Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-05-14
A "NIXIE" LETTER.

Some strange things happen in the
mail service. There was that Mike
letter that Mark Winston never sent
to the dead letter office. 1t was the
only time I ever knew the old man to
fail to obey regulations. He was q
stickler about the rules, and when
breaking in a new clerk-he broke
in half the men in the division-he
would always say, Now, such an or
der may appear foolish. Well, it's no
business of yours; the government is
paying men big salaries to get up
those rules. You follow them, no
matter what the consequences. "
Mark had Joined the Confederate
army when l6 years old, and had
learned in that severe school to obey
orders.
had been his "helper" on the
Southwestern limited mail for nearly
a year when he violated one of the
plain regulations. True, he told the
chief clerk about it az soon as he got
to the end of his run, and that old fell
low, being man of the same kind as
Winston, indorsed his action. But
here is how it happened, and you can
Judge for yourself.
Mark and I were on train No. 3
that trip, and No. 3 is the hardest run
in the l1th division Of the railway
mail service. It's work as hard as
you can all night long, and then, half
the time, turn over unworked mail to
the west end clerks. On this trip,
however, we had missed an important
eastern connection, and were running
light. Mark was standing in the side
door of the car at Dallas after the
nights run, getting a Whit Of morn
ing air while the train stopped at the
Union depot.
Just before the train pulled out
little lad, in jaunty sailor suit, much
worn but clean, came to the Car door
and looked up at Mark. He seemed
to see something in the old mans face
that encouraged him, for he tumbled
in his pocket moment, and then
asked
"Is this where you take the letters?"
This is the place, con. Have you
a letter to mail ?" said Mark, stoOp-
ing down. Give it to me quick; the
trains about to start"
Mark took the crumpled paper as
the train started. The boy cried to
him, Its for grandpa !" Mark looked
at it, and saw it was only sheet of
paper scrawled all over with child's
handwriting, When We had distrib-
uted our mail, he took it up, and, ad-
iusting his glasses, tried to read it.
Presently he handed it to me, saying,
"See if you can make that out. Your
eyes are younger than mine
had hard work doing it, but final
ly I read aloud:
Dear Grandpa-I want you to come
and see me and mamma, and bring US
soma money, cause mamma is sick
and the doctor says she won't get bet
ter unless she has something good to
eat. Papa said fore he died that if
ne and mamma got into trouble for
me to write to you, for you had BUSH
els of money in your bank on Canal
street. l told mamma l was going to
write YOU, and she said, No, no, "
and Just cried. I think she cries a
heap when I amt there, cause the
pillow Is just as wet, but when I ask
her about it, she laughs and says l am
q foolish boy to think she cries, and
then she hugs me and says am ike
papa. Mammas are strange, amt
they I didn't know what to do
about writing, for she said not to, but
I.told the doctor about it, and be said
if my papa told me to write to you
before my mamma told me not to, that
must do what be said. And then
papa said you was good man, but
didn't like him cause he took your
girl, and mamma says that you said