ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
Guineveremust take her money to the nearest post-office, and say she wishes to have a book and become a depositor. There is no difficulty about so doing.Emmy.—“They also serve,” etc., is from Milton’s poem on his blindness. The 7th April, 1868, was a Tuesday.Enid.—Ithuriel, the angel sent by Gabriel to find Satan. He finds him squatting like a toad beside Eve, as she lies asleep, and brings him to Gabriel. Ithuriel is armed with a spear, which by its touch discovered falsehood at once. You will find all this in Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” which you ought to have read.Lilith A.—“In Memoriam” was written in memory of Tennyson’s friend, Arthur Henry Hallam, who died in 1833.Grace.—The beer made with the ginger-beer plant is quite wholesome, we believe.Virago.—“A young lady, who is nine years old and two months over,” is certainly not old enough to choose her books, nor must she think just yet of being guided by her own judgment in any way, except in obeying others older than herself, and should be punished if she do not.Lady Clara Vere de Vere.—The address of the secretary of the Princess Louise Home is 54, New Broad-street, E.C. Write to the secretary. Young ladies should have their names on their mother’s card.E. Austill.—The first two chapters of “A Lady’s Journey to Texas” will be found in vol. iv., pages 362 and 713.Phisiegig.—The real name of “George Sand” was Aurore Lucille Amantine Dudevant. Henry M. Stanley, the African explorer, was born at Denbigh, Wales, in 1840.C. H. S.—The answer to the riddle, “Man cannot live without my first,” isIgnis fatuus, otherwise called “will o’ the wisp,” or “corpse candle.”Violet.—The lines do much credit to your tenderness of heart and love for your parents, but as poetry they are not worth much, and are full of faults.Consumption.—We regret that we cannot give you any information, as we do not know the medicine by name, and we could not advise anyone to use it without the consent of a doctor. We should think a change of climate would be advisable. Cold, dry climates are apparently more recommended now than warm ones.Die Lorelei.—The lines you send have some power about them, but they are not correct in rhythm nor in construction. Count the feet and position of the beats in each line carefully while composing.Marion Moss.—Seals are found in the Arctic seas. Dundee and Hull are the principal British ports whence the seal-fishers sail. They are also found in Russian America, now called Alaska.Perplexed One.—Why not try to obtain a good situation as nurse—head nurse, with a junior under you?Maggiemight obtain the first volume by means of an advertisement in theExchange and Mart.Water Lily.—Mr. Herbert John Gladstone, M.P., is the youngest son of the Prime Minister, and was born 1854.Seven Years for Rachelmust get her sister to read aloud, alone, and with someone slowly and carefully, being particularly careful to take her breath regularly, easily, and deeply when reading or speaking. The lungs must be well filled.A Christian.—We agree with your mother that you are both very young, and had better wait till you be older. Then we should repeat to you the saying of Christ, “Have salt in yourselves,” which means that you must form your opinions and actions on eternal principles, which are the salt which should savour our lives.Tilda.—We quite agree with you that the manners of lady district visitors should be very courteous, and that they should certainly knock at people’s doors, and not go in until they be asked, nor should they go at the dinner hour. Alas! good breeding and sound common-sense seem both rare qualities everywhere. Either of them would have made your visitors behave differently.Gipsy.—You should say, “Lady So-and-so,” and write it with a capital “L.”Ethel.—Show your teeth to a dentist. We regret that we could not give you a recommendation of the kind. Your medical man would do so. The loss of an eye-tooth does not affect the sight. It is believed that eating very fine white bread has tended to injure the teeth. Wholemeal bread is the best for producing good bone.Sarah Brown.—You cannot re-silver a good looking-glass yourself. You must send it to a manufactory for the purpose. Any furnishing upholsterer or looking-glass seller would undertake to do that for you; but you must make a bargain before you send it, and you might obtain a good secondhand glass at less cost.Dick.—Dentists usually have a medical man to see and attend to the patient when gas is employed. It is not dangerous to take it.“In Great Trouble.”—Yours seems a case for a doctor’s advice. You had better consult one. The word “silly” is not spelt “scilly,” like the islands of that name, and “disappointed” should not be written “dissapointed.”Dorothy Drake.—You will find the answer to your question several times repeated in our correspondence columns.Evelyn.