spiritual if not the absurd this week.

One juror after another stepped down because of personal links with the accused, including a woman who claimed she belonged to the same church.

There ensued some debate between prosecution and defence lawyers as to whether the link was enough to discount her as a juror.

But finally the woman herself opted to step down because, she said, she felt uncomfortable sitting on the jury.

Her decision was backed by Puisne Judge the Hon. Justice Meerabux who declared: "I am going on vibes and my vibes tell me that this is a very religious person.

"I think her religion goes very deep. She believed she was expressing something from the heart,'' his Honour divined. "She would be uncomfortable with her Maker.'' How the decidedly earthbound jurist could have known that is anybody's guess.

*** Better late than never.

That was the attitude of Smith's Parish resident Mrs. Sue DeSouza when she received a local Christmas card last week.

The card, Mrs. DeSouza said, was mailed by a friend of the family on December 6 from the Devonshire Post Office to the DeSouza's post office box in Flatts.

"She mailed them (Christmas cards) early to avoid the rush,'' Mrs. DeSouza said, laughing.

"Americans are always complaining about the US postal system. We are only 21-square miles. And what is the distance from Devonshire to Flatts?'' But Mrs. DeSouza did not allow the late Christmas card to spoil the spirit of the gesture, she said she called her friend right away to thank her.

When contacted by The Royal Gazette , Postmaster General Mr. Clevelyn Crichlow said he had not received any complaints about late Christmas mail and there was no mail backlog from Christmas.

"I don't know what happened to that letter,'' he said, adding that he would be interested in seeing the card.