The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-05-19
THE POSTMISTRESS
AT DOWNINGVILLE
BY Hayden Corruth


nONNINGVILLE was q village of
IL magnificent distances. with almost
half mile from the tannery TO the
sawmill, and with only scattering
houses between. The schoolhouse and
the two churches had each failed TO
establish center. Likewise the rail
road station had not attracted any no.
ticeable number of houses; it stood.
like everything else, by itself. There
were gardens or COW pastures or public
commons or other tracts of unoccupied
territory between the buildings.
Even the post Office stood alone, at
least hundred yards from the nearest
house, with a corner of Squire Pom
eroy's wood-lot coming up almost to its
back door, as if refusing to recognize
such a struggling place as a town at all.
But, after all, if there was q spot
that one might point to and say: This
is the center Of Downingville," it was
the post Office. Geographically, it
might be isolated, but in another sense
1t was center and held Downingyille
together Everybody had TO come there
for the mail, and there was certainly
no other place where everybody had
to go for anything. But that every
body did come TO the post Office the as
sistant postmaster could very well tes- /
tfy, and she used to think sometimes I
that the folks who got the least came
oftenest.
Mr.. Blodgett was the postmaster, but
he ran the village grist mill-which was
far from everything else, of course
and seldom visited the Office for stay
of any great length. So it happened
that practically the entire work of the
office fell upon his assistant. She was
Mabel Loomis, who lived with her moth
er a quarter Of a mile up the road on
the uncertain edge of the village
The work of the office, although not
perhaps hard In one sense, was GER
tainly exacting. and the hours were
long-from six in the morning to seven
in the evening, usually. Vacations and
days off, were few, and the salary was
meager enough; but Mabel never COM
planned, and she did the work to the
best of her ability.
1t was a beautiful September morn ,
ing; she had just finished putting up '
the 6:24 mail, and the boy who carried 7
Il to the station had departed. Only !
two or three persons had as yet been in, h
so Mabel wgs surprised to see Mrs. ALI }
son appear at the general delivery. Y
why, good morning, Mabel" she Il
said. "You weren't looking for me so u
'arly, were you, now? Well, I'm going
o take the train for Proctor's-going Il
Up to see Libbie-and l thought I'd j
lrop In. Didn't know but l might have ST
postal or something from her, telling
ne to wait till next week" tc
mo, there isn't anything for you," a
cturned Mabel. V
"Well, didn't know, you know. You 81
ant tell. But l suppose this doesn't &C
sem early for you?" n
"No. I've been up an hour and IN
alf." IN
"You don't tell mel Well, l think 81
on have to get up too early, that's ~
hat / think. Seems as if Blodgett
light stir out and open the place him Is
If, specially as you have to stay so u
te at night" nl'
"He comes in at noon, you know, and ru
ays quite awhile. Then, the work
NJ hard" tel
"Well, ,itmay not be hard, but should -
y that it's wearing, If I'm a Judge Wy
rting over letters and pounding them ~,
tn that thing, and filing out money -,
ders and tearing them off bias and 80
st so, and fixing the registered let 80, 80,
RS and selling stamps, and jumping ~
TO this window for this body and ~ Wv
AZ body and the other body that want -
eir letters, and forty other things f'e :.
declare 'twould just poster the life .ho
of me in no time at ALL" SCI :,
oh, don't mind it," returned Mabel, G.
serfully. in,
Well, must be getting along" con- g
ued Mrs. Allison. "Are you going on ON,
excursion next week?" hoo
I'm afraid l can't get away" an owe
cred the girl. ord
IA >. AiiiSOh was IuHlndBlhB III ueT bg
nd bag, and her attention seemed dis surt
cted. -
Seems as II Blodgett ought TO pay .,
more," she said No
labels face flushed. She had not vo,
that she could not afford to 90 on iocl
excursion, whatever the fact might ,no
She had told the simple truth in Won
Ing that she might not be able to NJ
'e the Office, even if she knew she her
Id not 60 on the excursion if itwere .N
sible for her TO be absent; but she 1,,,
ID not resent what had been said, ,,or,
luse she knew the woman had not ,bot
mt any offense. mo
think he gives me all that be could Plan
expected to, considering what the tory
e pays" she answered towr
Veil, maybe he does, inthat light" my {
rned Mrs Allison, moving toward cents
door "But Blodgett is no poor 81
, and his mill pays him right along. said.
It I'd like, is to see you appointed Tn
master yourself. You're 21 now" very
)h, thank you" answered Mabel, more