Show I I I By IRIS t In the town where I grew up the United States Government wasn't wasn't much In evidence We barely remembered we had one Stuck tuck off in one corner of the state like we were but we did have the Post Office It was an unpretentious little brick building fronted by a wide wooden sidewalk gray and sliver slivery silvery y with age The bull building ding had two plate glass windows the only I ones in town Across one of them US Post Office had been painted In gilt letters but long before I grew old I enough to notice time and small children had nearly obliterated obliterated the them m. m I THE POST OFFICE WAS ONE of the towns town's principal gathering spots Actually this was due more to necessity than to conviviality If the natives wanted their mail they went to the Post Office and got it Mostly this task fell to the children Every day about 11 am a.m. roads and weather permitting the mail truck wheeled into town As soon as the sacks were dropped off the General Delivery window in the Post Office was closed and it stayed closed while the mail was sorted and distributed I to the letter boxes Nearly all the families had one although few General because they I a preferred Delivery possibly I were planning to leave town in 15 or 20 years and didn't want twant to feel tied down I SINCE THERE WERE SEVEN children in my family we took turns going for the mail That is we took turns after a fashion Actually the one who beat all the other kids to the Post Office picked up the mail Once in awhile I was fast enough or sneaky enough to get there first I enjoyed my urn urn rn Our box was near the wall so I was able to stand away if from om the center of the crowded little room which room which always smelled of wet wool and old paper paper and and stand with my ear close j to the box If I heard the plop of a piece of mail being thrust inside I would twirl the top and bottom dials take out the letter and put my eye up to the open box I loved to peek i into the inner room It was an unknown place where only the Postmaster and his assistant were allowed to go When I was Lvery little I thought strange and mysterious rites were performed in there When I grew older and found out more of f the ways of government I KNEW it was a place where strange and mysterious rites were performed i Since most of the families in town had children to pick up their mail very few adults showed up at delivery time A Afew Afew Afew few however like Miss l he town spinster spinster or or Old Man Beesley who was the town misfit came every day Miss Maude came because she spent much time writing letters of complaint from which she expected replies and Old Man Beesley came for the trip In thirty-odd thirty years hed he'd never been seen to receive a piece of mail but this didn't stop him himI I from appearing at the Post Office every day which at least proved hope doth loth ind indeed spring eternal r r MISS MAUDE TOOK EXCEPTION to the children who cluttered the Post Office waiting room Every day She never failed to be disagreeably surprised to see all of us sand and she made her way through to her box laying about her with an umbrella at a great rate She always managed to fetch fetchI I Old Man VYan Beesley a good ono one to the side of the head while she sheI I was about it 0 One ne day dasy he had asked her to marry him and she never ever forgave him for it o That Post Office has been torn down now and a steel and concrete one erected in its place but I wouldn't go there to wait for the mail even if the Postmaster would let me It has no heart i 1 I I. I |