Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-10-08
A POSTAL DELIVERY
AN INCIDENT OF REVOLUTIONARY
DAYS IN CONNECTICUT.


MopsaeId Town.
Tho arrival of the first batch OF let.
.ors ofter the establishment Oh rurai
rree delivery in Mansfield Cohn'' &c.
ool,od m an aged lady of that Town
nostal incident remembered ~ ne
Family for 100 years. MY lho'iiei a"
WAYS cried when she told the STORY
she said. ,,..,o civ,
when nv mother was llttle siri'
.,a narrator went on. to have ones lel-
tors regularly brought and handed III
at the door would have seeineu
miracle of privilege, and to set ,hel
without paying postage "ou,u nass
hoon another. Mails were so SLOW anu
! uncertain that the safe ARRIVAL Vi ah
expected letter by any means was az
ovant in n country family, witn the
! postoftice miles away. ,
Sometimes the delivery was heipeu
! o,spp nv volunteer carriers-a FARMER
.,oiro home from the grist MIL,
housewife returning from market town
with her bargains Of lamp OIL Wes'
India molasses and green tea, OF even
a passing peddler with his ioau oi 'in
ware and corn brooms. In the olu war
time the army had post riders, pu'
+hev were few and far between
Nv grandfather was a soldier Oh the
Revolution. and grandmother KEEP. lhe
home fire burning here, and proVlaeo
for their three children as well as sue
could while he was at the 'front.' Al
GUNNER she had heard no word OF him.
and when one autumn day a man In
military cloak rode to the door on
white horse her heart beat quick.
"Does Ruth Fuller live hereE' ne
savs holding a thick letter in his hand.
Eyes, l am Ruth Fuller" and grand
mother reached eagerly for the letter.
for she saw the address in her NUS
bands handwriting.
1.-THE postage is shillin s.
Grandmother's countenance feii' ior
there wasn't so much money IN the
house.
"Guess you don't know me- remark
ed the man, opening his cape ana up
! ming back his cooked hat, but still hold
ing the letter. She knew him then-an
., enemy capable of a mean revenge
HAh. yes. you rcIHem."- TON In:'er
snd how h. aeAyI yuu 70 marry Inn
, and YOU give him No, ! tAankee, ana
: took John Fuller. wasn't good enough
l to marry ye, but I'm good enough no"
! TO bring We letters from the man tha'
: did. and I'm good enough to charge ye
steep price for goin' out o my way
So hand over your 2 shillin's and take
a your letter"
The poor woman told him she had nc
F: money. To be held up in this heartless
: and insulting way was bitter hurt &c
e her Her grief was deeper than hel
, resentment but she was too proud tc
: let the cruel fellow see her weep.
1 81 will get you good dinner she
3 said. land feed your horse and give
e you pair of nice long stockings"
s 1t was a humiliation to plead witt
n Tom Turner, but she could do no less.
u Money or nothin'," he says. and III
put the letter in his pocket and rod'
"a away.
- Grandmother went into the house
d and sat down and cried, and her chll
l. dren, clinging about her, cried too
Is During her long months of waiting, a
o odd hours she had spun and wovel
II cloth and sewed garments and KNITTED
y wooden stockings for Johns wlnte
:, comfort, trusting to find some way t.
: send them TO him. Now the messenSe
o. had come and gone who could at leas
re have carried word, and he had refused
z even to give her her husbands letter
he Ma, God knows what the bad mai
did" sobbed one of the little ones
lie knows what nice things you'V
to made for pa, and he'll send a good MAJ
e. next time"
ed The baby's thought relieved the moth
M er's despair, and the three lonely heart
nj prayed and waited anxiously for tn
e. next time" and, sure enough, befor
- winter came they saw the same whit
he horse galloping toward the house. He
brought the letter back" they all erie
out together, for they believed the ric
IN er to be the same man.
.e' Grandmother rushed from the doc
an with all her children. The horsema
held out the same letter, and as b
grayely put II into her hands 81
glanced up to his face and screame
I'd for joy.
a John, 1t is you"
in. 1t did not take her husband long
tell the rest of the story. Tom Turnt
re. had returned 10 headquarters, and or
we night, made talkative by an extra r.
ton of rum, he had Dragged how
got even" with an old sweethea
who Tilted him. His exploit reache
he the ears of his commanding office
ill who took away his commission M
put my grandfather in his place. III
laf new post rider had brought his ow
letter to his wife. 1t was the first rur
free delivery in Mansfield rewn.
Youths Companion.