But among these invalided articles were a few whose condition accidentally revealed attempts to contravene the postal laws. One letter which had burst completely open revealed a pill-box inside, with "Dinner Pills" on the outside. On examination, the pills turned out to be two sixpences wrapped up in a scrap of paper, on which was written--"Thought you had no money to get a stamp with, so sent you some." It is contrary to regulations to send coin by post without registering the letter. The unfortunate receiver would have to pay eightpence, as a registration fee, for this shilling! While the party was looking at the hospital work another case was discovered. A book-packet came open and revealed a letter inside. But still further, the letter was found to contain sixpence in silver, sent to defray postage when the book should be returned. Here was a double sin! No letter, or writing of the nature of a letter, is allowed to go by book post, and coin may not be sent unregistered. In this case the book would be forwarded at letter-rate, and the 8 pence registration fee would be charged for the coin--the whole amounting to 6 shillings, 6 pence. "If the public would only attend," observed Mr Bright, in commenting on these facts, "to the regulations laid down for their guidance by the Post-Office--as detailed in our Directories and Postal Guides--such errors would seldom occur, for I believe that things of this sort are the result of ignorance rather than dishonesty." "Now, ma'am," he continued, "we come to the blind officers." There were several of those gentlemen, whose title, we presume, was satirically expressive of the extraordinary sharpness of their eyes and intellects. They were seated at a table, engaged in examining addresses so illegible, so crabbed, so incomplete, and so ineffably ridiculous, that no man of ordinary mental capacity could make head or tail of them. All the principal London and Provincial Directories, Guides, and Gazetteers were ranged in front of the blind officers, to assist them in their arduous labours, and by the aid of these, and their own extensive knowledge of men and places, they managed to dispose of letters for which a stranger would think it impossible to find owners. "What would you make of that address, now?" said Mr Bright, presenting a letter to Miss Lillycrop for inspection. "It looks like Cop--Cup--no--it begins with a C at all events.--What think you of it, May?" said the puzzled lady. "It seems to me something like Captain Troller of Rittler Bunch," said May, laughing. "It is quite illegible." "Not _quite_," said one of the blind officers, with a smile. "It is-- Comptroller of the Returned Letter Branch. Some one making inquiries, no doubt, after a lost letter addressed as badly as this one."