—We do not place ourselves between our young readers and their parents, by expressing an opinion respecting the punishments they inflict. If severe, we imagine that their statement of the case you describe would be of a different character from yours. Probably there were attendant circumstances which aggravated the misdoing on your part. What business had you to go out without leave, and not fully dressed for so doing? Besides, you may have been disobedient or impertinent.Ditto.—You will find instructions in riding in the monthly part for October 1st, 1881, page 3, vol. iii., and, as we told you before, at page 131 in the same volume. You cannot read figures, one would suppose. There is a picture of a girl on horseback on the same page. Look again.Jo.—Perhaps you could receive some little pupils daily for two or three hours at your own home, and teach them the rudiments of an English education—reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, and needlework.Mother of Six.—The Paddington Green Children’s Hospital might suit you, boys under twelve years of age and girls under fourteen being eligible, and no letters of recommendation being required. Write to the treasurer, George Hanbury, Esq. 21, Portman-square, W. There are also the Belgrave Hospital for Children, 77 and 79, Gloucester-street, S.W.—lady superintendent, Miss Munro; The Eveline Hospital for Sick Children, Southwark Bridge-road, S.E.;—secretary, T. H. Chapman, Esq. All three are free.Sophia Falconer.—Cod-liver oil is specially beneficial to consumptive persons or those suffering from a severe cough, not from the stomach. In cases of atrophy we should think it would be of service. Many persons, strong or delicate, find a plunge or two in the sea of much benefit; but few comparatively could go into still, cold, fresh water. A cold sponge bath is quite a different thing, and cold salt-water sponging of the spine, throat, and chest is much to be recommended, or a good quick rubbing with a wet towel half wrung out, and drying with a rough one.CurlyandFluffy.—Avoid meeting the men who try to force unwelcome attentions upon you. Speak to your mother about it, and let her direct you. She can put a stop to the persecution with authority. If she were to go out with you a few times she could dismiss them at once. Avoid seeing them, and go into a shop or turn a different way if they try to join you. It is an important part of her duty to protect and chaperone you.An Old Girl of Poland.—In adopting a new country it is always wise to be provided with a passport, a copy of your certificate of baptism, and letters from your clergyman, and any leading men, magistrates or others; also your banker, if you have one. Such papers might prove very valuable as introductions into society, or to facilitate your obtaining employment. Besides this, they would be very essential in case of mistaken identity. No passport is needed in coming to England, yet it is wise to have one.J. B.—To know the colour called primrose, you have only to look at the flower and at the enamelled or painted representations of it. Why ask anyone else when your own eyes could act better for you than any description by another person?Clansman.—We should like to encourage you to write, as the lines speak well of the mind and the heart; but we think you would succeed better in prose than poetry.“Eucharis Lily.”—We have no recollection of the MS. of which you speak, and regret you have waited so long for an opinion. The lines you enclose show good feeling, but lack originality. We thank you for your kind letter.F. A. B.—We feel sincere sympathy for you, and scarcely know how to advise you. At your early age you are only eligible for the Children’s Hospital, Great Ormond Street, W.C. You might write for particulars to the lady superintendent. You would have to supply certificates both as to character and health.Gertrude McKenzie.—No licence is required to enable you to keep a registry office for servants.Snowdrops.—Certainly, wear your gloves in church. Why not? A correspondent some time ago advised that maidenhair ferns should be watered with tea, and tea-leaves from the tea-pot should be put round them.InezandPhilip.—We are of opinion that the amount allowed by your brother for his dinner is much in excess of what is needed, and may prove a temptation to him if continued. We were interested in your letter, and we hope your mutual happiness will long be continued.One You Have Benefited.—Many thanks for your kind letter. We quite see all your difficulties, but we think you must not make too much of them. The real use of all training at home is to help young people to stand alone some day, and act in the fear of God, for themselves; they cannot be always children, nor in leading strings, so you must excite in them conscientiousness and a constant desire to do right. The conduct they propose,i.e., of going out and in, of accepting invitations as they please, without consulting you, is, in the first place, ill-bred and unladylike. No one treats the lady of the house, be she mother or step-mother, in that manner, and even in society they would not be guests a second time in any house where they ignored the lady who invited them.Alea Europea.