Ballantyne, R. M: Post Haste. V1. 4 Oct 2010
 

R. M. Ballantyne (24 April 1825 – 8 February 1894) was a Scottish juvenile fiction writer.
Born Robert Michael Ballantyne in Edinburgh, he was part of a famous family of printers and publishers. At the age of 16 he went to Canada and was six years in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company. He returned to Scotland in 1847, and published his first book the following year, Hudson's Bay: or, Life in the Wilds of North America. For some time he was employed by Messrs Constable, the publishers, but in 1856 he gave up business for the profession of literature, and began the series of adventure stories for the young with which his name is popularly associated.

Excerpt
So it ever is with mankind. People make mistakes, or are guilty of carelessness, and straightway they lay the blame -- not only without but against reason -- on broader shoulders than their own. That wonderful and almost perfect British Post-Office delivers quickly, safely, and in good condition above fourteen hundred millions of letters etc. in the year, but some half-dozen letters, addressed to Messrs. Blurt and Co., have gone a-missing, -- therefore the Post-Office is to blame!