The Republican journal., 1882-08-10

deliver? The government becomes its
own mail burglar, tilches the property of
its citizens"
''But surely the cases must be rare,
began the Englishman.
"Rare" exclaimed Mr.. Calyerly; ''it
you will step into my office | will show
you the large volume of cases | am col
lecting, not merely from my own family 's
experience, but from business cOrreSpon
dents. 1t was only yesterday letter
turned up for me from the District Of Co
lumba. Two days before, We had re
ceived a notification Of letter for Cal
verify 4 CO. awaiting sufficient payment
at Washington. We sent on the three
cent stamp. and recovered the letter too
late lost $4,000 because an idiot in
New York, a fortnight ago, took up a
two-cent stamp by mistake for a three
cent one | would willingly have paid
what the government considered due.
the six cents for Washington, for exam
pie, plus the original two-cent stamp
But do not see that it has a right to de
mand a sacrifice of $1,000 on account Of
an idiot clerk whom did not appoint"
''lou ought to say, papa, put III Clara,
'thdt the same mistake has been made in
| your own office"
oh, es, there are idiots everywhere, "
allowed Mr.. Calverly, ''and the govern
ment is very considerate towards them.
| The fact that have them i'll my own of
4 flee, where kept such careful oversight,
4 shows the necessity Of change of law.
My own oversight benefits other people
more than myself. Last year. | estab-
! lished the law that only three cent
stamps, or over, should be used in nv
office. No red stamps We're permitted"
| That was an extensive reform, said
Mr.. Bradshaw
"ln more ways than one" exclaimed
! Mr.. CaIyerIy, Fit cost one Of my sons Il
position. He applied for place in the
office of an old friend: written applica-
/ tions We're refused. Jack did not get the
place. | don't often see my friend, but
met him not long atterWard and asked
how it was he overlooked my boy. An,
! | remember he said, an admirable let
ter he wrote, admirable, and your re-
/ communication would have carried the
/ day, but will tell you, your boy stamp
ed his letter with a green stamp, when Il
two cent stamp would have answered.
| That looked eXtraNagant to me. couId
not afford such Il thing. | have to he
more economical Oh stamps in my Of
flce.' we were both too busy to explain,
and, indeed, it was too late
"lhe way | manage, sad Mr. lrcton
an Old family friend, II happen to have d
TREND at court a clerk i'll the post-o'tlce
who happens to have been in my employ
ment formerly, and ne knows our hand
writing, my sen Louis ana mlnc, and he
sends back to us some OF those letters
red stamped, by mistake.
II am gong to MeNlco sad Mr Cal-
verify, Il suppose there are no mail prN-
llegeS at all there Every mail IS prob
ably examined by brlgandS. J should
like that better. should not expect
anything by mail should gather my
family about me, ana ask for nothing
from outside
Mir. Bradshaw looked at Clara and
Mrs. Calverly, questioningly. ">urelN,
Mr. Calverly IS not serlouS!' he asked.
~ ou ladies d0 not sNmpathlZe with
him."
81 am one OF the sufferers, at this Very
moment, Mrs. Calyerly answered. "My
slster-ln- law wrote me a note It week
ago, telling me that could take her
DAY, at Madame Leonle'S, IN her place, 4
great boon, (ior she IS 4 dressmaker
sought tor Ivy eNerNhodY.) My own had
, disappointed me, (She Is down with
typhold lever, my dressmakel - never
| got the note, but yesterday had mlsslEt
from Washington, stating that 4 letter
addressed to Inc was awaiting a green
stamp. suppose it was my sisters
note, saw her (too late) afterwards, and
she remembered that she meant to have
mailed 1t at the Albany station, but forgot
II: She was gong oul TO dIne with q
lIlehd III brookllne, ana without thinking,
slpped 1t INTO the p0stottlce BOX there,
winch Is very handy ID the station. but
postage from there IS three cents per hall
ounce. 80 | nave lost my black velvet
s0lt TINS winter, Tor Madame Leone has
not another day
Mr. bradshaw could not help smiling.
'lt seems amusing toNou, said Clara,
"but assure you, we all take up papa's
mania, and each one OF US have our little
grievances You would, doubtless, llnd
his book very entertaining, but tragic"
By tins time, the party had adjourned
from the dining room, but Mrs. CaIycrly
ana cara continued to tel leases,
"Ihere IS Mrs. Prince, airlend OF Clara's
she lives at ENton Mills, p said Mrs. Calvcr-
~, introducing 1lSnd, ''and the amount
she has to suffer IS absurd, EXton Mills
is Just on the edge OF Dorchester, but the
postol1lce is IN Milton, and everybody
thinks they are IN Dorchester, which is q
part OF Boston now, and red stamps would
answer there, and there's q regular flow
OF letters to and from Washington"
81 know it, said Mrs. Bruce, ''this
very last week, a breakfast cap, sent for
a birthday present, came tumbling in
from the District OF Columbia, having
travelled back and forth, waiting for its
green stamps: the birthday was over
long ago, the cap came tumbllng and
tumb'ed," said Mrs. CalVcrlg, "thcre was
not much left of it."
Mr.. Bradshaw still failed to see any
thing but the humorous side of it. Louis
lreton came in, the son OF the ''family
TREND" When he was not there at din
nar ne 1Su4IlV did rOlpp in tho ayaDintr