—In the “Chapel in the Tower,” by Mr. Bell, we find the following notice of Arthur Pole, who, with his brother Edmund, was imprisoned for life, and died in the Tower—They were the sons of Sir Geoffrey Pole, and grandsons of Margaret of Clarence, Countess of Salisbury. Cardinal Pole was, therefore, their uncle. In 1562 they were implicated in a conspiracy to depose Queen Elizabeth, and place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. It was also alleged that one of them designed to marry her. They were tried for high treason at Westminster Hall, 26th February, 1562, and sentenced to be executed as traitors at Tyburn. The sentence was commuted by Queen Elizabeth to imprisonment for life in the Tower, and on the walls of the Beauchamp Tower, which was their prison, their names will be found carved several times. The last written was as follows:—“A passage perillous makethe a port pleasante, I. H. S., 1568, Arthur Pole, aged 37.” The date of his death and that of his brother seems not to be known, but both were dead in 1578, and buried in the chapel in the Tower.Daisy.—Take no notice of the matter, unless you are directly charged, when you can deny truthfully the authorship of such an unmaidenly epistle.Alicia.—If the jewellery be good and old, it is better to employ a jeweller to clean it.Snowstorm.—We think you should go to New Zealand to your affianced husband, and keep your promise, especially as you leave a sister at home to take care of your mother. It would indeed be foolish to bring him to England if he be doing well out there, and is able to marry and give you a comfortable home.Sybil.—We think you may need a tonic of some kind. A little alum and water is sometimes good for moist hands, but it is never safe to check perspirations, unless under a doctor’s orders.Buttercup.—We know of no situation easier than a nurse’s, where there are only one or two children, unless, perhaps, you could manage to get one as parlour-maid only.A. S. F. T. F. (New South Wales).—There would be no value if the dates of the half-crowns were erased, because coins of the House of Brunswick are only valuable when in perfect order.Mizpah.—The word “Mizpah” means a watch-tower. On a ring it would mean, “The Lord watch between thee and me, when we are absent from each other,” a solemn pledge of faithfulness and truth in a betrothal. It was used as a solemn warning to one suspected, not trusted, in the original case.I. H. B.—“Ban” is an Irish prefix, and means “white.” We cannot find any other clue to the word, and we think you should have written “Wenham,” which is the name of a lake near Boston, U.S.A., from which the ice derives its name.Omega.—The only way to be comfortable is to prevent the chilblains from coming at first, by rubbing the place you feel affected with a little dry mustard and flour very gently, which will generally put the chilblains back. When a chilblain has broken, a decoction of poppy-heads with hot water may be soothing, and bread poultices are used by many people, but we are doubtful of their expediency. When the inflammation has subsided, a little creosote ointment may be used, but when so bad it would be well to consult a doctor.R. A. A.—The editor declines, with thanks.Dum Spiro Spero.—The words are French, and are used when picking the leaves from a daisy. They mean, “He loves me a little, much, passionately, not at all.” This is one of the many ancient charms, or really auguries, which we have obtained from unknown ancestry.F. A. H. B.—We regret that we can make no use of your essay.Daddy Longlegsshould send her locket to a jeweller’s to be cleaned and repolished.Lady Godiva.—Probably digestion. Ask your doctor about it.Esther Black.—The notice of the marriage in the different newspapers is a sufficient announcement to friends at a distance. Neither cards nor wedding-cake are sent now.Florence Moore.—Does your sister wish to look like a balloon, tied in at the middle with a string? or, still worse, does she wish to cut her liver in two? Her other plan, “to drink vinegar,” would so thin her blood that she would exchange her wholesome fat for dropsy, and become blown out like a skin-bag used for water in the deserts. For your own infirmity you should wear a backboard and faceboard daily while at your studies. We have often described and prescribed them already.Curious.—The origin of the name given by Handel to his composition called “The Harmonious Blacksmith” was a very natural one. He was on a visit to the Duke of Chandos, at Edgware, and, overtaken by heavy rain, he took shelter in a smith’s forge. The ringing strokes of the hammer, combined with the song of the smith, told a story to the lively imagination of the composer, and gave birth to the piece in question.Laura.