It is a very bittersweet story, set in California (Monterey or Salinas, I think) during World War II, about a telegraph operator, no doubt modeled after Saroyan himself, who is the first to receive news of war casualties, and his delivery boy, whose job it is to take the telegrams to the families. Neither the man nor the boy can handle the job.
The story rises above morbidity as it involves life after death and ways in which those who have died influence those still on this earth, and it blurs the distinction between this world and the next.
It is a beautiful, lovely, ethereal, and unforgettable story--but be sure to have several crates of hankies on hand. In fact, just thinking about it...
Sorry. I've gotta run grab a hankie.