FEMALE OFFICIALS.

West Coast Times, Issue 2588, 8 January 1874, Page 2

FEMALE OFFICIALS.

Before woman takes an active part in the transaction *of 'public' affair's she ought, if we "Pall. Mall Gazette" may venture to. say so, maKe an attempt to conquer that curiousity whjch ; it must be/ranfessed, is one of the few, weaknesses of her admirable and fascinating characters. In PostOffice employmerifr especially it is most desirable that she should' be able leven *to let letters ad^resse^ by a rival j^'the object of her affections pass through her hands unopened. This may be hai-d^at first, but 'she will soon acquire that stolidity of tem^am'ent sd'neces^kry 'tot the performance of her duties/ An ij^uis^ive

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11 c Wg&t woman in the right place,"' and the cotfauet, or father the miscdnduct, of a young named Catherine Pateraon, employed to deliver lettets from Wilkieston to the raw Smithy; near East CaMer, ia Scotlan'ct, 'Bas lately caused great pain to the Post-office authorities and is now the subject of an investigation. It eeems that the discovery of a number of torn letters under sojtte trees gave rise to a suspicion that all : was hot right, and, the pieces having been joined together by the person who found them, it was discovered that the letters thus destroyed were addressed to various people in the neighborhood. On Sunday Miss Paterson denied having ever torn the letters, but on Monday, with a candour which does her infinite credit, though it is but natural to her sex, she confessed, according to the "Scotsman," that she had not only opened the letters, but read them, and afterwards torn them up where they were found. The feelings of the inhabitants of Raw Smithy may be more easily imagined than described. In the meantime, let us hope that this interesting girl may be induced to take a vow of secrecy, if not for the past, at least for J the future. j