Crossed Cheeks--thieves Baffled

A year or more ago, an English friend vieiting at my liouse was writing at my table a letter borne, in wkioh he was to inclose a dralt for a considerable sum. - Before be inolosed tbe bilí, I saw that be drew bis pen aeróos tbe face oblique ly, dowDward, from left to right. "Ah ! why do you do that ?" I aeked "That is to secure it," said he, ' against tbe poseibility of loss. ev n if t should fall nto wrong hands oipuble of forgiug icdorsements as perfect, even, as the genuine eignature." "And how ia that ?" "Wby, that is a sign everywhere understood in England, ihatpayment is to be made only to 'a purson known to tbe party upcin whom ihe bul is drawn. Cbcckt, drufts, bilis of eschange, poetoffioe orders, notes of hand, indeed papers of all kinds requiring or authorizing the payment of mooey, if orossed in that way are absolutely eafe from tbe danger of bting paid to any other persoo not properly autborized to reoeive the mnne.y. The croshiug of papers in this manner is a daily praotioe in England among business men, and in all oommercial aifairs. Any paper eo marked, howerer valuable, is worthless in tbe hands of one who üud or steals it. A baak check for L5 or any otber aam, bo marked, if lost, noed Dot be udvertised, nor is it neccssary to notify the bank. It is by tbat oblique line oanoeled, uulesa presented by gome one known personally to Ihe bank to be the proper pereon to receivepayment." I tbougbtuo more of thia, until witbin a day or two, when I received a book from Englaud, with a ootioe paeted in it by the publisbers, ai folllowa : "N. B. - When obtaining postoffice ordtrs, Bubscribers wi',1 oblige by re queetieg the clerk to oroea them, as cliocka are crcssed. Crossed postoffiee orders oannot by any accident be oashed by unauthorized persons ; and beiog absolutely secure, do uot need ackuowledgment. The writing and posting of geveral hundrede of .etters of reoeipt will so be rendered unneossary." Bank of finglaud notes ent by mail are often erossed in the same marnier. Why should not that practice be adopied ia this country ? It seems to me it would be altended by many advantages, and with littlo or no inoonvenieoce. Bonds of the Nation, State, city, railroad, croesed in that way, - eoupons and all, - would be worthless in the hands of thieves, without theoomplicity of sorne bank or broker yet unsuspeoted of unconventional rasoality. I knew a man. long ago retired from business after a buny life, with a fortune not large, but sufficient for all his modest want. This he converted into Government bonds, all oi which were stolen from hia safe not long alterward, and the loss affected him so much that he faded away and died in three yearg. With this Bafeguard introduced among us, the diagonal lines would have seoured him perfeetly against this loss. - Nial Dow. NiUson reappeared in Cinoinnati Tues day night before s larg aDd ppreciative audience.