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diff --git a/old/65358-0.txt b/old/65358-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7e4ea8a..0000000 --- a/old/65358-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2767 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. VIII, No. 362, -December 4, 1886, by Various - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. VIII, No. 362, December 4, 1886 - -Author: Various - -Release Date: May 16, 2021 [eBook #65358] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at - https://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GIRL'S OWN PAPER, VOL. VIII, -NO. 362, DECEMBER 4, 1886 *** - - - - -[Illustration: - -THE GIRL’S OWN PAPER - -VOL. VIII.—NO. 362.] DECEMBER 4, 1886. [PRICE ONE PENNY.] - - - - -MERLE’S CRUSADE. - -BY ROSA NOUCHETTE CAREY, Author of “Aunt Diana,” “For Lilias,” etc. - -[Illustration: “‘OH, MERLE!’ SHE WHISPERED, IN A VOICE OF AGONY.”] - -_All rights reserved._] - - -CHAPTER IX. - -BERENGARIA. - -The bright spring days found me a close prisoner to the house. The end -of April had been unusually chilly, and one cold rainy night Reggie was -taken with an attack of croup. - -It was a very severe attack, and for an hour or two my alarm was -excessive. Mrs. Morton was at a fancy ball, and Mr. Morton was -attending a late debate, and, to add to my trouble, Mrs. Garnett, who -would at once have come to my assistance, was confined to her bed with -a slight illness. - -Travers had no experience in these cases, and her presence was -perfectly useless. Hannah, frightened and half awake as she was, was -far more helpful. Happily Anderson was still up, and he undertook at -once to go for the doctor, adding, of his own accord, that he would -go round to the stables on his return, and send the carriage off for -his mistress. “She is not expected home until three, and it is only -half-past one, but she would never forgive us if she were not fetched -as quickly as possible.” - -I thanked Anderson, and begged Hannah to replenish the bath with hot -water. Happily, I knew what remedies to use; my former experience in my -schoolfellow’s nursery proved useful to me now. I remembered how the -doctor had approved of what I had done, and I resolved to do exactly -the same for Reggie. Frightened as I was, I am thankful to know my -fears did not impede my usefulness; I did all I could to relieve my -darling, and Hannah seconded my efforts. I am sure Travers wished with -all her heart to help us, but she had no nerve, and her lamentable -voice made me a trifle impatient. - -It was a great relief when Anderson appeared with Dr. Myrtle. He -waited for a few minutes to hear from the doctor that all dangers had -been averted by the prompt remedies, and then he went in search of -Stephenson. It was some time before we heard the sound of carriage -wheels. - -Reggie was still wrapped in a blanket on my lap, and had just fallen -asleep, worn out by the violence of the remedies still more than by the -attack. Dr. Myrtle whispered to me not to move, as he would speak to -Mrs. Morton downstairs, and enforce on her the need of quiet. It would -have been grievous to wake the exhausted little creature, and I was -quite content to sit holding him in my lap until morning, if Dr. Myrtle -thought it well for me to do so. - -I had forgotten all about the fancy ball, and my start when I saw Mrs. -Morton standing in the doorway almost woke Reggie. I really thought for -a moment that I was dreaming. I learnt afterwards that she had taken -the character of Berengaria, wife of the lion-hearted Richard, but for -the moment I was too confused to identify her. She was dressed in -dark blue velvet, and her gown and mantle were trimmed with ermine; -she wore a glittering belt that looked as though it were studded with -brilliants, and her brown hair hung in loose braids and plaits under -a gold coronet. As she swept noiselessly towards us, I could see the -tears were running down her cheeks, and her bosom was heaving under her -ermine. - -“Oh, Merle!” she whispered, in a voice of agony, as she knelt down -beside us, “to think my boy was in danger, and his mother was decked -out in this fool’s garb; it makes me sick only to remember it; oh, my -baby, my baby!” and she leant her head against my arm and sobbed, not -loudly, but with the utmost bitterness. - -“Dear Mrs. Morton,” I returned, gently, “it was not your fault; no one -could have foreseen this. Reggie had a little cold, but I thought it -was nothing. Oh, what are you doing!” for she had actually kissed me, -not once, but twice. - -“Let me do it, Merle,” returned my sweet mistress; “I am so grateful -to you, and so will my husband be when he knows all. Dr. Myrtle says -he never saw a nurse who understood her duties so well; everything had -been done for the child before he came.” - -“Oh, Aunt Agatha, if only you and Uncle Keith had heard that!” - -We had talked in whispers, but nothing seemed to disturb Reggie. A -moment after Mr. Morton came hurriedly into the nursery; he was very -pale and discomposed, and a sort of shock seemed to pass over him as he -saw his wife. - -“Violet,” he whispered, as she clung to him in a passion of weeping, -“this has unnerved you, but, indeed, Dr. Myrtle says our boy will do -well. My darling, will you not try to comfort yourself?” - -“I was at Lady S.’s ball when Muriel, our precious baby—oh, you -remember, Alick”—for she seemed unable to go on. Poor woman, no wonder -her tears flowed at such a memory. Mrs. Garnett told me reluctantly, -when I questioned her the next day, that baby Muriel had been taken -with a fit when Mrs. Morton and her husband were at a ball, and the -mother had only arrived in time to see the infant breathe its last. - -“Yes, yes,” he said, soothing her, “but nothing could have saved her, -you know. Dr. Myrtle told you so; and you were only spared the pain -of seeing her suffer. Try to be sensible about it, my dearest; our -baby has been ill, but everything has been done for him; and now he -is relieved, poor little fellow. We have to thank you for that, Miss -Fenton. How nicely you are holding him! he looks as comfortable as -possible,” touching the boy’s cheek with his forefinger. “Now, my love, -let me relieve you of this cumbrous thing,” taking off her coronet; -“this mantle will unfasten, too, I see. Now, suppose you put on your -dressing-gown, and ask Travers to make you and Miss Fenton some tea. I -will not be so cruel as to tell you to go to bed”—as she looked at him, -pleadingly. “If you were a wise woman you would go, but I suppose I -must humour you; but you must get rid of all this frippery.” - -“Oh, Alick, how good you are!” she said, gratefully, and in a few -minutes more she returned in her warm, quilted dressing gown, with her -hair simply braided; she looked even more beautiful than she had done -as Berengaria. - -Mr. Morton soon left us after placing his wife in my charge. The night -passed very quickly away after that. When Reggie stirred I put him in -his cot, and begged Mrs. Morton to lie down on the bed beside him. She -did not refuse; emotion had exhausted her, but her eyes never closed. -She told me long afterwards she dared not sleep, lest the old dream -should torment her of the dead baby’s hand, that she could never warm -with all her efforts. - -“I can feel it quite icy cold in mine, and sometimes there is a little -cold face on my bosom, but nothing ever warms them, and when I wake up -I am shivering too.” - -I could not tell what was passing through the poor mother’s mind, but I -did not like the feverish look in her wide, distended eyes. Mr. Morton -was right, and the shock of her boy’s illness had utterly unnerved her. -I thought, perhaps she was blaming herself needlessly, and yet never -was there a human being more utterly devoid of vanity and selfishness; -she was simply sacrificing her maternal duties to her husband’s -ambition; of her own accord she would never have entered a ball-room; I -am sure of that. - -I longed to soothe her, and yet I hardly knew what to say. Presently -she shivered, and I covered her up carefully with all the wraps I could -find, and then knelt down and chafed her hands. - -“You cannot sleep, Mrs. Morton; I am so sorry, and yet you are tired -out.” - -“I do not want to sleep,” she answered. “I dream badly sometimes, and I -would rather lie awake and listen to my boy’s breathing; he is sleeping -nicely, Merle.” - -“Yes, indeed; there is no need for anxiety now, and I am watching him -carefully.” - -“Oh, I can trust you,” with a faint smile; “I trusted you from the -first moment. But, my poor girl, I am afraid you are very tired, and I -have taken your bed from you.” - -“I would rather see you resting there, Mrs. Morton.” - -“Do you think you could read to me a little? My husband often reads to -me when I am nervous and cannot sleep. Anything will do, the simplest -child’s story; it is just the sound of the voice that soothes me. What -is that book? Oh, the Bible! I am afraid I do not read that enough, I -have so little time to myself, and then I am often too tired.” - -“It is just the book for tired people,” I returned; “if you want a -story. I think the history of Ruth is one of the most touching, she has -always seemed to me one of the sweetest characters in the Bible; it is -a perfect idyll of Oriental life.” - -“It is so long since I have read it,” she returned, apologetically, -“you shall read it to me if you like.” And I read the whole book -throughout to her, only pausing now and then to look at Reggie. - -She listened to it without interrupting me once, but I was rejoiced -to see that the strained expression had passed out of her eyes; they -looked more natural. - -“You are right, Merle,” she observed, when I had finished, “it is very -beautiful and touching; that was something like love, ‘where thou -goest, I will go.’ Now you may read me a psalm, if you are not tired. I -like your voice, it is so clear and quiet.” - -I read to her until she bade me stop; and then we talked a little. -I told her an incident or two in my school-days about our nutting -expeditions in the Luttrell woods, and how one of our party had strayed -and had encountered a gipsy caravan. I was just in the middle of Rose -Mervyn’s recital, when I heard measured breathing. She had fallen -asleep. - -I saw a great deal of Mrs. Morton during the next few days. She -was very unwell, and Dr. Myrtle insisted on her giving up all her -engagements for a week. He spoke very decidedly, and Mr. Morton was -obliged to yield to his opinion; but he seemed a little put out. - -“It is such a pity all those people should be disappointed,” he -observed, in a grumbling voice. “Mrs. Granville had quite set her heart -on having us both on Thursday. I knew how it would be when you fretted -yourself ill last night.” - -“I could not help it,” she pleaded. “Anderson gave me such a fright; of -course, he thought his coming for me was the best, but when I saw his -face I thought I should have died with fear.” - -“Nonsense, Violet, you ought to learn more self-control; you know I -dislike to see you give way so entirely. Well, we must abide by Dr. -Myrtle’s orders and treat you as an invalid.” - -“But, Alick,” detaining him as he was turning away, not in the best of -humours, as I could see from the night nursery, “I can write for you -all the same; the library is quite warm.” - -“How absurd!” was the reply. “Do you think I should let you tire -yourself for me? I hope I am not quite so selfish, my dear child,” for -she was still holding his arm beseechingly; “you must really let me go, -for I am dreadfully busy; rest yourself and get well, that is all I ask -of you,” and he kissed her and left the room. He was not often hasty -with her, but he was overworked and irritable. - -We made the most of that week between us. Reggie soon recovered, and as -long as he was kept in a certain temperature, and carefully watched, -gave us no further anxiety. - -His mother took entire charge of him during that week; she came up to -the nursery as soon as she was dressed, and stayed with us until Reggie -was in bed and Travers came to summon her. She even took her meals with -us. Dr. Myrtle thought she was suffering from a chill, and the warm -nursery was just the right temperature for her. It was a lovely sight -to watch her with her children. I think even Mr. Morton was struck by -the beauty of the scene when he came up one afternoon and found her -sitting in her easy chair with Reggie on her lap and Joyce standing -beside her. - -“You seem all very happy together,” he said, as he took up his position -on the rug. I had retreated with my work into the other room, but I -could hear her answer distinctly. - -“Oh, Alick, it has been such a happy week—a real holiday; it was worth -being ill to see so much of the children; Reggie has such pretty ways; -I knew so little about him before. He can say ‘fada,’ quite plainly.” - -“Indeed, my boy, then suppose you say your new words.” - -“Do you know what I have been wishing all this week?” she continued, -when Reggie had finished his vocabulary, and had been taken into his -father’s arms. - -“No, my dear,” sitting down beside her, “unless you wished for me to be -a Cabinet Minister.” - -“Oh no, Alick,” and there was pain in her voice, “not unless you wish -it very much too; I had a very different desire from that.” - -“Perhaps you were longing for a house in the country; well, that may -come by-and-by.” - -“Wrong again, Alick. I was wishing that you were a poor man—not a very -poor man, I should not like that—and that we lived in a small house -with a pretty garden where there would be a lawn for the children to -play on, and plenty of flowers for them to pick.” - -“Indeed! this is a strange wish of yours, you discontented woman.” - -“No, not discontented, but very, very happy, dear, so you need not -frown over my poor little wish; everyone builds castles, only mine is -not a castle, but a cottage.” - -“I should not care to live in your cottage, Violet; I am an ambitious -man. The Cabinet would be more to my taste.” - -“Yes, dear,” with a sigh, “it was only make believe nonsense,” and -she did not say another word about that fancy of hers, but began -questioning him about last night’s debate. That was just her way to -forget herself and follow his bent. No wonder he could not do without -her, and was restless and ill at ease if she were unavoidably absent. - -I wonder he understood in the least what she meant by wishing him to -be poor. No doubt her innocent fancy had constructed a home where no -uncongenial anxieties or ambition should sever her from her children, -where she should be all in all to them as well as to her husband. - -I daresay she imagined herself no longer burthened with wearisome -receptions, but sitting working in the shade of the little porch while -her children made daisy chains on the lawn of that humble abode. The -mother would undress her children and hear them say their little -prayers. Hark! was not that a click of the gate? Father has come home. -How late you are, Alick; the children are asleep; you must kiss them -without waking them. Hush, what nonsense, she is dreaming. Alick would -be in the Cabinet; people were prophesying that already. She must take -up her burthen again and follow him up the steep hill of fame. What if -her woman’s heart fainted sometimes, women must do their work in life, -as she would do hers. - -The next day the mother’s place was empty in the nursery. “Mrs. Morton -was with her husband in the library,” Travers told us. Later on we -heard she was driving. Just as I was putting Reggie, half asleep, in -his cot, she came up to wish the children good-night, but she did not -stay with us ten minutes. I remarked that she looked very ill and -exhausted. - -“Oh, I am only a little tired,” she returned, hurriedly; “I have been -paying calls all the afternoon, trying to make up for my idle week, and -the talking has tired me. Never mind, it is all in the day’s work.” And -she nodded to me kindly and left the room. - -(_To be continued._) - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHRISTMAS GIFTS. - - -With the approach of Christmas and Christmas gifts, the cares of the -girl members of a large family may be said to arrive at a crisis. There -is no girl so friendless or so heartless that there is no one she loves -or wishes to remind of that love at this season, while there are many -surrounded by affectionate relations and true friends, whose love they -warmly return, and whom they wish to please with a gift, and yet have -but a small sum at command, and must think carefully over its division. - -How many anxious calculations have to be made, what knitting of -smooth brows, what hasty arithmetic on stray scraps of paper, what -self-denial in personal matters to increase the little store, and -then, when the materials are bought, what secret work is carried on -behind father’s chair, should he happen to be awake, and in this and -that out-of-the-way nook of the house, so that the all-important, -and generally extremely apparent, secret is not divulged until the -Christmas or New Year’s morning! - -All honour to this secrecy, this planning and patient work! It is the -true spirit of present-giving; and let not any of our readers despise -it as childish; rather let them remember that that which costs no -time, no thought, no self-sacrifice is but of little value in the eyes -of affection, and pleases only where the gift is valued for itself, -and not for the giver. The girl who can walk into a shop and select -the first handsome article in it for mamma, and pay for it from an -amply-supplied purse, neither awakens in herself or her mother the -same holy feelings that are excited when baby works an impossible -kettle-holder “all by herself,” and which she “bided” out of the -pennies given her for sweeties. - -Admiring and sympathising as we do with girls who are generous-minded -and do not count labour and time when anxious to please, we have -brought together in this paper, with the idea of helping them, several -useful and pretty articles that can be made without any great expense. - -For a small present, costing at the utmost one shilling, the -fashionable little “hold-all bags” are good. These bags are four in -number, and are connected together only at the top; they are filled -with odds and ends, such as buttons and silks, until they stand upright -and all of a row, and they find a conspicuous place among drawing-room -nick-nacks. - -To make them, purchase one yard of good satin ribbon, in colour either -ruby, navy blue, or chestnut brown, with the reverse side of a pale -blue or old gold shade. The ribbon should be from two and a half to -three inches wide. Divide the yard into four equal portions, sew over -the sides, and hem the tops of two bags without decorating them, -but work on one of the other bags a handsome and legible monogram -containing the initials of the person for whom the present is intended. -Work this with fine gold-coloured purse silk, and surround the chief -outlines with Japanese gold thread. On the other bag work a small -spray of flowers, either a branch of wild rose, a bit of heather, -forget-me-not, or jessamine. Sew up these two bags, and hem them -round like the others; then make sixteen eyelet-holes, four on each -bag; make these round and not very big, and place them opposite to -each other, and at the extreme corners of the opening. Sew the bags -together by overcasting the first bag with its monogram turned outwards -on the inner side of its opening to the outer side of the opening -of one of the undecorated bags. Attach the second plain bag to the -inner side of the first plain bag, and sew the fourth bag, with its -decorated side turned outwards, to the inner side of the third bag. By -this arrangement both the decorated bags are outside, and every bag -at its base is separate. Finally, take a silk dress lace, the colour -of the satin ribbon, and run that through the eyelet-holes to make a -draw-string. Fill the bags, plant them out on the table, and draw their -openings slightly together. - -These “hold-all bags,” instead of being filled with odds and ends, are -sometimes turned into flower-vases. The smallest-sized penny tumblers -are inserted into each bag and filled with cut flowers, or the smallest -size flowerpot, filled with a tiny fern, is used. In the latter case, -a piece of American cloth is fastened round the pot to prevent any -moisture soiling the satin bag. - -The present method for concealing flower-pots when required for drawing -room decoration makes another simple but acceptable present. This is -a bag of plush, into which the pot is put. To make this bag of plush, -cut a round of millboard or stiff cardboard the size of the bottom -of an ordinary flower-pot. Take a piece of plush, in width twice the -circumference of the centre part of the pot, and in height the height -of the pot; sew the two ends of the plush together, and make a hem an -inch and a half wide. As a finish to the upper part, just below this -hem, on the wrong side of the bag, run on a narrow piece of black tape -to hold a draw-string, which make by running in a piece of strong -elastic, that will draw in the fulness of the plush until it fits the -upper part of the flower-pot tightly. Gather the lower ends of the -plush, arrange evenly round the piece of millboard, and sew to the -latter with the edges concealed, using strong thread for the securing -stitches. When the plush cover is used, its millboard foundation keeps -the bottom of the pot (which may be damp) from doing any damage to -the furniture, and the wide hem beyond the draw-string stands out as -a frilling a little below the edge of the pot. Half a yard of plush, -which costs two shillings, will make a pair of flower-pot covers. - -From America comes to us a novelty in bedroom decoration, and one -very suitable as a present to a young lady who uses her bedroom as -a sitting-room and likes it prettily decorated. This is known as a -“pillow sham,” and is a long strip of linen or cambric ornamented with -lace and ribbons, and laid over the top part of the bed in the daytime -only. It fits the width of the bed whatever size that is, and does -not fall down the sides. If the worker is an adept at drawn-thread -work, the pillow sham can be made very inexpensively and of material -that will last through much wear, but when drawn-thread work is not -used, Torchon and other strongly made lace is required. An easy way -for making a pillow sham is to buy four new hem-stitched-bordered -handkerchiefs, and upon the corner of one of the handkerchiefs to -embroider the first letter of the owner’s Christian name, making it -four inches high and slanting it from the corner to the middle of the -handkerchief. Join these handkerchiefs together, inserting between each -an inch and a half wide strip of Torchon lace insertion, and bordering -the handkerchiefs lengthways with a line of the same, so that each -square of cambric is surrounded by insertion lace. Finish with a frill -of Torchon lace edging, which carefully whip to the insertion lace. A -careless bow of ribbon or one of Liberty’s silk scarves tied in a bow -is sewn to the corner of the pillow sham, just above the embroidered -corner. - -When using drawn-work instead of lace insertion, a piece of linen the -length and width of the sham is taken, and the threads from this are -drawn out as strips down the width, leaving five squares of plain -linen between them. After working the strips over with linen thread -into a pattern, narrow coloured ribbon is run down the centres of the -drawn-work, and the linen squares embroidered with washing cotton of -the same colour as the ribbon. An edging of lace finishes the border, -and into this lace a line of narrow ribbon is threaded. - -Another variety of pillow sham is made by sewing together five or eight -pocket handkerchiefs with coloured borders, and ornamenting the same -with a large knot of narrow ribbons of various shades of colour. The -handkerchief borders in this case need not be alike, but should blend -together, and their colours should be used as some of the colours in -the knot of ribbons. - -Palm-leaf fans still find favour as drawing-room fans, but are no -longer left undecorated. The two newest ways of decorating them are -as follows:—Take a well shaped and strong fan and paint it with -oil-colours, with which a very little varnish has been mixed, either a -very bright yellow or a brilliant scarlet. Give two coats of colour, -and let the fan dry. Buy some ribbon half an inch in width; in colours, -black, vivid green, sky-blue, and yellow-pink. Make a wide vandyke -running down one of the lengths of ribbon by taking the running thread -in diagonal lines across the ribbon from edge to edge. Draw the ribbon -up so that it forms a number of pointed vandykes, sew the strips down -the ribs of the fan at equal distances apart, and use black ribbon more -than the other colours. Sew on a line of red gold tinsel between each -strip of ribbon, and finish the handle with a knot of coloured ribbons. - -The second make of fan requires a piece of plush, some narrow coloured -silk cords, and various shades of tinsel. The cords are obtained by -buying a yard of a twisted silk cord made up of various shades, and -using the strands of this separately. Cut the piece of the plush the -size of half the fan, so that it covers the fan on one side from the -tip of leaf to the handle. Fasten this round the edge to the back of -the fan, and ornament its straight edge on the fan with a line of -tinsel on the uncovered side of the fan. Sew down each rib alternate -lines of coloured silk cord and double lines of tinsel, using as many -varieties of tinsel as possible, and arranging the cords with due -regard to effect. Take three long peacocks’ feathers, and fasten these -across the piece of plush and sew their ends together close to the -handle of the fan. Cover the handle with a piece of plush, and arrange -a bow and ends of ribbon round the handle and to conceal the peacock -feather ends. Line the back of the fan with thin silk or dark twill. - -Blotting-book covers of velveteen are always acceptable presents. -The foundation for these is a sixpenny blotter, size ten inches by -eight inches, while three quarters of a yard of velveteen (price -three shillings the yard) will make two covers, with a piece of brown -holland or blue twill for the inside lining. The decoration for these -covers is embroidery, but this is only worked on the upper side of -the blotter, the underside being left plain, so as not to interfere -with its usefulness. The embroidery can be of any description of silk -embroidery, either oriental embroidery with its quaintly-formed but -impossible flowers and foliage, or sprays of naturally-tinted flowers -worked in crewel silks, and both worked directly on to the velveteen -foundation; or silk embroidery finished with a gold thread outline -and worked upon a coloured rep silk foundation, and sewn on as an -ornamental corner to the blotter; in fact there are many ways of -ornamenting the cover, and the embroidery the worker is most proficient -in should be selected. If church embroidery is within her capabilities, -we advise the initials or coat of arms of the owner being worked in a -frame on linen, cut out and couched down to the velveteen foundation -with gold thread or gold cord; but such elaborate embroidery is not -often obtainable. The way to make up the blotter is to cut the holland -lining exactly the size of the sixpenny blotter, and the velveteen a -little larger. Turn in the edges of both, and overcast them together, -enclosing the stiff cover of the blotter between them, and sewing the -blotting paper sheets in when the cover is made. Bradshaw covers are -made like blotters, but naturally take less material, and are only -embroidered in one corner. - -Large photograph-holders can be easily made at home. These are used for -the display of a number of cabinet photos, and are fitted with bands, -into which the photograph is slipped and easily taken out. The size -of such a stand is usually seventeen inches long by thirteen inches -high, but they can be made of any size desired. The foundation is of -millboard, to which a millboard support is fastened by its being glued -to stout tape and the tape glued to the millboard, with sufficient -width of tape left between the two pieces of millboard to allow the -support to work. The upper side of the millboard is covered with -quilted satin. The satin is selected of some bright colour, and the -quilting lines are run as diagonal lines, not as making diamonds. Three -tight bands of satin are sewn across the quilting; these are two inches -in width, and require a lining of stiff net when made up. They are -embroidered with coloured silks, either forming a running design, such -as a spray of jessamine or celandine, or with some geometrical pattern -constantly repeated. When finished and lined, the bands are placed as -diagonal lines across the satin, not as horizontal lines. - -For a photograph-holder the size given, the first band will be eleven -inches in length, and will cross from the top of the holder to the -left-hand side; the second band will be nineteen inches in length, and -will cross from the extreme top corner of the frame on the right side -to the bottom of the frame on the left; the third band will be twelve -inches in length, and will be arranged beneath the last-mentioned, -crossing from the right side to the bottom of the frame. Into these -bands the photographs are stuck; therefore, they must be sewn firmly -down at the sides where they end and commence, and stretch tightly -across the quilted frame. On the right-hand bottom corner of the -foundation, which is never covered with photographs, the owner’s -initials are sometimes worked in black silk over the quilting lines. -This makes a good finish, but is not essential. - -Bachelors’ wall pincushions are useful presents for gentlemen. They are -made of plush, and are ornamented with the perforated brass ornament -used about the harness of cart-horses. These brass rounds are sold by -all harness and saddle makers, and cost from sixpence to a shilling, -and for the latter price the small brass handle by which they hang will -be removed by the shopman, as it is not required for the pincushion. A -quarter of a yard of plush, a quarter of a yard of house-flannel, and -one yard of narrow satin ribbon are required for these cushions. To -make them, tear up the house-flannel into an inch and a quarter wide -widths. Roll these strips very tightly one over the other as a wide -narrow wheel, and keep the strips firm by sticking pins through the -wheel. When a round as large as the perforated brass is made, cut the -plush into two rounds of the same size and a long strip an inch and a -half wide. Cover one plush round with the perforated brass, and sew -them both on the face of the wheel and well through to the back; turn -the edges of the round of plush over the side, and sew on the round for -the back of the cushion; conceal the edges of both pieces of plush with -the narrow band, which turn in at its edges and secure tightly round -the sides of the cushion. Make a loop of the ribbon to hang up the -pincushion by, and sew the ends to the sides of the cushion, and with -the remaining ribbon make a pretty bow, which fasten to the top of the -loop. - -The newest decoration for white wooden articles is the poker or -burnt-wood work. This consists of burning down the background of any -design so that the design itself is in relief. The fumes of the burning -wood slightly colour the parts left untouched, and give an extremely -soft and ivory-like appearance to the work, which, if carried out with -the new apparatus introduced by Mr. Barnard, is quickly and easily -accomplished. - -The articles decorated with burnt wood work are all kinds of white -wood photo frames, small wooden table screens, all kinds of boxes, -bookslides, book cutters, drawing-room bellows, salt boxes, milking -stools, tubs, paste rollers, etc. The best designs are those of large, -single-petalled flowers, with their leaves, such as daffodils, daisies, -and dog-roses. The design is drawn upon the wood, outlined with a -burnt-in line, and its chief lines, such as divisions of flower petals, -centres of flowers, veins of leaves indicated, and then the background -burnt until it is depressed, and is of a warm brown deepening to -black in colour. Mr. Barnard’s apparatus consists of a platinum point -connected by an indiarubber tube to a bottle of benzine, which is -connected with another indiarubber tube to a small air pump. The -latter held in the left hand is pressed, forcing air over the benzine -to the platinum point and keeping that always red hot. The right hand -holds the point and uses it like a broad pencil, keeping it steadily -pressed on the wood until that is deeply burnt in. This apparatus costs -twenty-five shillings, but if several girls join together to purchase -it, there is no further outlay. Small pokers are used if the apparatus -is not procurable. These are about eight inches long and an inch in -circumference; they are sunk in wooden handles, and