—It is not very evident as to when the Manx House of Keys was first established, but it existed in the time of the Dane King, Orry, at the beginning of the tenth century. This sovereign established an independent throne in Mona. The term “Keys” is derived fromKiare es feed, “twenty-four,” and applied to that number of men of the island who form the Lower House, while the Upper House, or Council, is appointed by the crown, and consists of the bishop, archdeacon, clerk of the rolls, and some civil officials.Strawberry Cream.—Have you learnt any branch of domestic service? If so, make use of it. Better trained servants are much required. You might, at least, look for a situation as schoolroom maid, under nurse, or mother’s help. These would serve to give you practical training.Lolly.—It is for ladies to recognise gentlemen, if acquaintances, not the reverse. This being the case, we do not see what your bowing to your clergyman can have to do with “fastness.” Of course, the character of the recognition must depend on your position in life. Good Friday is a fast, not a feast day. That is the reason, as you will perceive.Admirer of the G.O.P.—Why should you ask your clergyman to give you a severe talking to? If you know you deserve it, why not administer it to yourself? Tell your mother that you lament your want of self-control and respect in giving way to unseemly ill-temper, and ask her to help you by a timely check and reproof, and by her prayers to rule your spirit. “He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city.” Leaving off your spectacles will not only make your eyes ache, but injure them, by overstraining the nerves.Enid.—If the ends of your hair split, you should have them carefully singed by a hairdresser accustomed to do so. You might set all on fire if you attempted to do so yourself. Improve your handwriting by writing copies daily, and perfect your acquaintance with the first three or more rules in arithmetic, and then you will be eligible for a situation as shop assistant.Gretta’s Sister.—A surgeon should examine your sister’s tongue to see whether it be paralysed. If she can hear, then no other alphabet is needed for her than ours.Young Stepmother.—The advice of your governess is good. As you have so high an opinion of her discretion, as well as amiability and experience, you had better give her the due authority to act for you. In a month’s time, or during the first quarter, you will see with what success it is attended. One thing is certain, obedience must be enforced.Hopehas some poetic feeling, but whether she will rise to the level of “poetry” in future we could not say, nor could we recommend any magazine or publisher likely to take literary and poetical compositions. That is a question for the industry and perseverance of the writer to solve.Dorothy Forster.—The lines you send us are very halting, both as to rhyme and reason.Cherry Ripe.—The word “fiat” means an order or decree. We thank you for your good wishes and praise of our paper.J. F. C.—We have pleasure in giving out readers the address of the Santa Claus Society, for providing toys and dolls for children in hospitals. To make them during leisure hours would be a nice occupation for young people. For the benefit of those who would like to aid in a truly charitable and Christian work, as well as for the sake of the poor children, we copy your address, as one of the managers of the society—Miss J. F. Charles, Hillside, Southwood-lane, Highgate, N.A. M. C.—There is a home of rest at 9, Albion-place, Ramsgate. Apply to Miss Bennett. You may be taken in for three weeks, and the lowest terms for board, lodging, and attendance are 10s. a week.Pomme de Terre.—We have seen the grave of the late novelist, Charles Reade, to which you refer, and the outside public knows no more than just what the inscription states. This is all we can say in reply.White Heather.—The falling of the hair is often due to a condition of the general health and failure of nerve power, and the remedies need to be internally administered, as well as externally. Go to a skin doctor, and obtain his advice.Mary LeemingandAlice Haughton.—Some collectors of insects use the fumes of chloroform or brimstone. Where there are many wild flowers you will find butterflies.Progress.—Yes, women have been returned to Parliament in past times. In 1360 writs were issued, to four abbesses, requiring their attendance at Westminster, and the year following five ladies of the nobility were likewise returned (35th Edward III.)—viz., Marie Countesse de Norff, Alianor Countesse de Ormand. Agnes Countesse de Pembrook, Philippa Countess March, and Catherine Countesse de Atholl. Whether they actually took their seats, we do not say positively. The only woman ever made a Freemason was Miss St. Leger, a daughter of Lord Doneraile, about the year 1739.Nil Desperandum.—You may say “intreat,” but “entreat” is more correct.
Guineveremust take her money to the nearest post-office, and say she wishes to have a book and become a depositor. There is no difficulty about so doing.
