Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-07-09


gentleman who spent summer travel
ing in the Rocky Mountains gives the follow.
ing account OF little gray haired old lady ho
found living alone in log cabin Of two rooms
far up the slope of a most dssolato noun
tain. The cabin was mile from any other
house, and the nearest town was ten miles
distant. o. tho shelves back Of little pine
counter in corner of this room we're cans Of
tomatoes, peas and corn, a few bars Of soap,
boxes Of matches, and cans of condensed
milk.
II keep a little grocery store, and thread
and needles and pins and such things, bein's
I'm postmistress," said the old lady in the
cheerest of voices.
"Postmistress Z" quered the traveller.
ooh, yes, was the reply.
where are the letters and the Office Y'
Here, and she smilingly took a cigar-box
down from shelf and, opening it, showed
the man a dozen or more letters bearing evil
dence Of having been handled many times.
The mail comes twice week Wednesdays
and SAturdays-but most Of the boys come
round on Saturdays"
The boys - asked the stranger.
"Yes the prospectors and miners scatter.
ed round over the hills. There's good
many of 'em, but they don't write much nor
get many letters Still, the post Office is com
pany for me. 1t brings all the boys to see me
once in while. Are you going up by the
Lone Star mine p
mo; think not" said the traveller.
No? Well, if you was, there's postal
here for Jack Downing. 1t says on it that
he is to come to Denver right oil, and.Id like
to send it to him as soon as | can. | always
read the postals. The boys don't care, and
get real lonesome sometimes
Just then q miner came along and asked
rs Bill Heffer's Weekly Republican coms
yet from Denverl'
Yes" was the reply, "but You tell Bill I'll
send it up tomorrow by the stage-driver; |
aint done readin it myself yet. Bin won't
care he never reads 1t until Sunday anyhow.
If you see Sas Sharpe you tell him there's
postal here from his wife, and the babys got
the whooping- cough but it amt a-whoopiu'
yet and his wife don't think it'll have it
hard"
ANY letters for any of tue boys up our
way ?"
FNo, but there's one here for somebody
named ]. b. Ryder. Know any such man ~
NO"
Neither do l. It's a thin envelope, and
can see, by holdn' it up to the light, that it's
signed Your own Sarah so | guess he's
married or about to be. If he don't come
around soon, d. know but I'll open it and
get the address, and send it back to his own
Sarah, and tell her ne Amt here"
When the man had gone the old lady said
to the traveller:
Eyes, the post-ofice is sight of compny,
specially when there's lot O. papers and
postals comm and gon'. Then sometimes |
write and read letters for some that cant
write. Now, here's letter for John Brice
just come in. He ought to have it right off"
'But it has been opened, said the traveller.
"Oh, la, yes Iopened it myself wrote
the letter it's in answer to, and I'll have to
read this to John Brice anyhow-he cant
read writin-and felt real anxious to know
if his letter got to his wife, for it had ten
dollar bill in it. Here comes Bob Haight.
Poor fellow l declare il l was alone I'd
shut up the post-ofiice and hide in some
place; for it just makes my heart ache
to tell that poor creetur that there amt
no letter yit for 'im. He's been a comm
here for weeks lookin' for a letter from home,
and none comes I'm mighty 'fraid there's
trouble there. Well well, I'll just have to
tell him there amt no letter, and then chirk
him up the best l can. Poor feller!'
-YOuths C0mpdHi0H