SUING THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
A clerk stationed at the "General Delivery" window of the post-office, dispensing epistolary favors to the impatient throng without, was suddenly confronted by a countenance flaming with wrath; which countenance was part and parcel of the individual, now first known to fame by the name of Mike Donovan, who had elbowed his way through the crowd, and now stood before the astonished official, demanding justice. Handing him a foreign letter, marked "24 cents," Mike exclaimed in a tone of righteous indignation.
"Here, sir, is a letther that I paid twinty-four cints for, out of me own pocket, and the letther is from Pat Cosgrove, me cousin in ould Ireland, and Pat is as honest a boy as iver saw daylight, and Pat, he says inside of the letther that he paid the postage, and so some raskill has chated me, and I mane to make him smart for't; and I'd be obleiged to ye if ye'd tell me who to sue. Bedad, it isn't me that's goin to put up wid such rashcality."
Here he brought down his shillalah on the floor, to the imminent danger of his neighbor's toes, with an emphasis strongly suggestive of his fixed determination to exact the uttermost farthing from his unknown defrauder.
The clerk informed him if any mistake had occurred, the British Government was the delinquent, and therefore the party to be sued.
"Is it the British Government?" inquired Pat.
"Certainly," was the reply, "that's where you must look for your twenty-four cents."
Mike settled his hat over his eyes, and walked out of the office with an air of defiance to the world in general, and the British Government in particular.
PURSUIT OF A LETTER BOX.