kept hot in a fire; -four to six are required at once, as they soon become cold. The parts -of the wood not burnt, such as the back of a screen, the legs of a -stool, require to be stained, sized, and varnished, and the burnt wood -is also varnished (not stained) as a finish. The paste rollers are used -for holding whips, keys, etc. They are hung to the wall with coloured -ribbons, and have a row of hooks screwed into them to hang keys, etc., -to. - - B. C. SAWARD. - - - - -THE AMATEUR CHOIR TEACHER. - -BY THE HON. VICTORIA GROSVENOR. - - -In a former article we made some suggestions as to the possibility of -improving a moderate gift for music with the view of learning to play -the organ and qualifying for the noblest of service, that of leading -God’s praise in His church. - -We propose now to take up the subject of training choirs for the same -excellent service, on the understanding that the future teacher has -taken the advice already given as to her own musical improvement. -Personal fitness for this branch of instruction is most necessary; as -if once the taught discover they know anything of which the teacher -has not more perfect knowledge, that teacher’s task will be a hard -one. Therefore, there should be familiar acquaintance with every -description of musical notation. Alto and tenor clefs should be well -understood to be clearly explained when met with. On this subject we -should like to recommend the careful study of “A Short Treatise on -the Stave,” by the late Dr. John Hullah, published by Parker, where -the whole matter is admirably set forth and illustrated on its own -technical grounds. The often-heard, but somewhat slipshod explanation, -“Oh! you must read a note higher or a note lower,” which leaves the -puzzled learner very much where he was before, will thus be avoided. -Even supposing the alto and tenor clefs are never met with, the study -will repay the intending teacher by opening her mind and giving -clearness to her musical ideas. - -It will be seen, by what has been said, that we consider our amateur -teacher’s first qualification should be thorough knowledge of her -subject. The second should decidedly be untiring patience, which will -bear with stupidity, carelessness, want of zeal, deficient ear, bad -pronunciation, and all the thousand and one difficulties which beset -choirs. These consist generally of volunteers who join with but little -idea of giving of their best to God, and an impatient teacher would -soon find herself in the lonely position of the last player in Haydn’s -“Good-bye” symphony. - -We would next place hopefulness in the teacher’s catalogue of moral -furniture. The learners will soon find out if they are being taught -without hope of their improvement; listless work will be the result, -and the shy, anxious members will give it up in despair. The power of -encouraging effort, of detecting and commending the slightest sign of -improvement, of persuading the members mentioned above that the work is -within their grasp, if persevered in, is most necessary, and a kindly -sunny disposition ever ready to look at the brightest side is simply -invaluable. - -Next we should place regularity and perseverance. Without these the -teacher can do nothing. If she works in the best spirit she will feel -that, like David, she cannot offer to God of that which doth cost her -nothing, and she will be ready to forego little pleasures in order that -the practice may not be interfered with, or the evening of the week -changed. This last is a most important point; as the lives of working -people, from whose ranks most members of choirs are recruited, do not -adapt themselves to change, they seldom receive in its integrity a -hasty message sent round to put off, and of all things, a walk for -nothing after a day’s work is to be avoided. Of course rules must be -elastic and not unbending as iron, but experience shows that the above -advice is really needful. Regularity in the teacher is sure to be -imitated by the learners, and steady work must tell in the end. - -The next point should be firmness tempered with wisdom. The teacher -must be supreme, or no choir will prosper. Infallible she cannot be -while here below; but even so, one will must rule or anarchy will be -the result. Twenty (or whatever number may compose the choir) views -of doing the same thing cannot conduce to harmony, moral or musical, -and this fact must be impressed. At the same time there are local -prejudices and fancies in most places, which a clever tactful teacher -will soon discover and understand, so as to know when she had better -give way. - -Enough has been said to show that we do not consider the task of -teaching a choir an easy one, nor will it always repay with success -those who have given it much trouble. The teacher must sometimes find -herself grappling with the effort of making the proverbial “sow’s ear -into a silk purse.” She has impossible materials to weld, such as, -_e.g._, excellent, but roaring basses, trebles possessing no high -notes, tenors out of tune, and leaning to amalgamation with treble, -altos none! What is she to do? Courage! Go on, do your best, teach, -exhort, scold, coax, never lose hope, and if you get no credit, try -not to mind. Man does not know, but God does, what work you do for His -sake, only be sure that you are so doing it. If the music be really -the unattainable “silk purse,” how much may be done in teaching the -inharmonious little choir to phrase well, to throw out by judicious -accent the sense of canticle and hymn, and so lead the congregation to -think of the lesson it contains! How much zeal may be kindled by the -teacher’s energy! How speedily the broad dialect peculiar to the place -will disappear before a little good-natured chaff and imitation from -one in whose lips it is seen, even by its votaries, to be ridiculous! -How the ill-used letter “H” may be helped and restored with the advice -of breathing over it. - -The reader will not, perhaps, think us very encouraging; but it is -obvious that where excellent voices are to be had, forming them into -a choir only needs intelligence and a firm hand from one who is equal -in knowledge to the task undertaken. We have, therefore, tried to suit -our advice to the needs of the many, who must perforce work under -difficulty, being obliged to take, not the materials they desire to -have, but only the heterogeneous ones at hand. - -A few practical suggestions and we have done! Do not attempt too much -in public. Congregations are very critical. One piece of music badly -done will be more noticed than several faultless ones. On the other -hand, keep on learning some music above the power of the choir for -improvement and interest. In cold weather, when possible, choose music -which does not try the voices too much by giving them sustained high -notes to sing. - -Lastly, work according to the views of the vicar of the parish, who -is responsible for everything in it; try to carry out in the best -possible manner whatever form of musical worship he desires to have in -his parish church. You may not be of the same opinion; but you will -gain nothing but good by putting your own views in the background and -thus learning to obey as well as to teach. And may we not hope that -the loving Father will acknowledge such work, even if imperfect in its -results, as done by His child to His Glory? - - - - -“SHE COULDN’T BOIL A POTATO;” - -OR, - -THE IGNORANT HOUSEKEEPER, AND HOW SHE ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE. - -BY DORA HOPE. - - -Mrs. Wilson’s recovery was slow and tedious, even more trying to -herself, perhaps, than to her nurses. She had always been particularly -brisk and active, and had scorned to consider, or, as she said, -“coddle,” herself in any way, and it was a great trial to her -energetic, self-reliant nature to be waited on hand and foot, and -watched over “like a baby.” - -Ella, entirely unaccustomed as she was to illness of any sort, save -her mother’s occasional attacks of asthma, thought the nurse was -unnecessarily checking her aunt’s attempts to help herself, till Mrs. -Mobberly explained to her what different treatment is necessary for -different people, and how impossible it would be, with Mrs. Wilson’s -active temperament, to prevent her from getting excited and over-tired -if she once began to take any part in what was going on around her, -although a little exertion might have been actually beneficial to one -of a calmer and more indolent nature. - -It seemed a long time before Mrs. Wilson was allowed any food more -substantial than beef-tea, of which she wearied greatly in spite of the -nurse’s many devices for varying it. She showed Ella how to alter the -nature of it altogether by making it with half the quantity of mutton, -or veal, instead of entirely beef; or with all three together. This -not only made a pleasant change, but the doctor told them it was often -found more easily digestible than when made of beef alone. Then again, -both flavour and consistency were varied by adding cream, or an egg -well beaten up, or thickening with corn flour, tapioca, wheaten flour, -or rice, while at other times it was served clear, without either -flavouring or thickening, or in the form of a jelly turned out of a -tiny mould not larger than a teacup. - -Gradually, however, Mrs. Wilson began to take more solid food, and -then Ella’s great difficulties began. By the end of her first week’s -experience of providing real meals for her aunt, she wrote to her -mother that she had come to the conclusion that it was quite impossible -to arrange dishes suitable in every respect for a sick room. - -“Do pity the sorrows of a poor young housekeeper,” she wrote, “with -three people to please, the doctor, the nurse, and the patient, and -they all want something different. First comes the doctor, and tells -me I must now devote my attention to making the dishes as nourishing -as possible, as it is time aunt was picking up her strength again; so -I crowd in all the strengthening things I can think of, and flatter -myself I have made a mixture strong enough to restore the weakest -invalid; and the consequence is that next day nurse tells me she has -been up all night with her patient, whose supper was too concentrated -to digest. Next time, inspired by nurse’s tale of sufferings, I make -the simplest dish imaginable, which could not disagree with a baby, -and it comes down almost untouched, with a sarcastic remark from Aunt -Mary that when she is well she does not mind how plain her food is, but -that in her present state of health she needs something to tempt the -appetite a little. And yet——but I will draw a veil over the doctor’s -reproaches when I ventured to make her a spicy little dish.” - -But on the whole, in spite of her poor opinion of her own performances, -Ella managed to supply the needs of the sick-room very satisfactorily; -and she was much comforted on hearing from her mother that even -the most experienced housekeepers find it a hard task to tempt the -capricious appetite of an invalid, especially when it is necessary