on which realises some hundreds of pounds. One
year's sale of lost-luggage on the Grand National Trunk Railway amounted
to 500 pounds! and this was not more than an average year's sale. Every
possible effort is of course made to restore lost-luggage before such a
sale takes place. In the first place, everything bearing a name and
address is returned at once to the owner, but of course there are
multitudes of small articles which have neither name nor address. Such
of these as are locked or tied up are suffered to remain for a short
time in an office, where they may be readily reclaimed; but if not
claimed soon they are opened, and if addresses are found inside are sent
to their owners. In the event of no addresses being found they are
retained for a year, then advertised for sale by public auction, and the
proceeds go to reduce that large sum--perhaps 16,000 poundss or more--
which the company has to pay annually as compensation for lost and
damaged goods. On one railway where the lost-luggage was allowed to lie
a considerable time before being examined a singular case occurred. A
hat-box was opened and found to contain Bank of England notes to the
amount of 65 pounds, with two letters, which led to its being restored
to its owner after having lain for more than a year. The owner had been
so positive that he had left the hat-box at a hotel that he had made no
inquiry for it at the railway office.

A sale-catalogue of left and unclaimed property on one of our chief
railways, which now lies before us, presents some curious "lots." Here
are some of them: 70 walking-sticks, 30 silk umbrellas, and there are
eleven similar lots, besides innumerable parasols--50 muffs and boas--a
crate containing 140 billycocks and hats--24 looking-glasses--160
packets of cloth buttons--15 frying-pans and 18 ploughshares--3 butter
machines--2 gas-meters, 2 shovels, and a pair of spectacles--a box of
sanitary powder and a 15-horse power horizontal steam-engine! How some
of these things, especially the last, could come to be lost at all, is a
mystery which we have been quite unable to fathom. Of these lots the
catalogue contains 404, and the sale was to occupy two days.

After having failed to obtain any information as to the missing brown
paper parcel, Mrs Durby felt so overwhelmed with distress and shame
that she took the whole matter into serious consideration, and,
resolving to forego her visit to her brother, returned straight to