ommodation of their customers and neighbors, just as they would
give small change for a larger piece of money with the same view. Such a
shop would lose favor by refusing to keep stamps to sell.

Each individual buys stamps for his own use, in as great or small numbers
as he pleases, always at the same rate. You keep them on your
writing-desk, along with wafers and wax. You carry a few in your wallet,
ready for use at any place. You seal your letter, and direct it, and then
attach one of these stamps, drop it into the letter-box, or send it to the
post-office, and that wonderful machinery takes it up, passes it about,
finds the owner, and delivers it into his hand, without any additional
charge. Nothing can exceed the simplicity of the process but the
perfection of its working.

As the current value of these stamps is the same in every part of the
country, and is precisely identical with that of the coin they represent,
they serve as a currency to be used in payment of small sums at a
distance. This is more useful in England than in the United States,
because there they have no bank notes of small denominations. But even in
this country, as soon as they are in general use, they will be found
vastly convenient in making small payments at a distance.

Besides the label stamps, the English post-office manufactures and sells
stamped envelopes, which will at once enclose the letter and pay the
postage. The price of the envelope is half a farthing, in addition to the
1_d._ for postage; that is, eight stamped envelopes are sold for 9_d._, or
24 for 2_s._ 3_d._

Stamped half sheets of paper are also furnished by the post-office, a
farthing being charged for the paper, besides the 1_d._ for postage. These
are much used for printing circulars, for which they are very convenient.
They are also bought by the poor to write brief letters on.

It is a common practice, in writing to another person on your own
business, to enclose a postage stamp to prepay the letter in reply. Some
persons, who have much correspondence, procure their own address printed
in script on the back of stamped envelopes, and then send these enclosed
to bring back the expected return. Persons doing a great deal of business
with each other, through the post-office, keep each other's envelopes on
hand. The child at school or the son in college, is furnished with his
father's envelopes, stamped and directed.

The postage stamps are cancelled, by an obliteratin