also -that the food should be very nourishing, and at the same time so light -as not to overtax the most feeble digestion, Mrs. Hastings sent her -daughter a list of suggestions for little dishes for the sick-room, -and added, at the close of her letter— - -“At any rate, my child, if your task is difficult, as I know it must -be, it is also satisfactory, for you can watch your patient each day -able to take a little more nourishment, or a little more substantial -food than the day before. You are saved the terribly sad duty of vainly -trying to tempt an appetite which daily gets a little poorer, or of -watching a dear one getting each day a little weaker, proving only too -clearly that all your efforts are in vain.” - -Happily Mrs. Wilson liked oysters, and, though she soon tired of them, -as of everything else, they formed the basis of a number of tempting -little dishes. The favourite of these, a suggestion of the doctor’s, -was called “Angels on Horseback.” Ella was very anxious to know what -the ridiculous name meant, but could get no information from the -doctor, who said he had often wondered himself, but all he knew was -that it was a favourite dish with invalids, and that was the name it -had always gone by. Each oyster was taken from the shell, and the beard -cut off, and was then rolled up in a very thin slice of bacon, tied -round with cotton, and fried. Usually three of these little rolls were -enough for a dish. - -At first Ella’s generous nature led her into the mistake of sending -up too large quantities of everything for the patient, but she -soon learnt that a dish which would tempt an invalid if offered in -small quantities, would be pushed aside in disgust if large and -substantial-looking. - -Next to “Angels on Horseback,” the favourite dishes were scalloped -or stewed oysters; while for a little additional nourishment between -meals, the nurse would often suggest a “Prairie Oyster.” This -exceedingly simple dish is not an oyster at all, but merely the raw -yolk of an egg, served like an oyster on a small shell, with the -smallest possible sprinkling of salt and pepper over it. The white must -be very carefully strained off, so as to preserve the yolk unbroken, -and it can then be slipped into the mouth and swallowed without any -trouble to the patient. - -Two other favourite dishes which the cook was particularly clever in -making were jellied veal and faggots. For the former a small knuckle of -veal was boiled till the meat slipped easily off the bones, which were -then taken out. The meat was cut into very small pieces, and pepper, -salt, mace, and thyme added to taste, with a small shalot chopped very -fine. This was all put back into the liquor, and boiled again till it -was thick, and then turned into a mould. When cold it formed a stiff -jelly. Ella always found the flavouring a difficulty, for Mrs. Wilson’s -taste as an invalid was of course very different from what it was -when in health, and her digestion was very easily upset; but the cook -obstinately declared that she knew her mistress’s tastes better than -Ella, and in spite of all orders persisted in putting in flavouring -according to her own fancy; so that many dishes which might have been -simple and nourishing enough to be frequently asked for, had to be -altogether prohibited, as being too spicy for the invalid’s delicate -digestion. - -For the faggots, a rump steak was cut into thin strips of about three -inches by two, and on these was spread a little butter, with pepper, -salt, and the smallest atom of minced shalot, or sometimes a few herbs. -The strips were then rolled up, tied with string, and fried in butter -or clarified dripping, and served up in gravy. - -Then there were the different kinds of panada, made of slices of -chicken or game cut off the bones, and scraped and pounded, and gently -simmered in milk; not to mention the numberless ways of cooking eggs, -buttered, scrambled, poached, and boiled, besides omelettes, custards, -and milk puddings of all descriptions. - -At last, Mrs. Wilson began to show signs of real improvement, and as -her strength returned she was allowed to spend part of every day on her -comfortable, old-fashioned sofa, while a few visitors were admitted -to see her. The nurse kept a very watchful eye over these visitors, -and after their departure sometimes expressed herself in very strong -language to Ella, saying that, “They ought to know better than to tire -out an invalid with stopping such a long time, and as for some of them, -why, they don’t never seem to care how high they send Mrs. Wilson’s -temperature up, with their worriting talk, and exciting the poor -creature so.” - -The nurse would have soon taken the matter into her own hands, and -requested the visitors to retire when her patient began to look tired, -but that Mrs. Wilson preferred Ella’s attendance in the room to that of -the nurse when visitors came, and she was not sufficiently experienced -to know when her aunt was beginning to get tired. The nurse hit upon -a plan, at last, which afforded Ella a good deal of secret amusement. -Mrs. Wilson’s spectacle-case was always placed on a little table by -the side of her sofa, and the nurse arranged that, whenever she began -to feel a little tired, and wished to be relieved of her visitors, she -should take up this spectacle-case and lay it beside her on the sofa, -which should be the signal for Ella, or the nurse, to suggest to the -caller that Mrs. Wilson had talked as much as was good for her. - -Every morning Ella had to bring an account of all the pets to her aunt, -and under her searching questions revealed an amount of ignorance that -quite appalled the old lady. - -“You should not feed the ducks and hens together,” she said, one day, -in answer to a remark of Ella’s. “Of course, the ducks eat more than -their share, with their great flat bills. Where are your brains, child?” - -Ella had a good deal of trouble with the fowls’ food at first. Their -morning meal was soft food, consisting of “sharps” (the outer part of -wheat, which is separated in grinding the corn for white flour) and -barley meal, mixed in equal parts, and added to any kitchen scraps -there might be. This was wetted with boiling water, and should have -been made into a stiff, dryish paste—a point Mrs. Wilson had been most -particular about. The cook, however, objected to any extra trouble; as -it was much easier to pour in water enough at once to make the mixture -wet and sloppy, she always did so; while, as for the kettle really -boiling—well, that was only one of her mistress’s many fads. - -Then there was the Indian meal, which ought not to have been used, -except in the cold weather, and then only occasionally mixed with -the other meal, but this had all been used up, and no fresh had been -ordered, so the fowls had been fed on Indian meal alone, till that, -too, was finished. - -Again, with her liberal ideas, Ella gave them far more food than they -could eat, and the wet, sour mess lay about all day; so that it was not -at all to be wondered at that the fowls drooped, seemed out of order, -and did not lay their proper quantity of eggs, and Ella, afraid of -exciting her aunt by telling her they were ailing, only increased the -evil by increasing the quantity of food. - -This state of things had lasted some time, when the nurse took pity -on Ella’s difficulties, and told her it would do her aunt no harm to -be asked for advice about the fowls; so, to Ella’s great relief, they -talked the matter over together, and a change was instituted in the -feeding. Fresh meal of all kinds was ordered, and Ella had a practical -lessons in mixing it. - -Mrs. Wilson had all the materials brought into her room, and directed -the process, while Ella, arrayed in a large apron, and with her sleeves -turned up carefully, followed her instructions. - -Some potato peelings and kitchen scraps had previously been boiled -together till they were quite soft, and now Ella cut these up small, -with an old knife, and then mixed the meal in equal parts, while -waiting for the kettle to boil. - -As soon as it boiled, the scraps were mixed in with the dry flour, and -Ella, seizing the big wooden spoon, began to stir vigorously, while the -nurse poured in the boiling water. - -“Enough water,” Mrs. Wilson cried, in spite of the incredulity of -the two operators, who had intended to put in twice as much. “Don’t -stop beating it up, child,” and Ella continued till she was hot and -breathless. - -“Now take up a handful and squeeze it.” - -Ella did so, and it fell from her hand a stiff lump, leaving her palm -quite clean. - -“That is quite right,” said Mrs. Wilson, encouragingly, after slowly -arranging her gold spectacles, and peering at the mass in the basin. -“See that it is always stiff like that; and never give them more than -they will run after when you throw it for them. If you find any is -left, do not give them so much next time. At night give them each as -much grain as you can take up in your hand, but no more. You may give -the ducks a little more, but stop at once when their hunger is not -keen. Now go and feed them, child; I am tired.” - -Under this treatment the fowls soon revived, and Ella was happy about -them again, at any rate till she discovered that she had made other -mistakes. She found the eggs she got now were much better and richer -than those bought in shops, or even than those she got when the fowls -were being carelessly fed, and that in consequence fewer of them were -necessary in cooking. - -One day, before she had began to take solid food, to the great delight -of her nurses, Mrs. Wilson declared she was hungry, and had taken a -fancy for a boiled egg. There were not many eggs from the hens now, but -the ducks laid regularly; so Ella picked out a fine large duck egg, -and carried in the prettily arranged tray herself; but what was her -disappointment when, on breaking the shell, the egg was found not to be -fresh. Her aunt pushed the tray away in disgust, the sight of the bad -egg had quite turned off her appetite, and she refused to eat anything -at all. - -The nurse was very much vexed, and Ella herself was greatly distressed, -and went off with the tray, more convinced than ever that housekeeping -was not her vocation, and that she never would succeed in it. - -The next time she was alone in the sick-room her aunt told her that she -was evidently very careless about the eggs, and must begin to manage -them differently. To begin with, she must use up all in the house as -quickly as possible for cooking, and every fresh one that came in must -be dated with lead pencil, and placed in order, with the large end -downward, in a board pierced with round holes for the purpose, and -which was kept in the cool larder. They were to be used in the order in -which they were brought in, and, Mrs. Wilson added, severely, she hoped -they would not soon disgrace themselves again by serving up a musty egg. - -At the beginning of January, Mrs. Wilson directed Ella to bring a -certain note-book and the writing materials. - -“Now,” she began, as soon as Ella