The Press., 1901-11-21
A POSTAL DELIVERY.
AN INCIDENT OF REVOLUTIONARY
DAYS IN CONNECTICUT.

Letter From the Front That Came
and Went and Came Again to Stay.
The First Rural Free Delivery I'm
Mansfield Town.
The arrival of the first batch Of let
tiers after the establishment of rural
called to an aged lady of that town q
postal incident remembered in her
family for 100 years. my mother al
ways cried when she tod the story"
she said.
When my mother was a little girl,
the narrator went on, to have ones let
tiers regularly brought and handed in
at the door would have seemed a
miracle of privilege, and to get them
without paying postage would have
been another. Mails were so slow and
uncertain that the safe arrival of an
expected letter by any means was an
event in a country family, with the
postoffice miles away.
Sometimes the delivery was helped
along by volunteer carriers-a farmer
going home from the grist mill, q
housewife returning from market town
with her bargains of lamp oil, West
India molasses and green tea. or even
a passing peddler with his load Of tin
ware and corn brooms. In the old war
time the army had post riders, but
they were few and far between.
My grandfather was a soldier Of the
Revolution, and grandmother kept the
home fire burning here, and provided
for their three children as we'll as she
could while he was at the front. ALI
summer she had heard no word Of him,
and when one autumn day a man in q
military cloak rode to the door on q
white horse her heart beat quick.
"Does Ruth Fuller live hereT he
says, holding thick letter in his hand
Eyes, am Ruth FULLER" and grand
mother reached eagerly for the letter,
for she saw the address in her hus.
bands handwriting.
1.-The postage is shillin's."
Grandmothers countenance fell, for
there wasn't so much money in the
house.
Guess you don't know me-" remark.
ping back his cooked hat, but still hold
ing the letter. She knew him then-an
| enemy capable of mean revenge.
"Ah, yes, you remember Tom Turner
and how he asked you to marry him
and you give him No, thankee,' and
| took John Fuller. wasn't good enough
to marry We, but I'm good enough now
to bring We letters from the man thai
| did, and I'm good enough to charge "
steep price for goin' out O. my way
So hand over your shillin's and tax,
| your letter."
The poor woman told him she had NJ
| money. TO be held up in this heartlesl
and insulting way was bitter hurt t.
her. Her grief was deeper than he
resentment, but she was too proud t.
let the cruel fellow see her weep.
II will get you a good dinner" sh'
said, land feed your horse and Civ
you u pair of nice long stockings"
| 1t was a humiliation to plead will
Tom Turner, but she could do no less.
Money or nothins," he says, and h
put the letter in his pocket and rod
away.
| Grandmother went into the hous'
and sat down and cried, and her chill
dren, clinging about her, cried too
During her long months of waiting, a
odd hours she had spun and wove1
cloth and sewed garments and knitted
wooden stockings for Johns winter
comfort, trusting to find some way tx
send them to him. Now the messenger
had come and gone who could at leas
have carried word, and he had refused
even to give her her husbands letter.
MA, God knows, what the bad maj
did," sobbed one of the little ones
HE knows what nice things YOU'VE
made for pa, and he'll send a good maj
next time"
The baby's thought relieved the moth
er's despair, and the three lonely hearts
prayed and waited anxiously for thu
next time," and, sure enough, befor'
winter came they saw the same white
horse galloping toward the house. "He's
brought the letter back" they ali crieC
out together, for they believed the rid
er to be the same man.
Grandmother rushed from the doc
with all her children. The horsemal
held out the same letter, and as b,
gravely put it into her hands sh,
glanced up to his face and screamed
for joy.
"John! 1t is you"
1t did not take her husband long t,
tell the rest of the story. Tom Turne
had returned to headquarters, and on
night. made laxative by an extra ra
ton of rum, he had Dragged how h
"got even" with an old sweethear
who Tilted him. His exploit reached
the ears Of his commanding officer
who took away his commission an,
put my grandfather in his place. TIL
new post rider had brought his owl