THE FRENCH POST-RESTANTE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 654, 30 October 1874, Page 3

THE FRENCH POST-RESTANTE.

In an article on the French Post-office the Leisure Hour says Despotic husbands, unaware of the inviolability of the postal code, have been known surreptitiously to apply for the letters of their wives. Alas ! there is but one answerMadame must come for them herself.” “Are there any!” retorts the suspicious monster, fiercely. “ That is her business,” is the laconic and unsympathising rejoinder, from which there is no appeal. An observer, who has supplied to the curious many interesting particulars of Parisian usages, has illustrated this phase of post-office management by a characteristic anecdote. “One morning,” says he, “ the employers of the bureau de la Posterestante at Paris were disturbed by the sudden entrance into the salle d’ttente of a ferocious looking individual in a state of great excitement; he was dragging behind him, rather than leading, a young woman, apparently his wife. Her dress showed she was a lady, but the ashy pallor of her face rendered it impossible to trace on it any expression but that of terror. The husband, fitmly grasping her wrist, only relaxed his hold when he had placed her before the guiohet, where in a hoarse whisper he commanded her to ask for her letters. There she stood, however, mute, and trembling, and apparently deaf to the reiterated order. The exasperated husband now pushed he>aside, and made the application himself ; the employ'd hesitated a moment, and then appearing to recollect himself, he took up the day’s letters, and having looked them through, replaced them tranquilly, as there were none for him. The gentleman mortified and more infuriated than before, drew his wife’s arm roughly through his own and strode out of the office. A couple of hours later the lady returned ; she was alone this time, but still pale, and she looked timidly round as she approached the opening. The employd, who recognised her at a glance, immediately proceeded to turn over the identical bundle he previously examined, and drawing from it a letter, handed it to the applicadt, who returned profuse thanks. “Madame,” replied he drily, “I had no choice; my duty obliges me to give a letter into no hands but those of rhe person to whom it is addressed.’’