Year: 1875




You see, the people at the post-offce soon
recognize faces and names, and after man
or woman has appeared at the general de-
livery window three or four times they are
pretty well known. 1t is a real pleasure to
hand out letters 10 some, while the clerks
care little for the calls of others to get hold
of their epstles.


One day, year or two ago, funny-look-
ing, little old woman, wearing faded gar
ments, but having a tidy look and a moth
erly 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 unleamed boy directed the en-
velope. There was little d " in Detroit"
with a big y" to end the word, and it
seemed wonderful that the letter ever reached
its destination.


The old lady felt 50 good that, tears in her
eyes and yet trying hard to smile, she put
her head into the window and said


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


The lady delivery clerk rose up TO look af-
ter the old woman, and when second letter
came she was looking and watching for
"mother whole day before the letter was
passed out.


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


d hope so, too" added the clerk, and af-
ter that the two were friends


Sometimes the letters were far between,
and when the old lady 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, aud Just as
regularly She came to post AN answer She
wrote 10 quaint old hand, but the boy
could make out every word, and once, when
he wrote that her writing was improving,
she felt all the pride which a schoolgirl
could have shoS Sn He improved as well
BY and by he wrote Detroit" plain and
fair, and he took extra pains 10 commence



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
post-oftice, 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 home
for a 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 first of all. Everybody 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 kind words boy can have, the better
he will seek to do.


There was no letter the next Tuesday, but
the two excused its absence by saving that
Dan was getting ready to come home. That
was early in February, and he was to come
home about the first Of March. The next
Tuesday there was a letter, but the hand
writing was not little Dams. 1t was a strange,
business hand, and the clerk felt cold chill
go over her as she turned it over. 1t might
be good news, but she feared not. Mother
came i'll at the regular hour, and she turned
pale as she took the envelope. Her fingers
trembled as she opened it, and she had to
wipe the mist out OF her eyes before she could
decipher 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 and took
her hoIne, the letter clasped in her stiff flu
gers, and though she came out of the faint
after while, her heart was broken, and in
week she was i'll her grave.


Dan was dead The letter said that he
had been taken suddenly ill., and that moth
ing could save him. The blow was too
heavy for one with her gray hair and childish
heart, and her little cottage is without
tenant.


No more letters commencing Dear
mother, come from the dead and the tremb-
ling hands which used to linger fondly over
the words; "My dear boy, Dam" are folded
over lifeless breast, there TO rest till the an
gels unclasp them.