Emmy.—“They also serve,” etc., is from Milton’s poem on his blindness. The 7th April, 1868, was a Tuesday.
Enid.—Ithuriel, the angel sent by Gabriel to find Satan. He finds him squatting like a toad beside Eve, as she lies asleep, and brings him to Gabriel. Ithuriel is armed with a spear, which by its touch discovered falsehood at once. You will find all this in Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” which you ought to have read.
Lilith A.—“In Memoriam” was written in memory of Tennyson’s friend, Arthur Henry Hallam, who died in 1833.
Grace.—The beer made with the ginger-beer plant is quite wholesome, we believe.
Virago.—“A young lady, who is nine years old and two months over,” is certainly not old enough to choose her books, nor must she think just yet of being guided by her own judgment in any way, except in obeying others older than herself, and should be punished if she do not.
Lady Clara Vere de Vere.—The address of the secretary of the Princess Louise Home is 54, New Broad-street, E.C. Write to the secretary. Young ladies should have their names on their mother’s card.
E. Austill.—The first two chapters of “A Lady’s Journey to Texas” will be found in vol. iv., pages 362 and 713.
Phisiegig.—The real name of “George Sand” was Aurore Lucille Amantine Dudevant. Henry M. Stanley, the African explorer, was born at Denbigh, Wales, in 1840.
C. H. S.—The answer to the riddle, “Man cannot live without my first,” isIgnis fatuus, otherwise called “will o’ the wisp,” or “corpse candle.”
Violet.—The lines do much credit to your tenderness of heart and love for your parents, but as poetry they are not worth much, and are full of faults.
Consumption.—We regret that we cannot give you any information, as we do not know the medicine by name, and we could not advise anyone to use it without the consent of a doctor. We should think a change of climate would be advisable. Cold, dry climates are apparently more recommended now than warm ones.
Die Lorelei.—The lines you send have some power about them, but they are not correct in rhythm nor in construction. Count the feet and position of the beats in each line carefully while composing.
Marion Moss.—Seals are found in the Arctic seas. Dundee and Hull are the principal British ports whence the seal-fishers sail. They are also found in Russian America, now called Alaska.
Perplexed One.—Why not try to obtain a good situation as nurse—head nurse, with a junior under you?
Maggiemight obtain the first volume by means of an advertisement in theExchange and Mart.
Water Lily.—Mr. Herbert John Gladstone, M.P., is the youngest son of the Prime Minister, and was born 1854.
Seven Years for Rachelmust get her sister to read aloud, alone, and with someone slowly and carefully, being particularly careful to take her breath regularly, easily, and deeply when reading or speaking. The lungs must be well filled.
A Christian.—We agree with your mother that you are both very young, and had better wait till you be older. Then we should repeat to you the saying of Christ, “Have salt in yourselves,” which means that you must form your opinions and actions on eternal principles, which are the salt which should savour our lives.
Tilda.—We quite agree with you that the manners of lady district visitors should be very courteous, and that they should certainly knock at people’s doors, and not go in until they be asked, nor should they go at the dinner hour. Alas! good breeding and sound common-sense seem both rare qualities everywhere. Either of them would have made your visitors behave differently.
Gipsy.—You should say, “Lady So-and-so,” and write it with a capital “L.”
Ethel.—Show your teeth to a dentist. We regret that we could not give you a recommendation of the kind. Your medical man would do so. The loss of an eye-tooth does not affect the sight. It is believed that eating very fine white bread has tended to injure the teeth. Wholemeal bread is the best for producing good bone.
Sarah Brown.—You cannot re-silver a good looking-glass yourself. You must send it to a manufactory for the purpose. Any furnishing upholsterer or looking-glass seller would undertake to do that for you; but you must make a bargain before you send it, and you might obtain a good secondhand glass at less cost.
Dick.—Dentists usually have a medical man to see and attend to the patient when gas is employed. It is not dangerous to take it.
“In Great Trouble.”—Yours seems a case for a doctor’s advice. You had better consult one. The word “silly” is not spelt “scilly,” like the islands of that name, and “disappointed” should not be written “dissapointed.”
Dorothy Drake.—You will find the answer to your question several times repeated in our correspondence columns.
