Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-28
The Romance Of Benny Postage.

1t is strange, but trhe. says writer
in the New York Post. that a love affair
should have developed the present sys.
tenn of postage stamps. But y. love
rules the camp, the court, the bar"
and why not the post office Sir Row
land Hill, whose death was announced
last week, when on one Of his philan-
thropic and discovery tours through
England, stopped one evening at
north country inn. While sitting with
other travellers warming himself at the
kitchen fire, the postman brought in
the mail. Among other, persons who
received letter was kitchen lassie.
She took the letter from the carrier,
turned it over and over in her hands,
looking wistfully at it all the time, and
at last handed it back to the postman,
remarking: ~ have no money to pay
The postage on q letter from India"
Rowland Hill stepped forward and
said: ~ will pay the postage rather
than have you deprived Of the pleasure
OF letter." and handed her the re-
Quired sum, which she received with
evident gratitude and surprise. After
she left the kitchen another traveller
said; "That is her game she knew
all that was in that letter from certain
marks on tho outside. It was from o
sweetheart in India, and before he went
off they agreed upon some signs by
which she was to learn il he was we'll,
prosperous, and when coming home
and when letter is brought to her she
examines the outside and knows all she
wants to, but makes that excuse in re-
turning it." Mr.. Hill went in search
of the girl, and by adroit questioning
found his fellow travellers guess to be
correct. The girl also showed him
how she deciphered the signs, telling
him at the same time that she was too
poor to pay the postage, and that was
the reason that she and her lover had
agreed upon this plan. From these
facts Mr.. Hill inferred that the govern
ment must annually be defrauded by
such articles of large sums, and he
began planning a system of stamps
which would secure to tho government
certain postal revenue. The present
postal system is the result.
FoRErHouauT.. = Young man, save
some of your strength tor old age. 1G
is curious. but true, that bottle OF
champagne at twenty may intensity the
rheumatism of three Score. It is q
fact, that overtasking the eyes at four.
teen may inecessitate the aid OF specta-
cles Of forty, instead Of eighty. p. We
advise our young readers TO- be saving
Of health for their old age, for the
maxim: holds good with regard to health
a. to money4waste not, want not. It
is the greatest mistake to suppose that
any violation of the laws of health can
escape its penalty. .Nsture forgivesf no
sin, no error. She let's off the offender
for ifty years sometimes, but. she
datches him Of last, and inHicts tho
punishment Just. when, Just, where,
just how he feels It the most, Save
health as we'll as money. J t'"' >"
, ~ D. : .-------->-e--L-A-'ii i1'tU Pi'i
"A TOUCHING INcIDENT.-+A noblemau,
who died few years since, had o chest
al locked, up, but marked, :. To. be re- :
moved first in case Of fire." When he,
died, his friends opened that chest,
supposing of course that valuable docu-
ments or deeds OF property, rich jew
elry or costly plate would be found in
It. But what did they find a? They