The police station has its reasons

(Complaints have been published not only against the delay in the delivery of correspondence, but also against the violation of letters.)
Lady: “An open letter! I don’t get it! I have no secrets, but I think this is an abuse!”
Postman: “Now, “madame”! Accept the letter! If it is from Europe, don’t you know that everything there is in conflict?… And if it is from here, don’t you know that it is necessary to air the correspondence, because of the mosquitoes and typhus…”
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1916)