The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-01
LETTER FToM BURNETT.
SCENES AT A COUNTRY POST
OFFICE.
Special Correspondence of the Statesman.
BURNET, March 30, 1856
WAITING FOR THE MAIL.

WAITING Fob THE MAIL.
The iron weight which does duty on the
outer portal, and takes the place of the
familiar legend, "shut the door," rises
with a squeak, which seems like protest,
and admits one more to the already
crowded vestibule of the postofiice.
A lady enters this time, and seeing the
number of men in waiting, steps back into
an unoccupied corner to await her turn.
Several bustling business men are tax
ing mail from their boxes and tearing
open letters as they pass out. A number
of countrymen in checked shirts and jeans
pants are gathered about the delivery win
dow, each one getting mail for an entire
neighborhood, and exhausting whole
vocabulary of names IN so doing.
A tiny, black eyed girl crept among the
black and brown, and gray pants; much as
little dog might do, and tip-toeing, so
that the clerk may see her bright eyes,
asks for mail for mamma.
The colored man and brother is on
hand with the assurance born of the
knowledge that he may claim equal rights
at the postoffice, if nowhere else, and looks
like he thinks the clerk is surely mistaken
when he gets no letter. He would like to
parley a little about it,, but finds the clerk
has already turned his attention to some
one else, and SO takes himself away.
The air becomes close and oppressive
inside, bat the faithful iron sentinel firmly
closes the door after each entrance or
exit.
An editor, tall, dark and cadaverous,
gets his mail, principally newspapers,
iub ,f fat
gesting spring poetry. 1t has been said
that editors and goats are the only two
animals known to scientific research that
can live on newspapers, which may ac-
count for the leanness of some editors; if
however, their peculiar diet gives them all
the honest, true kindliness of this face
the leanness, may we'll be pardoned.
A handsome young preacher, with q
blonde moustache and immaculate ex.
panse of shirt-front, gets his mail, and
keeps out of everybodys way and dis
penses pleasant words and smiles on all
sides.
A pretty young girl next steps jauntily
in and is greeted by an acquaintance who
chaffs her about expecting letter from
an absent sweetheart. She has her hal
tilted over her nose, a blue feather curli
round her blonde hair, and she carries Q
paper-back novel in her hand with finger
shut in the book to mark the place. She
receives from the clerk little square boz
bearing the postmark of distant state
and opening it shows her friend, in great
glee, little packages of chewing gum
daintily done up in silver paper and deco
rated with affectionate notices. Verify
that youth knows the way to the heart Of
the girl of the period, and, though absent
need fear no rival as long as the supply
of chewing gum lasts.
A dashing young man with an incipien
moustache, and his breeches tucked in I
pair of shining new boots, and smackinl
considerably of the cowboy, presses hi
way in and demands his mail, much in thu
same tone as he would "Your money o.
your life"
The crowd is thinned so slowly that |
courteous stranger, noticing the lad.
still waiting for an opportunity to ask 70