6th September, 1886. 
      MARTIN ROSE AND CO.,
          Liverpool. 
    Remittance, L10 19s. 2d.

Do not, however, crowd these particulars together, as has been done here for convenience in printing; leave a considerable space between the first and second, and the third and fourth lines.  When letters are folded and docketed they should be tied up in the order of their dates, or put away in pigeon holes under the different letters of the alphabet.  One can never tell when it may be necessary to refer to old letters on matters of business, so it is prudent to keep them all.  Doing so and turning them over occasionally is also useful for giving us a humble opinion of ourselves; we see by the light of additional experience how we might often have managed things much better than we did.

Besides letters and postcards, telegrams furnish another means of communication.  For a telegram sent to any place in the United Kingdom, the charge is sixpence for the first twelve words, and a halfpenny for every word after the first twelve.  Addresses are charged for, so a sixpennyworth of telegraphing does not represent a long message, but by ingenuity—­and a business woman is nothing without ingenuity—­a few words may be made to mean a great deal.  The cost of a reply to a telegram may be prepaid.

About the newspaper post, the book post, and the parcel post, not much need be said.  Always be careful about wrappers.  A great many newspapers and books escape from their wrappers every day, and land in the returned letter office.  In sending parcels the packing is often a weak point; it is not so much that people are either handless or stupid, they are just thoughtless.  “It must be borne in mind,” says the Postmaster-General, “although, of course, every care will be taken by the officers, that a parcel with fragile or perishable contents must be several times handled before it reaches its destination, and will probably have to be packed with many others of a different kind and shape, or more weighty and bulky.  Eggs, butter, and fruit, especially delicate fruit, such as grapes and peaches, should be placed in strong boxes and so placed as not to shift.  Fresh flowers should be carefully packed in strong boxes; but cardboard boxes should not be used for the purpose, as they are often reduced to pulp by the moisture which exudes from the contents.  Fish or game should be carefully packed in strong boxes, or hampers, or in perforated boxes.”

Remember that some things are forbidden to be sent by post—­live animals, for instance.  This prohibition is very little regarded by some people.  Last year, in Dublin alone, two hens, eight mice, and two hedgehogs were stopped on their way through the post.  One of the hens which was addressed to a veterinary surgeon in London, was in bad health, and though carefully attended to, died in the office.  The rest of the animals were given up alive to the senders.