rtment. Not only do robber
postmasters continue in office after their exposure and their plunder of
money letters, but they can be bribed to convey the epistles of
individuals to interested parties, who would come at their secrets; and
thus the most sacred and secret concerns of life are liable to exposure,
and to be sold for gain. We knew a postmaster who for years continued to
rob with impunity the letters that were deposited in his "den of
thieves;" and when he was exposed and disgraced through the
instrumentality of the writer of this tale, whole bushels of letters,
directed to Ireland by poor emigrants to their fathers, wives, and sons,
were found thrown aside in a nook of his office; the sole motive for
this scandalous robbery being the plunder of the twenty-four cents paid
on the letters to free them to Europe.

Sadly did the mysterious miscarriage of his letters puzzle the ingenuous
heart of poor Paul; though he had reason to suspect, from certain hints
thrown out by Amanda, that she, somehow or other, was in possession of
their contents. On a certain day, however, a circumstance convinced Paul
that he could not now expect an answer from his letters to Father
O'Shane; for Miss Amanda had just pointed out to him a paragraph in the
newspaper stating that the Catholic priest of T---- had died of ship
fever, taken by him in the discharge of his duties among the sick of his
flock.

"God rest his soul," said Paul, raising his eyes to heaven; "he was a
good friend to us in our hour of need."

"What's that you say, Paul?" said Amanda, with a frown. "Did I not tell
you repeatedly, Paul, that it was useless to pray for the dead?"

"I know _you told_ me that often, 'Mandy; but am I bound to believe you,
when I know the church teaches me the contrary? In fact, the Bible says
it is 'a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they
may be loosed from their sins.'" (Mac. xii. 42.)

"Don't you call me 'Mandy, Paul," said the vain old maid; "my name is
Miss A-man-day."

"A-man-a-day," said Paul, with a sarcastic smile. "I beg pardon," said
he, "miss; I must guard against that blunder in future, and say
_A-man-a-day_."

"Ah, you naughty boy!" she said, catching him by the hand. "Come here to
me till I teach you the knowledge of God's word. Now, Paul, that passage
you quoted I do not find in my Bible."

"No," said Paul, "for your Bible is no other than an imperfect,
mutilated Bible, corrupted by the men who