Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-08-07
A POstmistress VINO Reads the 4Eai1.

A POstuistress Who Reads the Mail.
Youths Companion
A gentleman who spent a summer
travelling in the Rocky Mountains gives
the following account Of a little grsv-
haired old lady he found living alone In
a log cabin OF two rooms, far M the
slope Of most desOlate mountain. The
cabin was a mile away from any other
house, and the nearest town was ten
miles distant. On the shelves back of a
little pine counter In a corner of the
room were cans of tomatoes, peas and
corn, a few bars Of soap, boxes Of
matches and cans Of condensed milk.
ST keep a little grocery store. and
thread and needles and pins and such
things, bein's Pm postmistress. said the
old lady, In the cheeriest OF voices.
''POstmistress ?'' quiried the traveller.
''Oh, yes, was the reply.
"Where are the letters and the Office ?''
''Here," as she sInilingly took a cigar
box down from shelf and opening it
showed the man dOzel or more letters
bearing evidence Of having been handled
many times.
1.-The mail comes two times a week,
Wednesdays and Saturdays; but most Of
| the boys come round Saturdays"
"The bOysP' asked the stranger.
Eyes; the prOspectOrs and miners
| scattered all round over the hills. There's
a good many of 'em, but they don't
write much, nor get many letters. Still
tue POstofice is company for me. It
| brings all the boys to see me once in a
while. Are you going to the Lone Star
AIine?'
''No, think not, " said the traveller.
"NO? Well, if you was, there's a pos
| tai here for Jack Downing. It says on it
/ that heis to come to Denver right of,
and I'd like to send 1t to him as soon as
1 can. I always read the postals. The
boys don't care; and L get real lonesome
sometimes"
Just then miner came along and
/ asked:
SIS Bill Heffer's Weekly Republican
/ come yet from Denver?''
yes was the reply; but you tell
/ Bill I'll send it up tomorrow by the
stage-driver; I amt done readin' it my
/ self yet. Bill won't care; ne never reads
| 1t until Sunday, nOhOW. If you see Silas
/ Sharpe you tell him that there's a postal
here from his wife, and the baby's got
/ the WhOOpin' cough, but it amt a whoOp-
/ in yet, an his wife don't think it'u have
/ it hard"
'Any Letters for any Of the boys up
our way?"
mo; but there's one here for some
body named J. B. Ryder. Know any such
man ?''
s.No."
'.Neither do I. It's a thin envelope,
and L can see, by holdin' it up to the
/ light, that it's signed Your own Sarah, ,
so L guess he's married. or about to be.
/ If he don't come round soon, I dOn'o but
/ I'll open it and get the address and send
it back to his own Sarah and tell her
he amt here"
When the man had gone the old lady
said to the traveller:
eyes, the post office is a sight of
comp'ny speshly when there's lots O. pa
pers and pOstals comm and goin'. Then
sometimes write and read letters for
some that can't write. Now here's a
letter for John Brice Just come in. He
ought to have it right of"
But it has been opened" said the
traveller.
''Oh, Ia yesl I opened it myself. I
wrote the letter it's IL answer to, and Tl
have to read this to John Brice, anyhow.
He can't read writin' and I felt real anx-
ious to know if his letter got to his wife;
it had a SO bill in it. Here comes Bob
Haight Poor fellow L declare if I
was alone I'd shut up the post office and
hide some place; for it Just makes my
heart ache to tell that poor 1reetur that
they amt no letter yit for i'm. He's
been a-cOmin' here for weeks lonllin' for
letter from home, and none comes. Pm
mighty afraid there's trouble there. Well
well, III Just have to tell him they amt
no letter, and then chiEk him up best
e-TT--B8