Evelyn.—We do not place ourselves between our young readers and their parents, by expressing an opinion respecting the punishments they inflict. If severe, we imagine that their statement of the case you describe would be of a different character from yours. Probably there were attendant circumstances which aggravated the misdoing on your part. What business had you to go out without leave, and not fully dressed for so doing? Besides, you may have been disobedient or impertinent.
Ditto.—You will find instructions in riding in the monthly part for October 1st, 1881, page 3, vol. iii., and, as we told you before, at page 131 in the same volume. You cannot read figures, one would suppose. There is a picture of a girl on horseback on the same page. Look again.
Jo.—Perhaps you could receive some little pupils daily for two or three hours at your own home, and teach them the rudiments of an English education—reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, and needlework.
Mother of Six.—The Paddington Green Children’s Hospital might suit you, boys under twelve years of age and girls under fourteen being eligible, and no letters of recommendation being required. Write to the treasurer, George Hanbury, Esq. 21, Portman-square, W. There are also the Belgrave Hospital for Children, 77 and 79, Gloucester-street, S.W.—lady superintendent, Miss Munro; The Eveline Hospital for Sick Children, Southwark Bridge-road, S.E.;—secretary, T. H. Chapman, Esq. All three are free.
Sophia Falconer.—Cod-liver oil is specially beneficial to consumptive persons or those suffering from a severe cough, not from the stomach. In cases of atrophy we should think it would be of service. Many persons, strong or delicate, find a plunge or two in the sea of much benefit; but few comparatively could go into still, cold, fresh water. A cold sponge bath is quite a different thing, and cold salt-water sponging of the spine, throat, and chest is much to be recommended, or a good quick rubbing with a wet towel half wrung out, and drying with a rough one.
CurlyandFluffy.—Avoid meeting the men who try to force unwelcome attentions upon you. Speak to your mother about it, and let her direct you. She can put a stop to the persecution with authority. If she were to go out with you a few times she could dismiss them at once. Avoid seeing them, and go into a shop or turn a different way if they try to join you. It is an important part of her duty to protect and chaperone you.
An Old Girl of Poland.—In adopting a new country it is always wise to be provided with a passport, a copy of your certificate of baptism, and letters from your clergyman, and any leading men, magistrates or others; also your banker, if you have one. Such papers might prove very valuable as introductions into society, or to facilitate your obtaining employment. Besides this, they would be very essential in case of mistaken identity. No passport is needed in coming to England, yet it is wise to have one.
J. B.—To know the colour called primrose, you have only to look at the flower and at the enamelled or painted representations of it. Why ask anyone else when your own eyes could act better for you than any description by another person?
Clansman.—We should like to encourage you to write, as the lines speak well of the mind and the heart; but we think you would succeed better in prose than poetry.
“Eucharis Lily.”—We have no recollection of the MS. of which you speak, and regret you have waited so long for an opinion. The lines you enclose show good feeling, but lack originality. We thank you for your kind letter.
F. A. B.—We feel sincere sympathy for you, and scarcely know how to advise you. At your early age you are only eligible for the Children’s Hospital, Great Ormond Street, W.C. You might write for particulars to the lady superintendent. You would have to supply certificates both as to character and health.
Gertrude McKenzie.—No licence is required to enable you to keep a registry office for servants.
Snowdrops.—Certainly, wear your gloves in church. Why not? A correspondent some time ago advised that maidenhair ferns should be watered with tea, and tea-leaves from the tea-pot should be put round them.
InezandPhilip.—We are of opinion that the amount allowed by your brother for his dinner is much in excess of what is needed, and may prove a temptation to him if continued. We were interested in your letter, and we hope your mutual happiness will long be continued.
One You Have Benefited.—Many thanks for your kind letter. We quite see all your difficulties, but we think you must not make too much of them. The real use of all training at home is to help young people to stand alone some day, and act in the fear of God, for themselves; they cannot be always children, nor in leading strings, so you must excite in them conscientiousness and a constant desire to do right. The conduct they propose,i.e., of going out and in, of accepting invitations as they please, without consulting you, is, in the first place, ill-bred and unladylike. No one treats the lady of the house, be she mother or step-mother, in that manner, and even in society they would not be guests a second time in any house where they ignored the lady who invited them.
