ing this book of literary curiosities, Mr
Bright took occasion to comment with pardonable pride on the working of
the Post-Office.

"You see, ma'am," he said, "we do our best for the public--though many
of 'em have no idea of it. We don't send letters to the Returned Letter
Branch till we've tried, as you see, to get the correct addresses, and
until two separate letter-carriers have attempted to deliver them.
After leaving the letter-carriers' hands, the address of every
undelivered letter, and the indorsement it bears, are carefully examined
by a superior officer, who is held responsible for discovering any wrong
treatment it may have undergone, and for having recourse to any further
available means of finding the owner. It is considered better that the
sender of a letter should know as soon as possible of its non-delivery,
than that it should travel about with little prospect of its owner being
found. We therefore send it to the Returned Branch without further
delay, where it is carefully examined by a superior officer, to see that
it has actually been presented as addressed, and that the reasons
assigned for its non-delivery are sufficient. In doubtful cases the
Directories and other books of reference in the branch are consulted,
and should it be found that there has been any oversight or neglect, the
letter is immediately re-issued. After all has been done that can be to
deliver such letters, they are opened, and returned the same day to the
senders. If valuables are enclosed, the address and contents are
recorded in case of inquiry. When senders fail to give their addresses,
sometimes these are discovered by bills of exchange, cheques, or
money-orders, which happen to be enclosed. When addresses of senders
can be discovered by information on the outside of covers, the letters
are returned without passing through the Returned Letter Branch, and are
not opened. When all efforts have failed, and the letters do not
contain property, they are not preserved."

"Do many letters come into the Returned Letter Offices in this way?"
asked Miss Lillycrop.

"Ay; over the whole kingdom, including the letters sent direct to the
senders last year, there were above four millions eight hundred
thousand, and of these we managed to return nine-tenths to the writers,
or re-issued them to corrected addresses."

"Oh, indeed!" said Miss Lillycrop, utterly bewildered.

"A large proportion of the letters passing through this