Year: 1875

You see, the people at the postofice
soon recognize faces and names. and
after q man or woman has appeared at
the general-delivery window three or
four times they are pretty well known,
Il is real pleasure to hand ont letters
to some, while the clerks care little fol
the calls Of Others to get hold of their
epistles. a


One day year or two ago a funny
Looking little cid Woman, wearing faded
GARMENTS, but having tidy look and a
motherly face, appeared at the window
and asked for letter. There was one
for her, sent from a distant city, and
any one could have told that an I'M
learned boy directed the envelope.
There was little ed in Detroit,
with big "T" to end the word, and
it seemed wonderful tha6 the letter ever
reached its destination.


The old lady felt so good that, tears
in her eyes and yet trying hard to
smile, she put her head into the window
and said


"Thanksl It's from my boy Dan,
and you don't know how much good it
does me I"


The lady delivery clerk rose Up to
look after the old woman, and when a
second letter came she was looking and
watching for mother whole day
before the letter was passed out.


It's from my little Dan again"
cried the old woman as she noted the
superscription. "Hes in Buffalo,
learning trade. He's only bit of a
boy and there wasn't show for him in
Detroit, and beside he was running out
nights and going to the bad I sent
him away and he's working hard and
trying to be good, God bless my Dan
I'm lone widow with only him to love,
and | hope he'll be good !"


81 hope so, too, added the clerk and
after that the two were friends. Some
times the letters were far between,
and when the old woman would worry
over the delay, and the big tears would
fall, the lady would almost shed tears
with her. "Mother" would open her
letters at the window, and if Dan was
feeling brave. hearted and getting along
well both would rejoice, while both
would still be anxious if he complained
and was discouraged.


Almost every week for year and half
the old lady received letter, and Just
as regularly she came to post an an
swer. She wrote in quaint old hand,
but the boy could make out every word,
and once when he wrote that her writ.
ing was improving she felt all the pride
which a school girl could have shown.
He improved as well. By and by he
wrote "Detroit plain and fair, and he
took extra pains to commence his "Dear
mother" with grand flourish, and to
add something extra after the words -
"Your Son Dan"


Those letters were food and drink to |
the old lady, and she seemed to actually |
grow younger. Little Dan had many |
friends in the postoffice. and had the |
mother been i'll any carrier would have |
hunted till midnight to find her and |
hand her the looked-for letter. Three |
or four weeks ago when she opened her |
letter she wept and smiled as over the |
first. Dan wrote that he was coming |
for week, and her heart was full. She |
said she'd have the cottage looking like |
new for him, and she'd be at the depot |
to welcome him fist of all. Every body |
felt glad with her, and the lady clerk |
was to go up some evening and have tea |
with her and see little Dan and praise |
and encourage him, for the more kiud |
words boy can have the better will he |
seek to do.


There was no letter the next Tuesday, |
but the two excused its absence by say |
ing that Dan was getting ready to come |
home. That was early in February, |
and he was to come about the first of |
March. The next Tuesday there was
letter, but the handwriting was not |
little Dams. 1t was a strange, business |
hand, and the clerk felt chill go over |
her as she turned it over. 1t might |
be good news, but she feared not. |
"Mother" came in at the regular hour, |
and she turned pale as she took the |
envelope. Her fingers trembled as she
opened il, aud she had to wipe the mist
out of Eer eyes before she could de-
cipher a word. She hadn't read over
four or five lines when she uttered a
moan and sank right down, like one
crushed by some awful weight. They
lifted her up aud took her home, the !
letter clasped in her stiff fingers, and
though she came out of the faint after
a while her heart was broken, and in a
week she was in her grave.


Dan was dead The letter said that
he had been taken suddenly i'll, and
that nothing could save him. The blow
was too heavy for one with her gray
hairs and childish heart, and her little
old cottage is without tenant.


No more letters commencing "Dear
mother" come for the dead, and the |
trembling hands which used to inger |
fondly over the words My dear boy, |
DAN" are folded over lifeless breast,
there to rest till the angels unclasp
them. Detroit Free Press.