Chichester } Cambridge } Unknown. Rye } Brighton } The letters were first of all sorted; then they were weighed, and their proper amount of postage marked on them; they were counted, packed in boxes for the different towns, and an account kept of their number; they were then put in bags, which were sealed, and given in charge of the mail guard. Postage was heavy in those days. Take the charges for 1810: _d._ From any Post Office in England or Wales to any place not exceeding 15 miles from such Office 4 For any distance above 15 miles, and not exceeding 30 miles 5 ” 30 ” ” 50 ” 6 ” 50 ” ” 80 ” 7 ” 80 ” ” 120 ” 8 ” 120 ” ” 170 ” 9 ” 170 ” ” 230 ” 10 ” 230 ” ” 300 ” 11 ” 300 ” ” 400 ” 12 And so on in proportion, 1_d._ for every additional 100 miles. London, at this time, was not beautiful. Apart from the public buildings, its 160,000 houses (the number estimated in 1804) were not lovely to look upon. Utilitarian they were, to a degree—long rows of brick-built tenements, with oblong holes for windows. There was no attempt at architecture: that had gone out with the first George; and, during the first half of this century, domestic architecture in this country was at its lowest possible ebb. Just fancy! in the first decade, Baker Street was considered “perhaps the handsomest street in London.” Can condemnation go further? All the houses were the same pattern, varied only by the height of the rooms, and the number of stories, which were mostly three, and very rarely exceeded four. There was the front parlour, and the back parlour, a wretched narrow passage, or hall, with a flight of stairs leading to the drawing-rooms. In the basement were the kitchen and scullery. [Illustration: TALES OF WONDER.]