Q: Gmail not automatically being downloaded in MAIL

In the past 24 hours I cannot get Apple MAIL to automatically download Gmail messages.  For the past 3 years or more this has worked and in the past 13 months at my office or home location-- never a problem.

But starting about 4 pm CDT yesterday, Monday 6 Oct 2014 --- I have to QUIT the MAIL application and restart it-- and then any Gmails (in either of my accounts) that are in the IN box of Gmail will be downloaded.

But even if I manually click GET MAIL -- the accumulated Gmails will NOT download.  It is not until I quit the MAIL program and restart that all the eMails are downloaded.  NOTE:  This does not happen with eMails sent to my iCloud address  (for example abc@icloud.com) - those work perfectly!! 

AND my iPad and iPhone 5 both get the Gmails automatically --- it is just my Mac running 10.8.5 (which it has been running regularly!) which does not get the Gmails automatically.

And this just started about 24 hours ago-- I can't think of anything that I changed prior to this not working.

Very perplexed--- has something changed with Gmail?  If so-- then why does this work on my iPhone and iPad and not the Mac?  Something to do with Mountain Lion 10.8.5 suddenly too old?  Hard to imagine, my wife has a nearly 10 year old PowerBook G4 running MAIL with OS Leopard (10.5 I believe…)

Help!

Best regards,

Steve Schulte

Tuesday 7 October 2014