▁Union ▁boys ▁do ▁not ▁deliver ▁messages . ▁Some ▁of ▁them ▁are ▁law y ers , ▁writers ▁and ▁so ▁forth . ▁But ▁all ▁of ▁them ▁are ▁busy ▁doing ▁something ▁under ▁their ▁regular ▁occup ations , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁this ▁something ▁that ▁makes ▁them ▁" West ern ▁Union ▁boys ." ▁What ▁they ▁are ▁doing ▁is ▁failing , ▁mechan ically , ▁yet ▁des per ately ▁and ▁seriously , ▁they ▁are ▁failing . ▁The ▁mechanical ▁part ▁of ▁it ▁is ▁very ▁important . ▁ ▁Other ▁characteristics ▁of ▁this ▁specific ▁group ▁of ▁people ▁include ▁e ag ern ess , ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁please ▁and ▁an ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁failure , ▁which ▁at ▁times ▁leads ▁them ▁to ▁laugh ▁at ▁themselves . ▁ ▁The ▁central ▁incident ▁of ▁this ▁story ▁concerns ▁F . ▁W ins low , ▁a ▁middle - aged ▁" West ern ▁Union ▁boy " ▁who ▁feels ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁failed ▁in ▁life . ▁The ▁story ▁ends ▁with ▁his ▁d run ken ▁re collection ▁of ▁an ▁early ▁boy hood ▁failure ▁– ▁a ▁failure ▁that ▁ha un ts ▁him ▁still , ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁rec urr ing ▁night mar es . ▁As ▁a ▁boy ▁he ▁f umbled ▁an ▁easy ▁fly ▁ball ▁at ▁a ▁cru cial ▁point ▁in ▁a ▁baseball ▁game , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁was ▁ch ased ▁off ▁the ▁field ▁by ▁his ▁cousin ▁with ▁a ▁baseball ▁bat ▁in ▁his ▁hands . ▁ ▁Inter pret ation ▁and ▁links ▁to ▁West ' s ▁life ▁and ▁other ▁works ▁ ▁Like ▁many ▁of ▁West ' s ▁protagon ists , ▁"