Michael McGrath, Postmaster

"Michael McGrath, Postmaster" by Ralph Connor is a story set during a period of change, focusing on an old soldier who was once a celebrated sergeant in the army and now finds himself as the postmaster in a far-off valley village. The story looks at ideas like staying true to yourself, feeling like you belong, and the difficulties someone faces when they're cut off from the rest of the world. The main character, Ould Michael, proudly runs the local post office, showing his respect for the Union Jack. Things start to go wrong for Michael when a new post office opens at Jacob Wragge's store, causing him to lose his job and his feeling of self-worth. Overcome with sadness, he starts drinking heavily. His loyal friend, McFarquhar, tries to help him get back on his feet. The story follows Michael's rough journey as he goes from being admired to falling from grace, and finally finding peace and reclaiming his pride in a touching ending.