The Old Folks' Party.

their tastes , and feelings that is marked in children . The reason they thought to be that the interests of age have contracted to about the same scope as those of childhood before it has expanded into maturity . The skein of life is drawn together to a point at the tAvo ends and spread out in the

middle . Middle age is the period of most diversity , Avhen individuality is most pronounced . The members of the club observed with astonishment that , however affectionatel y Ave may regard old persons , Ave no more think of becoming like them

than of becoming negroes . If Ave catch ourselves observing their senile peculiarities , it is in a purely disinterested manner , Avith a complete and genuine lack of any personal concern as Avith a state to which Ave are coining .

They could not help wondering if Henry Avere not ri ght about people never really groAving old , but just changing from one personality to another . They found the strange inability of one epoch to understand or appreciate the others , hard to

reconcile Avith the ordinary notion of a persistent identity . Before the end of the Aveek the occupation of their minds Avith the subject of old age produced a singular effect . They began to regard every eA'ent aud feeling from a

double stand point , as present and as past , as it appeared to them and as it would appear to an old person . ( To be continued )

Benefit Mankind.

BENEFIT MANKIND .

Oh ! Avhen on earth Ave ' ve lived our transient day , And clay has mingled with its native clay , Some small memorial may we leave behind That we haA'e sought to benefit mankind . ' Oh ! Ave cause to flow little Avell

may some A blessed spring , within life ' s narrow dell , ' Whose waves may gladden the then sterile ground , The world leave better than the world Ave found . J . J . BRIGGS .

Curiosities Of The Post Office.

CURIOSITIES OF THE POST OFFICE .

THE most interesting aud energetic public office of the United Kingdom is the Post Office . Dealing , as it does , with all classes of the community , its experience is immense , and the strange fancies , feelings , and desires brought to light throug h its

working are most astounding . The public neither have mercy nor justice Avith regard to the Avorking of this institution . It is treated as a scavenger , a furniture remoA'er , a general delivery company , in factthere is scarcely a

mun-, dane thing it Avill not essay to pass through the portals of this establishment . Limbs for dissection are constantly detected b y the smell en passage , but live animals find their Avay daily , sometimes much to the terror or disgust of the poor postman .

For instance , it is not an uncommon occurence for him to find that a case of leeches has come undone , much to the detriment of his own person . The commercial community have taken possession of the parcel post for the circulation of samples , such as tea , coffee , hops , Avatches , in fact , eA'ery conceivable thing under the postal Aveight enters the maw of the Post Office . Durine

the last year a whole Noah ' s Ark of animals , live and dead , Avere stopped in their passage through the post . Among these Avere a horned frog ( alive ) , a stag beetle , white mice , and snails ( alive ) , Avhilst a dead OAVI , kingfisher , and a cat ,

were also detected and stopped , If , however , the public send more disagreeable things than they did of old , it has not so much adA'antage as they had , Avhen a celebrated director of the posts was discharged for the reason that he no longer

allowed band-boxes to be carried by the penny post . Imagine a postman having , in addition to his usual letters , to carry a dozen band-boxes up to Highgate ! But considering that Ave are a careful people , the most astonishing instances are

yielded by the annual reports of the manner in which valuables of every description are either misdirected or carelessly enclosed in letters . Bank post bills to the amount of three millions a year are found in the Dead Letter Office . Only last year a letter Avithout any address Avas found to contain more than , £ 2 , 000 in bank notes , and a registered letter Avas