New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-22

| when sent There are a jawbone. possibly Of an
ass, with all its teeth firm Set and several
SETS Of false teeth. for which the corresponding
| gums have perchance worn themselves out
| while waiting: = skull, white and grinning.
while its fellow members dust: an Indians
| head. Indian moccasins and many pairs Of
| baby shoes. shaped by the little feet which have
worn them. and which. alas, failed to tell their
| little tender story to an absent father.
A complete layette suggests the loving thought
which sent a welcome to some expected baby
guest, with dolls of all races and varieties.
from Chinese to walnut, together with toys of
many descriptions
Here are the wedding cake which some bride
had to do without a large box Of raisins which
might have enabled some other bride to make
her own cake, and boxes Of candy-"sweets'
which never reached "the sweet"
There are fine ivory carvings and wooden
ones running the gamut from crude comb to
the Lion OF Lucerne-"
There are South African gems of various set
tings: watches. lockets. seals. chains. rings.
charms and hair jewelry.
Faces have here for years looked from quaint
old ivory miniatures. with hope Of recogni-
ton which has never come-one OF a Chinese
girl so far from home that she could scarcely
expect It Daguerreotypes. fadeless on their sill
yer plates have seen themselves superseded by
| newer and more popular methods OF the suns
printing-perhaps the face itself was long ago
superseded by fairer
Toilet sets, harpins, thimbles, needles. shears
| and wire hustle are feminine IN quality. while
| razors saws. canteens and what are apparently
bound books, but used to contain whiskey. be-
tray the masculine.
The prayers Of some fair penitent were posi-
bly, hindered for want Of the rosary which never
reached it's destination
A tea kettle, set of teaspoons and china
cups suggest afternoon tea; an unbroken lamp
chimney testifes to the dizziness with which it
is possible for Uncle Sam to handle the
| fragile A fine parasol pictures my lady" set
ting out for a promenade. while tangle of UNI
| brellas may stand for quickened consciences
striving to return those they have borrowed OK
taken
There musical instruments OF many sorts
and varieties. and queries whose fingers
may have drawn the wheezy notes from the
Gordon. perchance with the guitar sighed his
soul out beneath the window of his love.
In the lower part OF one of the cases is a
promiscuous tumble of everything from a
wooden sabot TO a finely cured ham, soldier
equipments predominating-
| OF curious letters there are many, both In
contents and representations. but strangest OF
all is love missive written board one by
three feet in dimensions Dick" the writer
was inspired to this eccentricity while attend
ing a board" meeting, and wrote to Hattie"
reproaching her for her silence In due course
of time Hattie" discovered and notified by
the Dead Letter official that such billet doUx
| awaited her, with 96 cents due In extra post
age. This she declined to pay. saying that she
had no use for lumber for Dick" So
some OF the romances and the tragedies Of life
leave In this little room their record. interest,"
ing In the touch OF nature which makes the
whole world kim; for who at some hour of his
life has not been swayed by the different emo
tons which through these relics Of a bygons
day have striven for expression?
What mysteries In the unopened letter, how
potential for Joy. for sorrow; how freightei with
happiness or misery, and how far reaching In
It's resultsl The spoken word may be forgotten
by him who utters it and fade from the memory
OF him who hears; written. II Is freIghted with
power before which even Judge and fury bow
What might have been" but for these mis-
chances Of the Dead Letter Office no one can
say; IL by them Joy has been frustrated, tragedy
has been averted, and so the sum OF human hap
piness may not have been diminished as much
as would appear.