Alea Europea.—In the “Chapel in the Tower,” by Mr. Bell, we find the following notice of Arthur Pole, who, with his brother Edmund, was imprisoned for life, and died in the Tower—They were the sons of Sir Geoffrey Pole, and grandsons of Margaret of Clarence, Countess of Salisbury. Cardinal Pole was, therefore, their uncle. In 1562 they were implicated in a conspiracy to depose Queen Elizabeth, and place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. It was also alleged that one of them designed to marry her. They were tried for high treason at Westminster Hall, 26th February, 1562, and sentenced to be executed as traitors at Tyburn. The sentence was commuted by Queen Elizabeth to imprisonment for life in the Tower, and on the walls of the Beauchamp Tower, which was their prison, their names will be found carved several times. The last written was as follows:—“A passage perillous makethe a port pleasante, I. H. S., 1568, Arthur Pole, aged 37.” The date of his death and that of his brother seems not to be known, but both were dead in 1578, and buried in the chapel in the Tower.
Daisy.—Take no notice of the matter, unless you are directly charged, when you can deny truthfully the authorship of such an unmaidenly epistle.
Alicia.—If the jewellery be good and old, it is better to employ a jeweller to clean it.
Snowstorm.—We think you should go to New Zealand to your affianced husband, and keep your promise, especially as you leave a sister at home to take care of your mother. It would indeed be foolish to bring him to England if he be doing well out there, and is able to marry and give you a comfortable home.
Sybil.—We think you may need a tonic of some kind. A little alum and water is sometimes good for moist hands, but it is never safe to check perspirations, unless under a doctor’s orders.
Buttercup.—We know of no situation easier than a nurse’s, where there are only one or two children, unless, perhaps, you could manage to get one as parlour-maid only.
A. S. F. T. F. (New South Wales).—There would be no value if the dates of the half-crowns were erased, because coins of the House of Brunswick are only valuable when in perfect order.
Mizpah.—The word “Mizpah” means a watch-tower. On a ring it would mean, “The Lord watch between thee and me, when we are absent from each other,” a solemn pledge of faithfulness and truth in a betrothal. It was used as a solemn warning to one suspected, not trusted, in the original case.
I. H. B.—“Ban” is an Irish prefix, and means “white.” We cannot find any other clue to the word, and we think you should have written “Wenham,” which is the name of a lake near Boston, U.S.A., from which the ice derives its name.
Omega.—The only way to be comfortable is to prevent the chilblains from coming at first, by rubbing the place you feel affected with a little dry mustard and flour very gently, which will generally put the chilblains back. When a chilblain has broken, a decoction of poppy-heads with hot water may be soothing, and bread poultices are used by many people, but we are doubtful of their expediency. When the inflammation has subsided, a little creosote ointment may be used, but when so bad it would be well to consult a doctor.
R. A. A.—The editor declines, with thanks.
Dum Spiro Spero.—The words are French, and are used when picking the leaves from a daisy. They mean, “He loves me a little, much, passionately, not at all.” This is one of the many ancient charms, or really auguries, which we have obtained from unknown ancestry.
F. A. H. B.—We regret that we can make no use of your essay.
Daddy Longlegsshould send her locket to a jeweller’s to be cleaned and repolished.
Lady Godiva.—Probably digestion. Ask your doctor about it.
Esther Black.—The notice of the marriage in the different newspapers is a sufficient announcement to friends at a distance. Neither cards nor wedding-cake are sent now.
Florence Moore.—Does your sister wish to look like a balloon, tied in at the middle with a string? or, still worse, does she wish to cut her liver in two? Her other plan, “to drink vinegar,” would so thin her blood that she would exchange her wholesome fat for dropsy, and become blown out like a skin-bag used for water in the deserts. For your own infirmity you should wear a backboard and faceboard daily while at your studies. We have often described and prescribed them already.
Curious.—The origin of the name given by Handel to his composition called “The Harmonious Blacksmith” was a very natural one. He was on a visit to the Duke of Chandos, at Edgware, and, overtaken by heavy rain, he took shelter in a smith’s forge. The ringing strokes of the hammer, combined with the song of the smith, told a story to the lively imagination of the composer, and gave birth to the piece in question.
