Miss Lulu Philips lived in Gloversville, a small city amid hemlock forests in the Mohawk Valley of central New York State.
Tannin from hemlocks was used to cure leather for glove-making.
In the early 20th century, 90% of leather gloves sold in the US originated in Gloversville.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloversville,_New_York
Some time ago, we saw other postcard stories related to Gloversville:
“Two Calves for Father” (1911) and, “An Angel Bears a Basket” (1909)
In September of 1913, Lulu received a humorous postcard from Henry.
Henry mailed the postcard from New York City, about 195 miles south of Gloversville.
Today, as in 1913, one could make the journey by railroad.
https://www.omio.com/trains/new-york-city/gloversville-ny-ql1w4
+ + + + + +
The face of the postcard is a drawing of five figures seated on a bench beside an enormous tree trunk.
There are two couples, engaged in intimate conversation with one another.
Between the couples, a young woman in a white shirtwaist and skirt holds a book in her lap.
The unattached gal looks up with a questioning expression.
A printed title asks, “Isn’t There Any Mail (Male) for Me”.
In case any reader might miss the pun, the Male/Mail homonym is spelled out.
The plight of single woman appears in many “comic postcards” of the early 20th Century.
The postcard was printed in the United States.
+ + + + + +
On the reverse, Henry addresses Lulu as “Dear Friend”.
Henry begins, “I am waiting for you to write”.
He adds, “Hope to hear from you soon.”
In closing, Henry identifies himself as “Friend Henry”.
The terse message may indicate that Henry and Lulu have an epistolary history and that Lulu has recently failed to uphold her end of the letter exchange.
One hopes that Lulu promptly wrote to Henry and that the friends maintained a regular correspondence.
