The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance

At the Stamp-counter. A man who can stand at the stamp-counter and serve the public without fear and without reproach, must needs be possessed of a highly sweetened temper. What with the impatient demands of some, the unreasonable demurs of others, the tiresome iteration of questions propounded by the eccentric, and the attention required to be given to the Mrs Browns of society, not to mention the irritating remarks at times of the inconsiderate, the position behind the counter is one which calls for self-control and a large share of good-nature. The sort of thing that has to be endured at the hands of "Perfect woman, nobly planned, To warn, to comfort, and command," when she chooses to lay siege to the stamp-window, is thus described by an American writer, and the description is not to any great extent an exaggeration (if it be so at all) of experiences which are had in our own country in this particular direction:-- "Just about eleven o'clock yesterday forenoon there were thirteen men and one woman at the stamp-window of the Post-office. Most of the men had letters to post on the eastern trains. The woman had something tied up in a blue match-box. She got there first, and she held her position with her head in the window and both elbows on the shelf. "'Is there such a place in this country as Cleveland?' she began. "'Oh yes.' "'Do you send mail there?' "'Yes.' "'Well, a woman living next door asked me to mail this box for her. I guess it's directed all right. She said it ought to go for a cent.'