[Exim] Spool won't flush

Following on several suggestions, I tried 'exim -d9 -M xxx...xxx 2>eximoutput,
followed by a line of text and a Ctl-d. I even threw in a solo '.' Same result, the
keyboard still looks for input, I don't get the command prompt back til I hit Ctl-c

I also tried exim -bS using the script Dave C earlier posted. It sends the
output to the spool, showing the two different addresses I have in the referenced
file, but exim -M still does not flush the spool. I am doing all this from root.
Hmmm, is 'never_users = root' upset?

This leads me to suspect some error in my exim.conf file, so I post it again
here, mildly edited:

#                    MAIN CONFIGURATION SETTINGS                     #

qualify_domain = email.msn.com

local_domains = localhost

local_domains_include_host = true
local_domains_include_host_literals = true

never_users = root

host_lookup_nets = 0.0.0.0/0

sender_host_reject_relay = *

trusted_users = mail

smtp_verify = false

gecos_pattern = ^([^,:]*)
gecos_name = $1

received_header_text = "Received: \
          ${if def:sender_fullhost {from ${sender_fullhost} \
          ${if def:sender_ident {(${sender_ident})}}\n\t}\
          {${if def:sender_ident {from ${sender_ident} }}}}\
          by ${primary_hostname} \
          ${if def:received_protocol {with ${received_protocol}}} \
          (Exim ${version_number} #${compile_number} (Debian))\n\t\
          id ${message_id}"

split_spool_directory = true # dt/ 8.15.00 use when large volume

end

#                      TRANSPORTS CONFIGURATION                      #

local_delivery:
driver = appendfile
group = mail
mode = 0660
mode_fail_narrower = false
file = /var/spool/mail/${local_part}

address_pipe:
driver = pipe
return_output

address_file:
driver = appendfile

address_directory:
driver = appendfile
no_from_hack
prefix = ""
suffix = ""

address_reply:
driver = autoreply

remote_smtp:
driver = smtp

end

#                      DIRECTORS CONFIGURATION                       #

real_local:
prefix = real-
driver = localuser
transport = local_delivery

system_aliases:
driver = aliasfile
file = /etc/aliases
search_type = lsearch

userforward:
driver = forwardfile
no_verify
check_ancestor
file = .forward
modemask = 002
filter

# This director matches local user mailboxes.

localuser:
driver = localuser
transport = local_delivery

end

#                      ROUTERS CONFIGURATION                         #

smarthost:
driver = domainlist
transport = remote_smtp
route_list = "* smtp.email.msn.com bydns_a"

end

#                      RETRY CONFIGURATION                           #

# Domain               Error       Retries
# ------               -----       -------

*                      *           F,2h,15m; G,16h,2h,1.5; F,4d,8h

end

# End of Exim configuration file

David