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Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1804, 14 October 1874, Page 2

Veby Habd Lines. —Well, Kirsty, how's business ?—Middlin', mem. jisfc middlin'. Some days we dae naethin ava, an' ithers we dae twice as muckle."

The Ebjench Post-Bestante.—la an article on the French Post-office th.3 "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 bat one answer : —' Madame 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 thisphsne of post-office management by a characteristic anecdote. ' One morning,' says he, ' the employers of the bureau de' la Poste-restante 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 tracs on it any expression but that of terror. The husband, firmly grasping her wrist, only relaxed his hold when he bad placed her before the guichet, where in a hoarse whisper he commanded her to ask^ for her letters. There she stood, bowever, mute and trembling, and apparently deaf to the reiterated order.' The exasperated husband now pushed her aside, and made the application himself; the employe 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 employe, who recognised her at a glance, immediately proceeded to turn over the identical bundle he previously examined, and drawing from it a letter, banded it to the applicant, 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 the person to whom it is addressed.'"