was ready, “you will find a list, at -the beginning, of all subscriptions that are due. I want you to write -to all the people, and enclose the amounts. I will write cheques for -the large sums, but for the others you must get postal orders. Make a -list of all you will want, and then you can get them when you go out.” - -“But they have not applied for the subscriptions yet, auntie. I have -brought you every application that has come. Would it not be better to -leave them till they are asked for?” - -But this did not suit Aunt Mary’s views at all. She pointed out to Ella -that she kept a note herself of the date when her subscriptions were -due, and therefore knew the time as well as the recipients; and so she -did not see the good of making the charities expend a penny postage, -in addition to the cost of paper and envelope and clerk’s salary, in -merely reminding her of the fact. - -“And be sure,” she continued, “that you put a stamped envelope in with -each subscription. I want them to get the benefit of the whole amount, -without having to spend part of it in reminding and thanking me.” - -“There is another notice under the ‘January’ heading, auntie, about -paying the dog tax. Ought that to be attended to?” - -“Oh, yes, to be sure. Now you see the good of keeping a memorandum -book, for I had quite forgotten that January was the month for renewing -the licence. That will be seven and sixpence. Two dogs, did you say? -Dear, dear, child, how ignorant you are, to be sure! Don’t you know -that dogs are not taxed till they are six months old, and the puppy is -not nearly that yet?” - -Ella looked rather crestfallen at this rebuke, which her aunt -perceiving, hastened to comfort her by saying— - -“Well, it can’t be helped. You are a good girl, and do your best, -my dear; but things were different when I was young, and girls were -expected to know all the ways of a house. Ah, yes! girls were very -useful, in the old days, when I was young.” - -(_To be continued._) - - - - -“NO.” - -BY MARY E. HULLAH. - - -[Illustration] - -Embrance Clemon sat writing in a snug room on the second floor of -a house in an old-fashioned London street. A geranium stood on a -flower-stand near the window; the walls were painted brown, and the -carpet had faded into a comfortable insignificance. - -Embrance was just twenty-four. She had come to London three years ago, -on the strength of a promise of two pupils, and, behold! the pupils -had multiplied rapidly, and she now had as many lessons as she could -manage. She had been brought up by an aunt in the west of England; she -had been educated at a high school, where she had successfully passed -all the examinations that were open to her, and she was thoroughly -happy in her present work. In very truth, she stood alone in the world. -A few months ago, Mrs. Clemon (the aunt who had bestowed upon her such -good care) had set sail for New Zealand, to join her only son, who was -a farmer. She would fain have taken Embrance with her, but there were -two insurmountable difficulties in the way: a lack of funds, and the -young farmer’s desire to marry his cousin, as soon as he should be in -a position to support a wife. Embrance liked him, but she did not like -him well enough to consent to this arrangement; she therefore decided -to remain in London, and Mrs. Clemon, after some fretting, had been -induced to look upon the plan with approval. - -The years of work in the smoke and fog had not done more than tone down -the roses in Embrance’s cheeks; her hair, simply drawn back and plaited -to her head, was that shade of brown that most people call black; she -had kindly brown eyes, a large mouth, and a smile that won the hearts -of her pupils at once, and caused their elder sisters to say that, -after all, Miss Clemon was not so plain when you came to talk to her. -Certainly, Miss Clemon was very little given to thinking about her -appearance. It was, as Mrs. Clemon had always maintained, a pity. The -grey gown that she wore, with a stiff collar, was singularly unbecoming -to her; it was, indeed, warm and scrupulously neat, but when you had -said that, you had come to an end of its praises. It was hideous. - -At last, Embrance put down her pen and looked at the clock; it was -getting late, and the tea-things were still uncleared from one end of -the table. The street was very quiet, and she heard the postman’s knock -next door. - -“I wish somebody would write to me,” she said, aloud. - -It was not the mail day, but there were friends in the country who -corresponded with her from time to time, and to-night she would have -rejoiced over the arrival of any letter. “I almost think,” she said, -looking round her little domain with a half-stifled sigh, “that it was -a pity that I refused to go to that concert, but if I had gone”—with -a glance at a thick book—“I shouldn’t have got through my reading. -By-and-by, when I’m an old lady, perhaps I shall have time to enjoy -myself!” The gratification that she derived from this reflection was -considerably damped by the after-thought, “and then I shan’t care about -it!” - -Her meditations were interrupted at this stage by a sound of stumbling -footsteps on the staircase. It was Annie, the maid, panting and out of -breath; there was a lady just come, who wanted to see Miss Clemon. - -“A lady!” repeated Embrance. “What is her name?” - -“She didn’t say, miss; she is coming up.” - -A sharp ring of a bell sent Annie hurrying down stairs again; the lady, -whoever she was, would have to find her way unassisted. - -Embrance went out on to the landing. “The stairs are very steep,” she -said, “please take care.” - -“Embrance, oh, dear Embrance! is that you at last?” said a voice from -below. “I thought I should never find you in this horrible dark place; -how can you bear it?” - -“Hush! Come up; I am glad to see you, Joan. Come into my room.” - -The new-comer ran up the last few steps, and flung her arms vehemently -round Embrance, who led her into her sitting-room, and then drew back -to look at her. - -“Oh, Embrance,” gasped Joan, fairly breaking down now that the door was -shut behind her, “do be glad to see me! I have taken you by surprise, -haven’t I? But you said you would always help me, so I’ve come.” - -She took off her hat, and sat down on the sofa, dragging Embrance with -her. She was a young, fair girl, graceful in every movement, with a -small, delicate face, surrounded by masses of yellow hair. Her blue -eyes were full of tears, and her pretty lips quivered. - -“My darling,” said Embrance, tenderly, holding her by both hands, “of -course you came if you wanted me; but you are so tired and cold, I will -ring for some hot water and make you fresh tea, and when you are rested -you shall tell me all about it.” - -“Let me tell you now,” said Joan, excitedly. “Oh, Embrance! it is -so dull at home now that you are gone, and Mrs. Clemon is gone, and -everybody I care for! And I don’t get on with my painting, and they -cracked my best plate just when I wanted to send it to the Exhibition -at Exeter.” - -“Well, never mind. You must begin another one,” said Embrance, -coaxingly, almost as if she had been speaking to a child, while she cut -thin slices of bread-and-butter, and produced cake from the recesses of -a cupboard. “Tell me, is your grandfather in London?” - -“No; he’s at home, and Emily, too. I said that I should like to come -to you, and they said very well—I must write and ask you if it would -be convenient. And then I packed a bag, and just came up by the next -train.” - -“My dear Joan, they will think that you are lost.” - -“No they won’t. I wrote a letter to grandpapa before I came away, and -he had given his consent, you know. Are you shocked, Embrance?” - -“Not in the least.” Embrance’s dark eyes rested on her friend with a -look that showed how completely she meant what she said. “But I should -like to hear the rest of the story, Joan. There is something more than -a cracked plate.” - -“You are a real conjuror. I believe you know all about it without my -telling you.” Joan hung her head, and went on pathetically, “Alfred -Brownhill has been tiresome again, and grandpapa is bent upon my -accepting him, and Emily keeps on trying to persuade me. She says that -it is ridiculous for a girl in my position to throw away such a good -chance. I am tired of being told so often that I’m dependent; so——” - -“You came to me to learn to do for your self, you poor child! You know -how glad I shall be to help you, if I can.” - -“Embrance, you’re the kindest person in the world!” was all Joan said; -but she slipped her hand into her friend’s slim fingers caressingly. - -They had been friends from childhood. Embrance had often helped -little Joan Fulloch with her lessons, or coaxed her grandfather into -overlooking some escapade that was against his notions of propriety. -She knew well that it was a dreary home for an imaginative girl down at -Doveton, and that Emily (another granddaughter of the old man’s) was as -unsympathetic as she could be, looking upon Joan’s wish to become an -artist as the wildest of wild schemes. Embrance had vague recollections -of Mr. Brownhill (a flourishing county town solicitor) as a dull man, -who played lawn tennis. She did not believe that Joan liked him, and -as the child was harshly treated at home, she was doubly welcome here. -At any rate, if the worst came to the worst, there was a small sum in -the savings bank that would pay extra expenses for a year to come—and a -year was a long time to look forward in Embrance’s eyes. - -Joan soon regained her spirits, and forgot her fatigue in the novelty -of the situation. It was like a fairy tale, living up here at the top -of that corkscrew staircase; and what a pretty flower! and might she -paint here when Embrance was out? She had her own notions, though they -were somewhat erratic, about making money. - -To-morrow she would write to her cousin, Horace Meade, and he would -help her to get something to do; and she began making calculations as -to the number of people who required dinner services in the course of -a year. If Horace could once get orders for her, her fortune was made, -and in her spare time, she would paint landscapes for exhibitions. -“Then, you must give up these rooms,” exclaimed Joan, eagerly, “and we -can go and live somewhere where there is a garden. And, dear Embrance, -you’ll let me buy you another dress. You ought really never to wear -that cold colour.” - -Joan’s own dress was of a delicate blue shade, hanging in artistic -folds about her pretty figure. - -Embrance heaved a little sigh; she was accustomed of old to her -friend’s castle-building, but she would not say a word to damp her -ardour on this first night. She arranged her books and papers ready for -the morning’s work (her special reading must, of course, be put aside -now), then she came and sat by Joan, and listened to her long account -of home troubles, till the clock struck eleven, and the lamp began to -burn low. - -The days passed on; the winter was at hand. In spite of Joan Fulloch’s -good resolutions, in spite of her hostess’s