The Delta independent., 1889-11-12
TOMS LETTER.
A Touching Tale of Chance Ex-
narIan~o

watch the faces of men and women
who receive letters or are disappoint-
ed and turn away to betray anxiety,
regret, and 'despondency.
The owner Of Il box or drawer comes
brisl1ly in, turns his key with snap,
and grabs and pockets his letters as so
much merchandise. 1t is business
with him. He has written to A, b, C,
and ID on such and such a matter and
expects replies beginning with Dear
SIR and ending with Yours truly"
But it is different at the general de-
livery windows. Letters come from
the poor who can not afford special
.conveniences-for the very, very lowly
for, sailors, mechanics, teamsters,
seamstresses, washerwomen, strang-
ers. and all those who go to make up
the seven-tenths of Il city's population.
-Four out of every five who approach
the windows do SO with faster beating
hearts. A letter is hoped for from
far-otf Russia. from the hills of Italy,
the alps of Switzerland, the sun-kissed
plains of Spain or France, from moth
er England Or old Ireland, from who
can guess where? Has it arrived?
Does it contain good or bad news? Is
father, mother, brother. or sister dead?
always rejoice with those whose
faces light up as II letter is handed
out, and l always sympathize with
those who are turned away empty
handed.
One day in the months agone an old
woman-a poor, lame, and gray haired
woman, whose vocation never as ked
came up to me in the corridor in a
half-afraid manner and asked:
''Would you mind, now, about ask
ing if there is Il letter for Mrs. Ann
Taylor?"
inquired. but there was none. and
all the mother in mothers heart
welIed up into her throat as she whis-
pered:
dear, dear, but am so very sorry!
Shall never hear from him again?"
And that same day week l met her
there again. You would have said we
would not recognize each other again,
but we did. She came over to me with
anxiety in her face and said:
Would you take the same trouble
for me again to-day? l dreamed last
night that got Il letter from him."
Nothing for Ann Taylor" was the
reply of the clerk; and when l repeated
the message she clasped her wrinkled
hands, and gasped:
MAY the Lord be merciful, but fear
he is deadr'
And so the weeks went on, and at
least once each week / met the poor old
body in the corridor, and inquired at
the window if there was II letter. None
ever came, nor did ever question her,
but one day, as her old heart overflow
ed and tears came to her eyes, she
walked with me out OF the throng and
said:
-'He-he ran away from me two
years ago, my-my boy Tom. I'm a
widow, and he was my youngest, and
the only one left to me. He wasn't u
bad boy, but he got with wild lot, for
got the prayers OF his old mother and
one day ran Off"
''And you have not heard from him
sinco?"
Never word. God help me! I'm
fearing Ee's-he's dead"
l comforted her rs we'll as l could,
but she went away sobbing. That
night dreamed of being on an island
in midocean. and of walking down to
the beach and seeing corpse lying
there. 1t was that of IL boy of 10, lying
on his back and his blue eyes wide
open and staring at the blue heavens
above. AS | looked at him his lips
moved and | caught the word Moth
err Then, still in my dream. l hur-
ried away, and journeyed for days and
days until / found the old woman who
was ever and ever hoping for II letter.
/ took her back with me to view the
body of the drowned boy, but it had
disappeared, and her walls OF anguish
broke my slumber.
Two days later 1 entered the post.
Office TO find my poor old woman
waiting for me- A letter was handed
out before | could say IL word, and as
i placed it in the mothers hands
knew it was from her boy. She was
TOO excited to read it, and too impa.
tient to wait u minute, and so l read
it for her. 1t was from Tom and
mailed from n town in Texas, and
carefully; folded inside was post.
office money-order for $50. He wrote
that he was we'll and doing well, and
should hereafter write regularly. He
expressed his contrition, asked for.
giveness, and wrote like II boy who had
made up his mind to do right in al
things.
And as read little crowd gath.
cred around to listen, seeming to real.
re how it all was, and as l finished
lad tears OF the mother reflected
'sture, and the general senti-
,aptly expressed by mes.
.er boH who said:
..Say, lie. me out O. here before my
sand gives way!"
Since that letter came have moi
once seeS Toms old mother. but
know she is weeping tears OF joy, i
oil an1 fb,t hap ,,,, ,,,,, " 4, ,r