s around--the
schoolmaster would sometimes go the length of hinting that he could get
the postmistress dismissed any day. This mighty power seemed to rest
on a knowledge of "steamed" letters. Thrums had a high respect for the
schoolmaster; but among themselves the weavers agreed that, even if he
did write to the Government, Lizzie Harrison, the postmistress, would
refuse to transmit the letter. The more shrewd ones among us kept
friends with both parties; for, unless you could write "writ-hand," you
could not compose a letter without the schoolmaster's assistance; and,
unless Lizzie was so courteous as to send it to its destination, it
might lie--or so it was thought---much too long in the box. A letter
addressed by the schoolmaster found great disfavour in Lizzie's eyes.
You might explain to her that you had merely called in his assistance
because you were a poor hand at writing yourself, but that was held no
excuse. Some addressed their own envelopes with much labour, and
sought to palm off the whole as their handiwork. It reflects on the
postmistress somewhat that she had generally found them out by next
day, when, if in a specially vixenish mood, she did not hesitate to
upbraid them for their perfidy.

To post a letter you did not merely saunter to the post-office and drop
it into the box. The cautious correspondent first went into the shop
and explained to Lizzie how matters stood. She kept what she called a
bookseller's shop as well as the post-office; but the supply of books
corresponded exactly to the lack of demand for them, and her chief
trade was in nicknacks, from marbles and money-boxes up to concertinas.
If he found the postmistress in an amiable mood, which was only now and
then, the caller led up craftily to the object of his visit. Having
discussed the weather and the potato-disease, he explained that his
sister Mary, whom Lizzie would remember, had married a fishmonger in
Dundee. The fishmonger had lately started on himself and was doing
well. They had four children. The youngest had had a severe attack of
measles. No news had been got of Mary for twelve months; and Annie,
his other sister, who lived in Thrums, had been at him of late for not
writing. So he had written a few lines; and, in fact, he had the
letter with him. The letter was then produced, and examined by the
postmistress. If the address was in the schoolmaster's handwriting,
she professed her inability to read it. Was thi