Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
297
Long
before
the
ordinary
workmen
in
our
towns
are
summoned
from
their
repose,
the
Post-Office
work
in
the
provinces
may
be
said
to
commence
by
the
mail-cart
clattering
through
the
now
silent
streets
to
the
railway
station,
there
to
await
the
arrival
of
the
first
and
principal
mail,
and
its
first
daily
instalment
of
bags.
At
the
given
time,
and
only
(even
in
the
depth
of
winter)
very
occasionally
late,
the
train
emerges
out
of
the
darkness,
its
two
shining
lamps
in
front,
into
the
silent
and
almost
empty
station.
The
process
described
in
our
account
of
the
travelling
post-office
is
here
gone
through;
a
rapid
exchange
of
bags
is
made,
and
each
interest
goes
its
separate
and
hurried
way.
During
the
interval,
and
just
before
the
mail-cart
deposits
its
contents
at
the
door
of
the
post-office,
the
clerks
and
letter-carriers
will
have
been
roused
from
their
beds,
and
somewhat
sulkily,
perhaps,
have
found
their
places
in
time.
They
look
sleepy
and
dull,
but
this
is
excusable;
the
hour
is
a
drowsy
one,
and
half
the
world
is
dozing.
The
well-known
sound
of
the
mail-cart
breaks
the
spell,
however,
and
soon
they
are
all
thoroughly
alive,
nay,
even
interested,
in
the
duties
in
which
they
are
engaged.
The
bags
just
arrived
are
immediately
seized
by
one
of
their
number,
who
hurriedly
cuts
their
throats,
and
then
empties
the
contents
upon
the
huge
table
in
a
great
heap:
somewhere
in
the
heap
our
letter
is
safely
deposited.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