kindness, she was far -from content in her new surroundings. Her grandfather had sent a box -containing clothes and painting materials; he had enclosed a brief note -in which he foretold that she would soon wish to return to Doveton. -Perhaps, if it had not been for this note, Joan would have said -good-bye to Embrance and the second floor parlour some weeks ago. As -it was she stayed on, always looking out for commissions that never -came, and making plans to paint pictures that she never began. Either -the light was too bad, or she had a headache; there was always an -excuse, and Embrance returned night after night, to find her visitor -plunged in the depths of despair. She would straightway set to work -to cheer her up, and before tea was over, Joan was invariably sure -of success—to-morrow or the next day. At last she heard of a pupil, -but, unfortunately, she did not take kindly to teaching; she was very -unpunctual, and it did not seem likely that her connection would -increase with rapidity. In the meantime, Embrance had begun to draw -upon her savings, for the expenses had increased marvellously since the -autumn. There were so many little luxuries that Joan, poor child, could -not possibly do without. - -“Embrance,” said Joan, one evening. She was sitting over the fire with -a novel, her face was flushed, and her hair was disordered; “I do want -so many things. I wish I could earn some money.” - -“You have got your pupil,” said Embrance, looking up from her book. -She was translating Schiller, and it was the third time that Joan had -interrupted her. - -“Five shillings an hour!” exclaimed Joan, kicking the fireirons down -with a clatter. “It’s so little; I shan’t have earned enough by -Christmas to buy a winter jacket, and besides, I owe you so much, -Embrance!” - -“Never mind about that, Joanie; I have enough for the present, if we -are careful.” - -“It is so tiresome of Horace to be away just when I want him most,” -continued Joan, “but he’ll come to-morrow; he has enough to do; he -ought to be able to help me. Do try and be in early to-morrow.” - -Embrance shook her head. “I can’t be home till seven o’clock.” - -“Put off that stupid lesson.” - -“I’m afraid it is impossible.” - -“I want you to see Horace. You never do anything I ask you!” - -“I am very sorry, Joan.” - -“What’s the good of being sorry?” asked Joan, pettishly. “No, no! I -don’t mean it!” She turned round sharply and saw that her friend’s eyes -were full of tears. In a second, she had flung down her book and was -kneeling at Embrance’s chair: “Do forgive me, it isn’t true. You are -the only person in the world who has real patience with me. Don’t mind -what I said; I didn’t mean it.” - -It took some time to calm Joan down after her fit of penitence, but at -last she went back to her novel. - -Embrance sat with both arms on the table; the translation got no -farther. Her heart was full of love for her friend, and yet—she had -her fair share of common sense—she could not but see that Joan was -thoroughly unfit for her present mode of life. She was just one of -those girls who would be happiest in a home of her own. Here, for once, -Embrance found herself cordially agreeing with Emily Fulloch, who was -as old-fashioned in her notions as it was possible for a narrow-minded -spinster to be. - -Perhaps a “brain-wave” of sympathy passed from one friend to another at -that moment, for Joan looked up from her book: - -“Darling, I think you will like Horace better than Mr. Brownhill, -though he is not so good-looking. I hope you will!” - -“I will try,” said Embrance, jumping up to kiss Joan; “I will try my -hardest, for your sake.” - -Joan blushed, and Embrance began talking of other matters. - -A week later, Mrs. Rakely (a friend of the Fullochs) came to London. -She stayed at an hotel close by, and was glad of Joan’s company, as -she wished to get through as much sight-seeing as she conveniently—or -inconveniently—could in the space of a fortnight. - -One Saturday afternoon Embrance had come home early (Joan had gone to -luncheon with Mrs. Rakely); she was tired, it had been a warm, rainy -day; her boots were muddy and her dress was damp. The armchair by the -fire looked very tempting; she sat down, and in a few seconds was fast -asleep, dreaming of a magnificent abode in New Zealand, where Joan, in -a white satin gown and a diamond necklace, was blissfully wedded to an -emperor with flowing ringlets and bright grey eyes. The emperor had -very bright eyes, indeed, and a habit of knocking on the ground with -his sceptre; he was also afflicted with a curious kind of cough that -did not sound natural—and yet it was natural, appallingly so. With a -start and a jerk, Embrance sat up in her chair wide awake, and met the -gaze of a real pair of grey eyes (brimming over with fun) that belonged -to a gentleman, who stood, hat in hand, at the open door. - -“I really apologise humbly,” he said, without venturing to approach; -“but I was told to walk up, and I knocked several times, and someone -said ‘Come in.’” - -Embrance had recovered her presence of mind. “Please do come in,” she -said. “I am very sorry that I was asleep; but I was so tired. I think -you are Mr. Meade?” - -“That is my name,” said the visitor, looking across the room from the -smoky fire to the rows of books with a quick glance; “and I have the -pleasure of speaking to Miss Clemon.” - -“Yes,” said Embrance, holding out her hand. “Joan will be so -disappointed to miss you. She is not in.” - -The recollection of her plans for Joan’s future happiness brought the -blood to her cheeks. She stooped over the fire to hide her confusion. -Yes, she liked the look of him. He had a clever, kindly face, much -bronzed by the sun; he wore a short beard and a turned-down collar; he -had no gloves, and his hands were long and thin. - -“Do let me do that for you,” said Mr. Meade, putting down his hat and -umbrella. “I am exceedingly skilful at managing fires and chimneys; in -fact, I have occasionally regretted not having been brought up to it -professionally.” - -“As a chimney-sweep?” inquired Embrance. - -“No, I think not,” said Mr. Meade, gravely, as he inserted the poker -between the bars, “but there might have been an opening as stoker or -master of the bellows in some grand family. There, now, if you will -allow me to have a sheet of newspaper, I think I shall succeed to -perfection.” - -Embrance fetched the newspaper, and in a few minutes the crimson flames -were leaping up the chimney. - -(_To be continued._) - - - - -THE SHEPHERD’S FAIRY. - -A PASTORALE. - -BY DARLEY DALE, Author of “Fair Katherine,” etc. - - -CHAPTER IX. - -The following Saturday turned out to be a misty November morning. -Towards noon the fog lifted, and at half-past one, when Dame Hursey -prepared to start to keep her appointment with her son, it was -tolerably clear, but the old wool-gatherer, who was as weather-wise as -John Shelley himself, shook her head as she scanned the horizon from -the door of her miserable cottage, and muttered to herself she doubted -the fog would come on worse than ever at sunset. - -As this was the first time she had seen her son for twelve or thirteen -years, and would probably be the last, seeing that he was going back -to Australia, probably never to return, at least in her lifetime, Dame -Hursey regarded the occasion as a festive one, and had taken a holiday -in honour of it. Her morning had been spent in cleaning her miserable -cottage, in the faint hope that her son might be persuaded to come home -and spend the evening with her. In this hope all her wool-gatherings -had been taken upstairs instead of lying about the floor and corners -of the kitchen, as they usually did; the floor had been scrubbed, a -fire was lighted, two rickety armchairs drawn up to it, and a cup -and saucer, a mug, and two or three plates—Dame Hursey’s stock of -crockery—placed on the table. She dispensed with dinner, and contenting -herself with a piece of bread and cheese, reserved two red herrings for -her tea on her return with her son. - -Then she dressed herself in her Sunday dress, not without some qualms -lest the fog should turn to rain. Even if it did, on such an occasion -as this she must wear her best things, so she put on her black stuff -dress, a black and white plaid shawl, and a bonnet that might have come -out of the ark, judging from its antique shape, and which, to Dame -Hursey’s pride, was ornamented with some dirty old artificial flowers. -Thus attired, and having made up the fire and left the kettle on the -hob, she locked up her hut, put the key in her pocket, and providing -herself with a gigantic cotton umbrella, to answer the purpose of a -walking-stick as well as in case of rain, she set out for Mount Harry. - -Though Dame Hursey knew all the short cuts, it was more than an hour’s -walk from her house to the top of Mount Harry, but the old woman was -longing to see her son again, so she started in good time, and reached -the spot a quarter of an hour before he did, though he was punctual. -The fog was rolling up again, as the old wool-gatherer had predicted, -and, accustomed as her black eyes were to piercing the mists which so -often wrap those rounded hills like a damp clinging garment, her son -was close upon her before she saw his form, looming like a gigantic -grey figure close beside her. It was twelve years and a half since -they had met, and George Hursey was very much altered in appearance -since, in the character of John Smith, carpenter on board the French -yacht Hirondelle, he had laid the baron’s little daughter on John -Shelley’s doorstep; but for all that his mother declared she would have -recognised him in a crowd. - -“You’ll come home and have a cup of tea and a chat, George, after all -these years, won’t you?” said the old dame, gazing with pride and -affection on her ne’er-do-well son. - -“No, mother, no; I might be recognised, and I don’t want to be arrested -for making off with a child, before I go back to my own wife and -children.” - -“The child is safe enough, if you mean the child you left on John -Shelley’s doorstep thirteen years ago come next June.” - -George Hursey gave a sigh of relief, for many a nightmare had that -innocent baby, which, for aught he knew to the contrary, might have -perished from cold or exposure through his fault, given him. - -“John Shelley took it in then, as I thought he would?” - -“Yes, and a beauty she is, and no mistake. George, tell me who the -child is, will you, honey?” said Dame Hursey, in a wheedling tone. - -“That’s what I have come here for chiefly, that and to see you once -again, for when I say good-bye to England to-morrow it will be for good -this time; I am going to give up the sea, and live at home now.” - -“Well, you know your own affairs best; but about the lassie, George; -whose child is she? No poor person’s, I’ll be bound,” said Dame Hursey, -whose curiosity about Fairy exceeded even her interest in her son’s -family affairs. - -“She is the niece of my late master, a French gentleman, and it was -by his wish I took her to John Shelley, only instead of going in