arelessness in makin' up parcels by handin' the
wrecks over to 'em!"

"But what sort of things are they that break loose?" asked Miss
Lillycrop.

"Oh, many sorts. Anything may break loose if it's ill packed, and, as
almost every sort of thing passes through the post, it would be
difficult to describe 'em all. Here is a list, however, that may give
you an idea of what kind of things the public sent through our mail-bags
last year. A packet of pudding, a steam-gauge, a tin of cream, a bird's
wing, a musical box, packet of snowdrops, fruit sweets, shrimps, and
sample potatoes; a dormouse, four white mice, two goldfinches, a lizard
and a blind-worm, all alive; besides cutlery, medicines, varnish,
ointments, perfumery, articles of dress; a stoat, a squirrel, fish,
leeches, frogs, beetles, caterpillars, and vegetables. Of course, many
of these, such as live animals, being prohibited articles, were stopped
and sent to the Returned Letter Office, but were restored, on
application, to the senders."

Observing Miss Lillycrop's surprised expression of face, the old woman's
curiosity was roused. "What's he haverin' aboot, my dear?" she asked of
May.

"About the many strange things that are sent through the post, Grannie."

"Ay, ay, likely enough," returned the old creature, shaking her head and
administering an unintentional cuff to the poor cat; "folk write a heap
o' lees noo-a-days, nae doot."

"You'd hardly believe it now," continued Solomon, turning the leaves of
the Report, "but it's a fact that live snakes have frequently been sent
through the post. No later than last year a snake about a yard long
managed to get out of his box in one of the night mail sorting carriages
on the London and North-Western Railway. After a good deal of confusion
and interruption to the work, it was killed. Again, a small box was
sent to the Returned Letter Office in Liverpool, which, when opened, was
found to contain eight living snakes."

"Come now, Mr Flint," said May, "you mustn't bore my cousin with the
Post-Office. You know that when you once begin on that theme there is
no stopping you."

"Very well, Miss May," returned the letter-carrier, with a modest smile,
"let's draw round the fire and talk of something else.--Hallo, Dollops!
clear away the dishes."

"But he doesn't bore me," protested Miss Lillycrop, who had the happy
knack of being intensely interested in whatever happened to interest her
friends. "I like, of all