214 ON THE TRACK OF THE MAIL-COACH 



cent. An advance at half per cent. — let alone five 

 times as much — would be the cause of considerable 

 excitement on 'Change. 



But the most artless client of the Post-Office was a 

 good W'Oman who presented herself to a postmaster in 

 Herts, and, paying down on the counter the modest 

 sum of three halfpence, demanded a postal order for 

 twenty shillings. A new light broke on the applicant 

 w^hen it was explained to her that payment of com- 

 mission alone did not complete the transaction. 



There was another postal circular, issued, I think, 

 in Mr. Fawcett's time, describing the advantages of 

 the Post-Office in all its branches, and a copy was 

 delivered at every house in the kingdom. In the 

 course of this delivery the head postman, not, how- 

 ever, at Manchester, but at Bilston, w^as asked by a 

 collier's wife, ' What's this ? Is it from the cloob ?' 

 ' No,' he replied ; ' it is a circular from the Post- 

 Office, telling you of its many advantages — cheap 

 letters, and so on.' To which the W'Oman answered : 

 ' We do waant that ; we nivver yet had a letter in our 

 lives, and we do waant to have one baad.' 



Here, by the way, once came a letter addressed : 



'Mr. White, 



' The Split Crow,' 



which w^as intended for the Spread Eagle Inn. Another 

 addressed : 



' Mr. Black, 



' The Bonk Hoss [Anghce, Pit-banlv Horse] 

 with the Hovel on his back,' 



