St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-07-29
A POStman'S Story.
lOriginal.l

letters from the time she was just old
enough to read them. 1t may seem
strange to you, but whenever had a
letter for her 1t was the pleasure Of
the day for me. There's no happiness
equal to giving happiness to another,
and whenever my little girl received a
letter the Joy that lit up her childish
face was reflected In mine.
when she was about seventeen
there came a new interest for her In
her letters. One morning when was
sorting the mail for my route | saw a
letter the superscription of which In
dicated that 1t was not from a girl
friend 1t was written in a clerical
hand, evidently by young man whose
chlrography had not become set My
little girl was waiting for me at the
gate, and knew that her eyes were
upon me while was yet far down the
street Before | reached her they were
| big with expectancy. While had still
two stops to make before coming to
her | held up her letter but | was too
far for her to see the superscrlption.
and she was only partly reassured
| When she saw the youthful writing
ornamented with pen flourishes a glad
ness spread itself over her features
that made my heart correspondlngly
joyful
Every day for weeks gave her
letter addressed In the same hand
Then | noticed by the postmark that
the writer was going from place to
place and the letters Were less fire.
quent This made the girl more anx-
ious TO get them. and. as soon as
turned a certain corner far down the
street and saw her watching at the
gate, when | had no letter for her
would raise an empty hand, but when
l had one | would wave 1t aloft
The letters were coming again daily
when suddenly they stopped. Every
day that | passed my little girl with
out one for her she grew more anx-
ious, and when week had gone by
and | was obliged to pass the worried
pale face at the gate without bringing
comfort felt as doctor must feel
who can give a favorite patient no
relief.
One day had a letter for her adj
dressed in the usual hand | was
nightly pleased and watched her face
eagerly when ! delivered It, She tore
II open and ran 1t over eagerly. had
no right to delay. but | did. wishing TO
know II the news was good or bad.
saw her turn red. and. crumpling the
letter spasmodically. she ran into the
house.
That was the last of her waiting at
the gate for letters. Whenever passed
the house and did not see her ! would
think what pleasure II would give me
to burn her correspondent over slow
fire. was sure he had Tilted her.
Several years passed, during which
delivered my little girl no love letters
OF this | was sure. for of all she re-
ceived few were in masculine hand,
and such came only at intervals. Then
one day while sorting my mail for de-
livery | came across one on which the
handwriting seemed familiar Then |
recognized 1t as that of the youthful
correspondent, only now It had become
mans fixed hand. | handed 1t in at
the house to maid with other mail, so
didn't see the recipient when she
opened It. AT the next delivery my lit
tie girl appeared at the door and hand
ed me the letter ] had delivered I'M
opened and readdressed. evidently to
the sender
DO you know just couldn't send
that letter back? | should have been
fired, | know, but would have rather
lost my position than let that little girl
blight her life. II she had been doing
1t for any reason except mad she
would either not have replied ut all or
by letter. Mad 1t was, | was sure.
and | believed that If the fellow got
his letter back in that way the matter
would be ended forever. At the post.
office showed the letter into a box
marked 'Missent,' put bit Of paper in
an envelope on which | wrote, Never
give up the ship and sent it instead,
Disgusting my hand and not signing
what had written.
In about week another letter came
for the girl from the lover | handed 1t
In, not seeing the recipient. After that
l delivered several letters at intervals
of five or six days, and knew the cor
respondence was on again. In a few
weeks more when | whistled at the
house Of my little girl she opened the
door herself and snatched her letter
with some of her old eagerness.
1T was about three months after
this that I was tipped to carry a big
bundle Of wedding cards to the post.
Office. They were given me by the girl
herself. braced up and made bold to
say to her:
1--we delivered letters to you for
years, and you know how much inter-
ested I've been In you. Won't you tell
me what came between you and your
lover?'
"'You've been very lovely to me ever
since | was child, so I'm going to tell
you. 1t was all his fault. In one of
bis letters he spoke of my beautiful
gray eyes. My eyes are blue. That
started 1t, and 1t went on till he wrote
horrid things to me-
when they were about to be mar