The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-26


The widow took possession. and for
three months everything went all right.
Then she got to flirting with Deacon
Holdfast, who was a widower man with
step-mother. Take notice, William,
that her two children and his seven
made nine. 1t wasn't two weeks after
the Irritation began before the Deacon
was spending half his time around the
postoffice. You can easily guess what
follered. Business was neglected, the
dignity of the United States went to
grass and folks began to complain. I
guess you know how it is, William,
with a widow and widower when love
begins to bud for the second time, and
the turtle doves sit on the ridge-pole
of the roof and coo their gentle notes.
We stood it and stood ii until il had
got so that it took a letter two weeks to
come from Huckleberry Corners. only
moved. That is, we were going to
move, when the postrnistress said we
could go to thunder, and she and the
Deacon went over to 'SQuar' Latham's
and got jined. amt saying that they
haven't been happy. and that it wasn't
the best thing she could have done. If
couple with nine tow-headed yuong-
'unS cantering around can't be happy
It hafn't no fault of the United States.
When the question came up as to
who should be the next postmaster I
didn't say a word. I simply shouldered
my hoe and started for the cornfield
and the archives of Jericho will prove
that 1 was working away in q, modest
and unassuming manner when a COM
nlittee arrived and informed me that I
had been chosen by unanimous con-
sent. Unanimous consent, William.
and modest and unassuming manner.
think we are so near alike about
those things that there is a bond be-
tween Us. If you'd gone around offer
Ing to swap yoke OF oxen for the
great things you'd done and was going
to do, you'd have come out of the ma
chine all ground up My old woman
was a-Saying last night that remind
ed her of you, you reminded her of me,
and both of US reminded her of her
uncle Daniel, who was SO modest and
unassurning that he begged pardon of
a COW that kicked him.
UucIe Sam made me the postmaster
of Jericho. You can't blame me,
William, if my heart is Swelled with
pride, or if the mantle of dignity flut-
tered down on my shoulders without
delay and stayed right there. I was
keeping a grocery then. 1 at once
moved 'lasses barrels and boxes of cod
fish from the back end and fitted up
postoff1ce. I whitewashed the whole
building on the outside, and painted it
q sky-blue on the inside, and when I
opened for business I had a regular
cream of a poStoffice. There were
fSenty-four private boxes and a gen
era1 delivery, and there was times when
as many as fifty people were waiting
for the mail to be distributed They
were outside and l was inside, and
don't you make any mistake about the
dignity of the United States. 1t was
maintained with a big d..
Deacon SpoOner knowledged to me
that the change was gigantic. Henry
Davidson acknowledged that it had be-
come a pleasure to write to his brother
took me aside and said the
country had been saved. All
the prominentest men in Jericho
had word of praise and
on to new aims and ambitions. For the
first time in the history of our post
office I got So worth of stamps all at
once and the town will never forget
the morning it awoke to find the sign
of Jericho Postoffice' swinging over
the door. That sign had been painted
at my expense. For one whole day ad-
miring crowds stood in front of it and
pronounced it a lulu. Up to that date
any one wanting to find the postoffice
had been obliged to go around town
knocking on kitchen DOORS and like
enough being directed to the cider mill
or the cooper shop instead.
And the inside of the Office, William!
Lord, how a poStoffice can be run fyou
onIy have the right man at the helnI
was the right man. ! had the ambi-
ton and the dignity. Before my ad-
vent people had a sort of notion that
postoffice belonged almost to anybody
hut itwasnt a month before made EN-
understand that the United States of
North America was the sole owner and
proprietor and that as postmaster 1
represented Bunker Hill, the American
Eagle and several other ancient things
You ought to have seen the change in
the people, WiIiami Before that they
would rush in like a drove of steers.
Afterwards they stopped to wipe the
mud of their feet and entered with a
feeling of awe in their breasts same as
when you go out to the barn in the
morning ard find your old cow dead
There are grocers today keeping a
postcffice at the back of their stores
who place the grocery first. If any one
comes In for mail they try to sell 'em