Morning journal and courier., 1892-11-15
The Letter Man,

| To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Blessings on the "letter man." With
tireless feet and infinite patience, throagh
summers tropical heat, or sudden shower,
through winters cold and snow, he brings
no day too warm, to deter him from his
duty.
| How we learn to distinguish his foot
steps as he briskly walks our streets: and
how gladly we respond to his quick ring at
our belll He brings to us glad tidings,
and tidings of sorrow, with the same
cheerful slacrity.
Who has not waited, perhaps for days
at time, for an expected letter which has
been strangely delayedi Then comes sus-
pense and sickening fear as the hour for
the carriers appearance approaches. At
side of the street; he is ringing the bell of
the tall brick house opposite; then down
again to the next house, and again to the
next Will he ever CROSS the streets
Sometimes he crosses over, and, from a
package of letters he carries in his hand
he selects one. 1t is ours; we know the
peculiar shape of the envelope; We can al
most distinguish the familiar superscrip-
ton. But no! he deliberately passes with
out glsncing at our door, and rings the
bell of a neighboring house And then,
as if to make amends, he comes for days
at time, laden with letters, papers or
magazines for US, each time he goes his
rounds.
For years the same 'letter man. has
gone through our streets. He is always
cheerful, always obliging. We do not
know his name even. If asked. to describe
him 1 should say "the carrier who goes
through - street; the one with pleas
ant face"
do not think we ever thoroughly ap-
precisted our perfect postal delivery sys
tenn until we went to Sobertown. We re-
ceived our tri-daily mails. as we did our
daily brsad, quite ss a matter of course.
You will not find Sobertown on the map
but such place actually exists, and il
known BY that name for miles the country
round. 1t is a quiet place, as the name in
dicates.
We were located in long, low, ram
bling old farm house, where four genera
tions of the same family had been born
had lived out their quiet, uneventful lives
and had gone the way of all the earth.
We spent much of our time in the "su
gar orchard" which ran along the higf
bluff that skirted the waters edge. Here
were a thousand maple trees and hundreds
of gray, mossy boulders, which served fol
seats. The view from this point, of broad
lake, fertile green islands and distan
| mountains was remarkably fine.
Here we were undisturbed, for even tn,
| animals seemed to have no more fear haI
| they did in the old primevsl days wheI
Adam walked in the beautiful garden.
The little red squirrels paused in thei
descent from the lofty tree-tops, and, will
downward heads and bushy tail erect il
air, chartered to Us most volubly. Ant
the sheep, as they came down from th'
distant cliffs for their usual supply of salt
answered amiably our imperfect imitation
8 of their cries.
n Such a variety of tones as they had
their voices ranging from the hsrsh gut
:. tural basso of some pstriarchal old sheel
g to the thin squeaking treble of some mem
n ber of his family. And as group afte
:. eral hundred sheep In the Aock-the
:, made the woods resound.
|. It was an odd sight as they stood ther
= 80 immovably, watching us with mild
/. sleepy eyes that looked out from their sol
y emn, pointed little faces.
!" The cougar orchard" was usually yer
quiet however, and If It had not been fo
RI the loud humming of the summer insect
d which filled the air, doubtless we, toe
might have heard, as Carlysle did in hi
lonely Scottish home, the nibble of th
sheep quarter OF mile away.
ir We were told to leave any letters W
g. might wish to send on the dining roor
t msntsl There they accumulated, a snow
~ heap, sometimes remaining for days at
q time.
Anxiously each morning We inquired c
our host IL he were going to the villas
that day, to receive his somewhat equiv
rt in time, dino but hi go to teown."
g. Then late in the day, unless perehance
sudden shower drove him from the fell
\. he would harness the two serry-lookin
. isded farm horses before the long, lumbe
ing wagon and start for the town.
Before he had had time to reach his de
ue tinstion we began to look for bis returl
n and listen for the sound of his approach
ing wheels, for in that dead stiffness v
~ could hear them nearly q mile away. 4
or last, as the wagon appeared in sight,
ing the curve in the road leading
front of the house, drive on to the bal
40 with quite q flourish.
Id Whist an unconscionsble time It toS
him to care for those horses; and fms
all ly when he came, with arms filled wi
bundles, now very slowly he walked,
,s If he did not know how impstiently '
49, were waiting for our letters which fill
his deep pocketsl
let Then what treat we had, as '
Is opened our letters, or read the daily p
Oh pers, some of which were week old,
er- say the least, but welcome as the su
shine. Why, the very advertisement
m were as familiar as the faces of o
an friends.
tu Sometimes Through the busy sssso