The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

48 LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. [1846
" On reaching the Post Office, Mr. Cornwall (the Postmaster-
General's private secretary), who had preceded us, told me that
Colonel Maberly wished to see me. We went together to M.'s room.
M. and I shook hands, &c. All three then proceeded to make the
circuit of the Post Office, and I was introduced to all the heads of
departments. . . . To commence duty on Wednesday, the
9th."
This was at least a satisfactory beginning, but
what was to follow ? While I resolved that nothing
should be wanting on my part to maintain harmony,
I could not but form, from the past, unsatisfactory
expectations
as to the future. How far these mis-
givings were justified will appear presently; and yet
I should willingly suppress much of the evidence on
this point but for fear of. misleading future reformers.
It is important that any one meditating such a course
as mine should know what that course really was ; so
that before entering on his work he may count the
cost. How soon difficulties are forgotten by mere
bystanders was curiously shown in my case by an
article some few years later in the " Edinburgh
Review," on Mr. Charles Dickens's story of " Little
Dorrit." Few periodicals rendered me more impor-
tant service than this in none did it seem less pro-
bable that the nature and extent of my struggles
would be underrated ; and yet my course was cited
as one notoriously demonstrating the injustice of those
attacks on official jealousy which have rendered " Cir-
cumlocution Office " a familiar term. Mr. Dickens's
amusing reply will be found in " Household Words,"
Vol. xvi., p. 97, and it may be added that it contains
a short, but true and lively, sketch of my early
struggles. Prior, therefore, to describing the improvements
which I was gradually able to introduce,
I shall endeavour to give a specimen of the circum-