Something About Postage Stamps, The Leisure Hour, Aug. 4, 1859, vol. 8, no. 397, pp. 489-492.
http://books.google.com/books?id=DppAAQAAMAAJ
Mostly copied by "A Chapter on the Penny Postage Stamp", Stamp Collectors Magazine, Feb. 1, 1863, p. 8-11.  http://books.google.com/books?id=6awEAAAAQAAJ
See also, Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News, Feb. 14, 1914, vol. 28, p. 60.  http://books.google.com/books?id=48EnAAAAYAAJ

This anonymous article treats a postage stamp as an object to be noticed, if not to be saved and studied.  The author observes, for example, that the (British) stamps are printed uniformly, with corner letters for security, and are perforated after the gum is applied.

(Excerpt, p. 492)