Laura.—It is not very evident as to when the Manx House of Keys was first established, but it existed in the time of the Dane King, Orry, at the beginning of the tenth century. This sovereign established an independent throne in Mona. The term “Keys” is derived fromKiare es feed, “twenty-four,” and applied to that number of men of the island who form the Lower House, while the Upper House, or Council, is appointed by the crown, and consists of the bishop, archdeacon, clerk of the rolls, and some civil officials.
Strawberry Cream.—Have you learnt any branch of domestic service? If so, make use of it. Better trained servants are much required. You might, at least, look for a situation as schoolroom maid, under nurse, or mother’s help. These would serve to give you practical training.
Lolly.—It is for ladies to recognise gentlemen, if acquaintances, not the reverse. This being the case, we do not see what your bowing to your clergyman can have to do with “fastness.” Of course, the character of the recognition must depend on your position in life. Good Friday is a fast, not a feast day. That is the reason, as you will perceive.
Admirer of the G.O.P.—Why should you ask your clergyman to give you a severe talking to? If you know you deserve it, why not administer it to yourself? Tell your mother that you lament your want of self-control and respect in giving way to unseemly ill-temper, and ask her to help you by a timely check and reproof, and by her prayers to rule your spirit. “He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city.” Leaving off your spectacles will not only make your eyes ache, but injure them, by overstraining the nerves.
Enid.—If the ends of your hair split, you should have them carefully singed by a hairdresser accustomed to do so. You might set all on fire if you attempted to do so yourself. Improve your handwriting by writing copies daily, and perfect your acquaintance with the first three or more rules in arithmetic, and then you will be eligible for a situation as shop assistant.
Gretta’s Sister.—A surgeon should examine your sister’s tongue to see whether it be paralysed. If she can hear, then no other alphabet is needed for her than ours.
Young Stepmother.—The advice of your governess is good. As you have so high an opinion of her discretion, as well as amiability and experience, you had better give her the due authority to act for you. In a month’s time, or during the first quarter, you will see with what success it is attended. One thing is certain, obedience must be enforced.
Hopehas some poetic feeling, but whether she will rise to the level of “poetry” in future we could not say, nor could we recommend any magazine or publisher likely to take literary and poetical compositions. That is a question for the industry and perseverance of the writer to solve.
Dorothy Forster.—The lines you send us are very halting, both as to rhyme and reason.
Cherry Ripe.—The word “fiat” means an order or decree. We thank you for your good wishes and praise of our paper.
J. F. C.—We have pleasure in giving out readers the address of the Santa Claus Society, for providing toys and dolls for children in hospitals. To make them during leisure hours would be a nice occupation for young people. For the benefit of those who would like to aid in a truly charitable and Christian work, as well as for the sake of the poor children, we copy your address, as one of the managers of the society—Miss J. F. Charles, Hillside, Southwood-lane, Highgate, N.
A. M. C.—There is a home of rest at 9, Albion-place, Ramsgate. Apply to Miss Bennett. You may be taken in for three weeks, and the lowest terms for board, lodging, and attendance are 10s. a week.
Pomme de Terre.—We have seen the grave of the late novelist, Charles Reade, to which you refer, and the outside public knows no more than just what the inscription states. This is all we can say in reply.
White Heather.—The falling of the hair is often due to a condition of the general health and failure of nerve power, and the remedies need to be internally administered, as well as externally. Go to a skin doctor, and obtain his advice.
Mary LeemingandAlice Haughton.—Some collectors of insects use the fumes of chloroform or brimstone. Where there are many wild flowers you will find butterflies.
Progress.—Yes, women have been returned to Parliament in past times. In 1360 writs were issued, to four abbesses, requiring their attendance at Westminster, and the year following five ladies of the nobility were likewise returned (35th Edward III.)—viz., Marie Countesse de Norff, Alianor Countesse de Ormand. Agnes Countesse de Pembrook, Philippa Countess March, and Catherine Countesse de Atholl. Whether they actually took their seats, we do not say positively. The only woman ever made a Freemason was Miss St. Leger, a daughter of Lord Doneraile, about the year 1739.
Nil Desperandum.—You may say “intreat,” but “entreat” is more correct.