You know what it is yourself: they clamour for food, boots--all sorts of things.

I have to prepare these little packets for sale and bring them to you to send off.

You see, you are here.

If you were not here--if there were no post-office in this town, maybe I'd have to train pigeons, or cork the thing up in a bottle, fling it into the river, and trust to luck and the Gulf Stream.

But, you being here, and calling yourself a post-office--well, it's a temptation to a fellow." I think it did good.