The Rambles of an Idler 



concluded it was not neglect of thine in not 

 writing, but that of the postmaster in not send- 

 ing any letters to Newark before the mail there 

 closed, which we hear is often the case." Post- 

 masters took the world easy then, even if it did 

 disturb others somewhat, on rare occasions. 

 What a rumpus is kicked up, now, if a letter is 

 delayed! Surely we do things better in these 

 advanced days. No one gets up before break- 

 fast to get a letter. It is left at his door. All 

 true, but here is another letter, from which I 

 extract: "There was wild confusion in the 

 middle of the night on fourth day last, the dogs 

 barking furiously, and then we had Washington 

 — ^not the General — shouting like mad. We 

 were all quickly astir, and father and brother 

 John were out, half-clad, in response to Wash- 

 ington's call for help. I got there, too, some- 

 how, and such a sight ! A wild-cat had squeezed 

 its way into the spring-house and the dog kept 

 it from escaping. Such a sight, I say, but fun- 

 niest of all, Washington had put one foot en- 

 tirely through a milk pan, and, it being pretty 

 dark, he was kicking at it with his free foot as 

 frantically as if the cat its,elf was fastened to 

 his leg. Poor Nero suffered from the beast's 



280 



