SPLENDID GIRLS WHO DARE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 589, 18 August 1909, Page 3

SPLENDID GIRLS WHO DARE.

: - THE GOUNTRY- POSTMISTRESS. - - ■ , •';•', (By Jenny When:) ■■ ' . : . 'The ;giri- who. secures a position under the Government as a .postmistress' must be; prepa.red',tp meet .with, many Varied experiences, both', in' connection' with her work and with her places of residence. Sho may, if.3lle.be luckyj'.haye. charge of an.. office in a town where- ; her "friends may' all round her, and .lyhere'jintefests with"'.w.hich to fill her hours when off, , duty arc plentiful. On the. otherhand, '.she'may.bd sent away ; back.into some tiny remote-township—a township consisting, of .perhaps, a" store,, a .smithy, : a couple ,oi hotels,.a'school-niaybo, and a few small-cot-itages'. scattered/about, at wide intervale— hardly- an ■e'xljilarktin'g'proEpect. - Still.thore are : few Madrilanders wlio.-do not ma'nago to get'a .very, fair share of. enjoymenj..-out -of. Efe, -no matter, v/hat the.. conditions, are. 'Poriiapsj'.-on'e' would/hardly'hanker after ,tbo experience''of'orio girl \vbo; when sent to a 'place' ; very'inland .indeed,-found'that it was' ' almost entirely; cut off. from all outside" communication during , the , , winter. She only jjot'" there -'after .maiiy- hours of; -cold,'; weary,-rid-' ing .through' 'endless, miles' of mud, , . w.liero .every'.footstep : of-' hei 'steed' threatened 'to leave .them both-- for ever .plahte'd /in-- Hip slou'i*h;.of despqrid." • All her- 'household- belongings,l''which 'had ; -trt, bejlimited in nunil»r, and luggage!;generally,- followed 'on, ~_a pabkhorse"behind; .No' store -was near, and oiice-a .week 'groceries'"and'supplies had to bo ! sent to her ; on packhorses. Great was the anxiety felt if they did not.appear'in ,due time.;" ■ . •'• '.- /-' " ';■ ;,.; .' .'• .;. '.' ■In a gbod-.ma'ny' of-the;' country.; post, of? Sees .there' are now. three or four; rooms added'on, where the lady in charge lives her independent '."bachelor" existence, often I quite :by herself, and far'top busy'/to'-fcel nny 'Jo'nelinossr From.■''eight- to' five.'she.-is usually oh-duty, aiid .'then .back again in tho ereuing till about' "eiglit;"-Much, ;• however, depends upon whether ' there arc • coaches ; running, as they usually have a , heartbreaking habit'of.starting,at most unearthly, ,: hours ;in the morning, and,'of course, the ' mail must be.-'rea.dj , for them to takeaway;, j Soriiolipw,'.till one-has scon the nad reality one's will insist on picturing tho coach/.'ithat-'carries.-; his,■; Majesty's, ■~mails-'l a s, a ' dashiug, sensational affair,, with a team of mßttlesome,; ..freakishly-disposed horses. Never;:docs 'imagination;have α-grcater fall! The reality usually ■consists; of" a'boiit, '.four very spare, resiped-lookins' steeds, 'the, expression on ;tlieir-' faces telling of ah utter weariness and disgust at the rapacity, . unkindness, and stupidity of man. "Kismet,: who can.fight,against it?",they almost say..:v : - ; ■' ■ ''■''• '■ .■ ' ■ :■"■ ■"'■ ■'■ ' If■ • the ■-. amount' of iwork justifies it,, the postmistress "will-have a .messenger boy, who" makes, himself/.generally useful—sweeping out ~the office, delivering . telegrams,: and so on;,if,it does.not, sho.hajs .ev"erj#.ing.tp,.do bo'rsclf,, even to.- pL.the telcgr.ihiG to- pepplo -who.'arc.near at' hand.- If they are sent'- to. people'who live GPme distnnco away.ptlier.ir.eans.have to bo taken forthcir' delivery!.,- Country (people,, got , nearly.all tlin weekly papers'.that arc. 'published, and on tlm days that they are due there h, of ..course, ah extra, heavy,!mail, tp sort the 'day/'the 'postmistress is kept busy with' telegrams,', attending to people; who; call: for their letters, or ■ for stamps, or who wish to place money in-tbo Sayings:Baiik.' ;There-is ofte.n'; a. telephone-buredu to-see well. AltojTctber 'she comes into contact with many people,' and.'sees "many types, ' from the ■ farmer.arid the;-man about the town-to ths shepherd from "away back," in. for his treasured: mail. Strauge little . glimpses'of ;humaii' : nature and' ; history 'are given; arid iriuch'-is trusted to ' her discretion sometimes. ■•' After all,' she and her little post office are 'the-little ; nerve-threads of '_the great:system 'that linlssrthe; ■countries into : one—-even' ; shd can'feel ! the. "puke '■'.'■ oi ,thb ; world," aud tbat;, is -something.' ; ; .': .'