Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-26
0LD Peter Denny was indubit-
~ ably we'll past the age limit

district of Slater Hill, with its easy
route and comfortable emolument,
was in daily jeopardy.
Slater Hill was a quiet, unpro-
gressive spot. The homes, with
their big old fashioned gardens and
overgrown shade trees, belonged,
within, to the black walnut period,
while, without, they ran to Mansard
roofs, Or to surprising and unneces-
sary gables. Most of the jewellers in
Slater Hill, slow, unambitious
lot, were jogging serenely toward
old age; but a few youthful spirits
relieved the monotony. For the
greater part their incomes, though
nothing astonishing as incomes go,
were adequate and assured; and
the Slater Hillites had acquired
the comfortable habit of content.
Peter the postman was as much
part of Slater Hill as was the old
stone church on the corner. Like
the district that was his, Peter was
dignified and slow. The older Slater
Hillites, remembering his rheuma-
second Battle of Bull Run, waited
with calm patience for their slow
coming mail, while self sacrificing
their impotence for old Peters
sake.
And Peter, the harbinger of all
the lows and sorrows of Slater Hill
for almost a quarter of century,
deserved this courtesy, this for
bearance No matter how heavy his
pouch, he had never been known to
grumb1e, and for many small kind
ness the Slater HilliteS were indebt-
ed to the thoughtful old postman.
He brought them in addition to their
legitimate mail verbal tidings of all
the news, and when the news was
sorrowful Peters ready sympathy soften
Entwined with the history of Slater Hi
considered by the older residents life
and everybody loved him loyalty.
This was we'll; for there was another
question, darker side. There was
that Peter was exasperating, even m
times. No matter how important the
crawled at snail's pace. No matter no
the postals, Peter loitered at the ga
them. No matter how late the hour, p
for word at each friendly door. Moret
mans eyesight was failing, and he ma
blunders. He left young Marian Dale's
at overcurious Julia Deans door; Phi
bills for beer in straitlaced Thomas 3
afterward contaminated letter box;
rejected manuscripts of Slater Hills SO
named poet, Cordelia Violet Lee, were
distributed over a radius of eight block
The good natured victims. however
not only to forgive, but even to deri'
calm enjoyment from his blunders.
mail was distributed each morning,
daily custom of Slater Hill to sally fol
tribute it to the proper addresses.
in time SO much part of each days p
when, by some accident, nothing of p
went astray, the Hillites really felt
needed exercise.
IN May the Rev. Stephen Blake, ba
possession of the Slater Hill rectory.
of his proving satisfactory during tn
probation, the parish was to be his F
1t was a desirable parish. Young
dained only two years previously, wan
wanted nothing else on earth except \
To Stephen, the parish and Marian "
nous terms, for neither seemed posi-
the other A calm, we'll ordered perso1
his first sight of Marian Dale, in the
sent the dignifed young clergyman
to his Bishop to ask for an appointment
pending vacancy.
By the first of June all Slater Hill v
ment. The infatuated clergyman had
and it was patent to all eyes that he '
love with bright eyed Marian, the youn