they keep it up for a long time and finally have
quarrel or something of that sort and drop off
suddenly. / remember one of those cases o.. my
route: remember lets of Them but this one in
particular. 1t was something kind of sudden
i guess the young lady had been off to the
springs ald had made settler OF it-'twas
about that time of the year when they come
nome you know. The letters-great big, heavy
letters-commenced coming in right ON top of
each other-every mail. She never kept me
waiting. Az soon as got my hand on the bell
Knob she was there to get her letter. Twas too
much tn last. though. | knew lust how it would
turn You can tell; they all run about the same
way When they are Gnet and sort of serious
you Tray Just say that's gone case; thatIl last
Bot whenever they OvcrdO il they soou undo II.
So after a while the letters began to drop Of
they had stopped altogether little while bcfOrc
and set 1t dOw:A that he had been 20 the city to
See her. The first letter after that was q very
long one. ard ti:en. as said they began to get
Fighter AMI less frequent Then they finally
stopped altogether. But this time | knew It
WASH because Hc was tu seelpr. Whel! they stop
f'r tnat IL : always sudden. and the letters Begin
10 come again just as sudden. Then. too the
young lady didn't expect them. Size didn't
come to the door to meet lie any more. Some
times wien shed be on the steps and would see
me coming she'd throw her head up and try to
look as If she didn't care and walk into the
mouse without waiting To see il | had ANYTHING
for her. That's the way they DO. ! know them,
hnnE, though. she was pCcpinm cut the blinds
ss soon as she got in the house and did lets OF
p0utln@. and called me q nasty-mean-thinr
because Didn't bring her a letter. Yes knew;
them! That's the way they do. Well she got
over II guess, and is trying to lake her revenge
on some one else. for she gets more letters now
Than any other girl in the neighbOrhood- in
different hands, and all love letters
Well. the Young folks will have their To-
mances. he continued. after q long and
Thoughtful pause. Il wish everything we met
was as pleasant as watching these little love
affairs 1t amt though. No, not by great
deal"
Why, do you see much sadness" asked the
scribe, noticing the change in the mans tone
and COuntenance
Lots Of it. Lots ofit."
How"
ain every way. There are folks who are al
ways expecting something They watch for me
"a regularly as can be. and seem disappointed
always. Some OF them watch for years and
never get a letter. Yet they expect 1t every
day and are every day disappointed. You ask
them where they expect to hear from and they
shake their heads and sigh. aud that is all you'll
get from them Some OF them. don't believe
have friend on earth to write to them and
they have become cranky on the subject They
watch and wait. always expecting to hear from
some one but they don't know who. Then there
are sGlne who really have friends they are anx-
ious about. Then there are those who are al
ways IN want and distress and are WAITING for
assistance from some distant and more fortu-
nate relative. They wait and wait in vain and
more and more distressed and en,aciated each
day. they stand anI look mplorinuly and ex-
pectantly at me as pass. How wish some
times | had a letter for them, But there are
Gases even sadder than this There is a lady on
ny route think some times Id give half nv
GAYS II could bring to her the letter she is
watching FOR. About year ago her husband
went out west. a. he said. to make more money
f'r himself aud family For four months she
Las not heard from him. and she is lust wasting
away with grief and despair. Now at last after
thinking and fearing all sorts of things, she has
begun TO doubt his fidelity. At every round |
make see her at the door waiting for me
Wien she sees me coming a pleading. hopeful
eNPectant smile comes over her face then Grad
r%!ly dies away and fades into an expression Of
inter deSHai" as she sees from nv face there
Is no hope. aid pass with no letter for her 1t
Is ritablc"
You meet with strange experienced"
Yes; strange aud varied Sometimes IA
thetic: sometimes humorous: sometimes az
grayatirg Some folks curse at us for not
bringing them some mail: other curse at HIS if
We do Some folks meet us with q pIeasant
good morning and a smile; Others want to know
II we intend to pull their bell out and guess we
can wait till they come Why there are some
houses where We have to run out in the street
AFTER pulling the bell so as to See, from what
direction they are coming They will rush at