Year: 1872




Every rose has its thorn, and it seems
that fresh terror has been added to
social existence in England by novelty
intended only to promote convenience
and economy. The ordinary postage
on letter for transit anywhere within
the British Islands is a penny. But
even this was thought by worthy
successors of Rowland Hill to be too
much. Hence an ingenious modifca-
ton has lately been introduced, and
bit of light pasteboard, about the size
of an ordinary playing-card, may now
be sent for a halfpenny. The advan-
tages of this are numerous. The saving
of expense is of course first among the
number to most people, but there is
also a saving in time and trouble, and
with missives not calling for absolute
privacy this applies to both senders and
receivers. Public appreciation quickly
showed on the advent of this innovation
that real demand had been supplied,
and postcards to an almost fabulous
extent now pass daily through the Eng
lish post Office.


Many uses for the postcard are OBJ
vious. Simple acknowledgment of re
ceipts of letters or other articles, various
forms of invitation, announcement, or
request can manifestly be transmitted
by such means as well as by any other.
On the other hand, missives of love or
war, or of delicate negotiation in gen.
eral, had clearly better be dispatched
in the old-fashioned way. The anony-
NOUS letter has always been held to be
one of the most cowardly weapons of
assault ever used among civilized be-
ings; but with such letters the sting was
limited in its application. The receiver
might suffer, but he had the option of
suffering alone. A bit of paper is easily
put in the fire, and however deep the
stab that may have been inflicted, there
is no need to show the wound. The
postcard, however, enables concealed
scoundrels to deprive their victims even
of this discretion. Gross insolence or
contemptuous epithets can now by this
means be leveled at foes 'by all who
have the cowardice to strike in such a
way, with little danger of punishment.
Delicate secrets, tit bits of scandal and
poignant insinuations, may likewise
thus be put in circulation with facility
not to be attained by the common
anonymous epistle, and character be
playfully smirched at pleasure by the
trihing outlay of a halfpenny. We
regret to observe that many such in
stances have lately occurred in London,
SO IQdny as 10 COuSllIuI0 grave OUJOC-
ton to the postcard system altogether.
The temptation to call people liars and
scoundrels in SO safe way, to accuse
them of robbing hen-roosts or murder
| ing their grandmothers, seems quite
irresistible to many ingenious souls, and
impunity has apparently brought about
something like an epidemic. That the
courts have been prompt and severe in
dealing with the offenders when they
could be reached, affords the best hope
that the infamous practice may be kept
within bounds.


| SOME young men of Fort Wayne, Ind.
went into restaurant and dined to the
amount of several dollars. One young
man proposed to pay the bill, wher
another stopped him and he proposed
to pay. The game was played by all
when it was proposed to blindfold the
waiter, and the one he caught was tC
pay the bill. While the waiter wa
cropping around the room the dead-beat
made good their escape.


The Post Office at Plato, ILL.,, is to b,