The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-06-08
Ry E L PIONEER

this Is not all there is in the old clothes
business. II II very easy Tor small
coins. principally ten cent pieces. to
slip through little holes. or. rather,
rips, in a vest POCKET. The first thing
I do with the clothing ] buy Is 10
search the pockets,
But the most interesting things that
get into old clothes are old letters.
Few old clothes men pay any atten-
ton to them, burning them without
reading them / always read them.
Possibly there may be something in
them to render them valuable have
found letters Of this kind that would
hive paid me well were disposed to
levy blackmail. but / am not 10 that
business
/ once bought a coat that had let
Ter in side pocket sealed and with
a stamp on It ready for mailing. The
envelope was not aoiled. The letter
had evidently been placed in the pocket
for delivery In the mail, forgotten, the
coat hung up without being worn
again and eventually sold to me with
out being examined by the seller
/ constituted myself a dead letter
Office, opened the envelope and read
the letter II was from a wife 10 her
husband, offering to make up after
quarrel She proved concluslvely
that he had been mistaken In the mat
ter be had against her, vowed that she
had always loved him and would never
love any one else. She begged him FOR
the sake Of their children to come to
her and be reconciled.
I wondered what had been the re-
suit Of the failure to mail this letter.
became interested in the poor wo-
man. who might have been suffering
from some one's carelessness. as well
as her husband and innocent children.
for there is nothing more melancholy
than the case Of a child seeing IFS
father and mother quarrel and finally
separate. X appeared likely that tho
writer must have given it to the man
who had worn the coat to mail and
he had neglected to do so. l felt that
would ike 70 wiring his neck.
1t occurred to me that. being an old
clothes man. ! had never had any OPP
portunity to do any one kindness. I
couldn't give money. because / made
only enough 70 keep the wolf from the
door. II gave to any one took away
from what my wife and children
needed. So ii occurred to me to fnd
this couple between whom the letter
should have passed and deliver 1t.
Perhaps they did not need tt; perhaps
they had been reconciled ia another
way; perhaps they had been divorced
and one or both married again. Then
the remarr1age OF 3 parent always
seems to me a far more terrible herit-
age to the children than the parents
death. The latter Is an awful bereave-
ment. but the former Is living horror.
AS the letter was but year old
hoped that ! would not be too late In
delivering It to at least save the little
ones from this last hopeless condition.
/ didn't know how to go to work to
find either OF the parties. so / went
To the postofflce and asked for advice.
The interview resulted III my writing
q note 10 the man whose letter had.
advising him Of the fact that letter
that might be Of Importance to him
had come into my possession. adj
dressed the note Ms the letter had been
addressed, and the postofice men
agreed to deliver II II the man could
be found.
Within q couple 0f weeks gentle
man came into my shop with my note
IN his hand, saying that be was the
man to whom II was written.
Have you a wife9' asked.
sNo, he answered bitterly.
aAre you divorced from wifep
Yes
"Are either yon Or your wife mar
RED again.
"No."
drew sigh Of relief and handed
him his wife's letter written year
before. He seemed much affected, not
speaking for some time after reading
1t, and saw tears standing IN bis
eyes. was curious to know what
feeling would be uppermost in his
mind. FOR he would surely give express
sion to it. This Is the first thing he
said.
It'll XII that internal fellow II
hang for ttI'
what internal feIiowgf
''The stupid idiot that was given this
letter to post
He had his eyes On the letter, but at
this point looked up at me and con-
tinued:
And now, my good man, wish to
reimburse you for any expense you
have incurred III this matter. besides
giving yon suitable reward"
There has been no expense. as to
The reward. my pleasure in having
done one act without pay IN my con-
temptible life II far greater reward
than any Won could offer Let an old
clothes man have this satisfaction,
beg OF you one thing / ask--Iet me
zee you remarked"
He went away, and the very next
lay sent me word to come to hts house
1t 8 In the afternoon. / went there
ind was the only person present be-
'ides the couple and the man who mar
led them
When the ceremony was over a door
vas opened. and in ran a happy lot
If children, who bounded into their
and mothers arms.
And T-what happy old clothes man
vas II