The post office and its story an interesting account of the activities of a great government department

Another lady, Mrs. Jane Wort of Overton, Hampshire, was left a widow in 1876 with a stepson, when she was forty-six years old, and then took up the duties of postwoman. Her daily round was from 16 to 17 miles a day, and she maintained this for over thirty years. Only twice during these years had she been off duty, both absences being due to sprains to hands and ankles, which were caused by falls in slippery weather when going her rounds. The records of the postmen are full of similar instances of hard work and long distances covered, and I have mentioned the ladies in particular because they are in the minority, and are presumed to be the weaker sex. It is, however, not everybody who thrives under this regular and exhausting labour. “Well, Mrs. Biggs,” said a district visitor to one of her parishioners, “I am sorry your husband is poorly: I think a little exercise would do him good.” And Mrs. Biggs answered sadly, “I'm afraid it's done him 'arm, mum; he's been a letter carrier now for twenty years.” By Permission of Messrs. Martin Pirie. A COUNTRY POSTWOMAN. This is a portrait of Jane Wort, a postwoman of Overton, Hampshire. For nineteen years her daily round amounted to from sixteen to seventeen miles a day. When she was over seventy years of age her round was reduced to eight miles a day. For nearly thirty years she had never been off duty. At a farewell dinner given to Prince Ranjitsinhji in 1908 a letter was read out from Mr. Buckmaster, K.C., in which were related the triumphs of a village postman. He said: “I envy you the pleasure of the evening, and I sincerely wish that it were possible for me to be present. The last time I had the honour of meeting his Highness was at a village cricket match fifteen years ago. The occasion will always be memorable in the annals of country cricket, for he was bowled by the village postman for nineteen runs. He never knew that the postman had been put into careful training for the performance for weeks, and that he had been driven all round his district so as to avoid the exhaustion of his energies by long walking or too long lingering in the hospitable kitchens of the country.”