as I -pretended I had done, I left her on the doorstep, and went off with the -purse; and if ever I cursed in my life I have cursed that money, which, -for aught I knew till a few minutes ago, had made me a murderer, though -for that matter I may be one still, for the baroness may have fretted -herself into her grave for her baby.” - -“The baroness, did you say, George? Sure, I was right, she is no common -child, no fit wife even for gentleman Jack,” exclaimed the old woman, -opening her umbrella, partly to keep the fog off, partly as a sort of -screen to shut in the secret she had yearned so long to learn. But -George was following up his own train of thought, and went on, heedless -of her interruption— - -“Though, as true as I stand here, I never knew till last week that -Monsieur Léon was drowned, and the Hirondelle lost a day or two after -I left her. Likely as not the baron thinks the child was drowned too, -since they have never found her. I might never have known, only I -happened to ask at Yarmouth if they had ever had a French yacht named -Hirondelle over there, and some of the fishermen remembered all about -the wreck. When I heard that I determined to come and see if the child -was safe, and now I know it is, I want to do the rest, mother.” - -“Yes, honey, what is it? You may trust me. I guessed the night I met -you you knew all about the fairies’ child, and I have kept your secret -and watched the child ever since, for your sake, George.” - -“Well, I want you to go to John Shelley, or to the parson if you like, -or both, and tell them the child belongs to the Baron de Thorens, of -Château de Thorens, near Carolles, in Normandy. Shall I write it down -for you?” - -“No, no, I can’t read it if you do; I shall remember fast enough—Baron -de Thorens, Château de Thorens, near Carolles, Normandy. I shall think -of Christmas carols, De Thorens, Château de Thorens,” repeated Dame -Hursey. - -“Never mind château, it only means castle, but don’t forget the name, -De Thorens. Here, I’ll cut that word on your umbrella handle with my -knife in printed letters. You can read print, I know.” - -“All right; and what else am I to tell them?” - -“Why, that my master and the baron gave me the child twelve years and -a half ago to put out to nurse with an Englishwoman. I went ashore at -Brighton in a little boat with Pierre Legros, one of the sailors, and I -walked across the downs with the child, and left it on John Shelley’s -doorstep; then I told Monsieur Léon John had taken it in and promised -to look after it. He took the address, and the only person I thought I -had robbed was John Shelley, though I knew the baron would make it up -to him when he heard of it.” - -“Are they rich, George?” asked the old woman, taking a pinch of snuff -as she peered at her son through the fog. - -“Yes, I think so. The château is a beautiful place, and stands in a -park.” - -“Is that all I am to say?” - -“Yes, leave the rest to the parson to decide; he will write to the -baron in French very likely. You may tell them as soon as you like, for -I shall be out of the country to-morrow.” - -“I shall wait till you are gone; one day more can’t make any -difference, and it is best to be on the safe side, then if they want -to know where you are, I can say on your way to Australia, so there’ll -be no fear of their catching you, though it is so long ago there isn’t -much danger of that now.” - -“Please yourself, and now I must be off. Here are five sovereigns for -you, mother; they are honestly earned, so you need not be afraid to -take them, and now I must say good-bye. How thick the fog is; there is -no danger of anyone seeing me this evening; it is as much as I shall do -to find my way down to the Brighton Road without breaking my neck in -a chalk pie. Take care of yourself, mother; but you know these downs -better than I do,” said George Hursey, kissing his mother. - -“Ay, ay, lad, never fear for me; I have been out in worse fogs than -this. Good-bye, God bless you,” and the old wool-gatherer strained her -eyes till her son’s figure disappeared, as it very quickly did, in the -fog. - -She stood still for a minute or two after he had gone, gloating over -the secret she had at last discovered, and muttering to herself again -and again, “Baron de Thorens, Carolles, Normandy,” and then she too -turned and walked slowly off through the fog in a different direction. - -It was quite true she had been out in worse fogs than this, but whether -it was that she was too much occupied with her own thoughts to think -of where she was going, or whether the fog, which gradually increased, -was worse than she fancied, she suddenly, after wandering about for -half-an-hour, awoke to the conclusion that she did not know where she -was. If she had come right she ought to have been at the bottom of the -hill by now, whereas she was still on flat ground, and had not begun -the descent. - -She had been so absorbed in wondering what the Shelleys, particularly -“gentleman Jack,” as she always called Jack, would say to her news, -and in picturing to herself the amazement on learning that Fairy was -the daughter of a French nobleman, perhaps a baroness herself or a -countess, for Dame Hursey had very vague ideas on the subject of -French titles; and in thinking how pleased Fairy would be to hear she -was a rich lady, that she forgot all about the fog and where she was -going. Loving gossip as she did, the secret George had put in her -power was dearer to her than the five sovereigns tied up in the corner -of her pocket-handkerchief; it would add to her importance in the -neighbourhood more than the gold. Moreover, it might lead to a reward -for her, since she had had no part in leaving the child to the care -of the shepherd, and Fairy she was sure would not suffer her to be -forgotten when the Shelleys came to be rewarded. - -“Why, but for me Fairy might never find her parents after all; if I -were to keep this secret to myself she would never know for certain she -was a lady born, perhaps a countess. I shall make them understand that -before I tell them. Or, if anything was to happen to me now before I -have told them, why they’d like to never know it. Bless me, where am -I? This fog is worse than I thought; I ought to have been home by now, -and here I am still on the top. De Thorens, Carolles, Normandy,” and so -muttering to herself Dame Hursey disappeared in the fog. - -That same afternoon, Fairy, little thinking her name and birth were -so soon to be revealed, and her happy life in the shepherd’s cottage -exchanged for a very different one in a French château, had gone for a -walk with Charlie, and, to Mrs. Shelley’s great anxiety, at half-past -five o’clock, when her husband and Jack came in to tea, they were not -home. The fog now was so dense that you could hardly see your hand -before you, and even with a lantern you could not discern anything a -yard or two in advance of you, and Mrs. Shelley was intensely relieved -when John and Jack came home safe. - -“Thank God you are both back safely; it is an awful fog, isn’t it, -John?” asked Mrs. Shelley, as John stood wiping the fog from his beard -and face. - -“Yes, it is a bad one; luckily both Jack and I saw it was coming on and -got the sheep home before dark, or we might have been half the night on -the downs.” - -“Isn’t it tiresome? Charlie and Fairy went out for a walk soon after -dinner, and they are not back now; I have been in such a fright about -them,” said Mrs. Shelley. - -“What, mother? Fairy out in this fog? Good heavens! the child may be -killed! What on earth does that little idiot mean by taking her out in -a fog? He deserves a sound thrashing,” burst out Jack. - -“Hush, Jack; Charlie may be in danger as well,” said Mrs. Shelley. - -“Serve him right too,” muttered Jack, as he went in search of a lantern -without another word. - -“Fairy and Charlie out, wife? Dear me, we shall have to go and look for -them; why, they may fall into a chalkpit and break their necks. Where -have they gone?” asked John, leisurely putting on his hat and scarf. - -“I don’t know, but I fancy to Mount Harry; I heard Fairy talking about -it.” - -“Here, Jack, we shall have to go and look for them children, I think,” -called out the shepherd to Jack. - -“Of course we shall; I am lighting the lantern; let’s be off at once, -father,” said Jack, who had made the necessary preparations for the -search while his father was taking in the fact that the children were -lost, and now stood with the lantern in his hand and his dog by his -side at the open door. - -“Where are we to go, father?” said Jack as they started. - -“Well, your mother says they are gone to Mount Harry, so if we were to -go along the Oatham-road and search those chalkpits as we go, that is -the only place they are likely to have fallen down. If they are not -there, and God forbid they should be, we shall know they have not come -to much harm beyond a fright. When we have passed the chalkpits we can -climb up Mount Harry and come back by the jail; I have my compass, we -can’t go far wrong with that.” - -Jack fell in with this plan at once; it was by far the best thing -they could do; but then John Shelley, in his slow, methodical way, -invariably hit upon the wisest plan of action in an emergency, as Jack -very well knew. Accordingly, off they started, each with a lantern and -the shepherd’s dog leading the way. Jack’s own dog was younger and not -so steady as Rover, so he kept him at home. This Rover was a son of -the Rover who had first discovered the fairies’ baby on his master’s -doorstep that midsummer evening, but John Shelley called all his dogs -Rover, and was rather scandalised when Jack insisted on naming his dog -Bruce; it was an innovation, and the shepherd disliked anything new; -however, in this he was persuaded to yield, Mrs. Shelley and Fairy -taking Jack’s part, and saying two Rovers in one family at the same -time would never do. - -(_To be continued._) - -[Illustration: MILAN CATHEDRAL.] - - - - -OUR TOUR IN NORTH ITALY. - -BY TWO LONDON BACHELORS. - - -After leaving Lugano, the train enters two tunnels, shortly after -which it crosses the Lake at Bissone, by means of a most hideous stone -bridge. Bissone is a very picturesque village. The little steeple of -the church rises romantically from the luxuriant foliage, and numerous -cottages are scattered on the side of the lake. The charm of the scene, -however, is much marred by the aforementioned bridge. - -After leaving Bissone, the train goes directly south to Mendrisio, the -station for Monte Generoso, the view from which is said to be equal (if -not superior) to that from the Rigi. We had intended to climb Monte -Generoso, but it being a very misty day, there would, of course, have -been no view, so we continued our journey, passing Chiasso and Como. At -Chiasso the luggage is examined, for, strange to say, one is in Swiss -territory until arriving at Como. - -We did not stay at Como, as we had decided to see that city and its -beautiful lake on our return journey. The route from Como to Milan -interested us, from the variety it afforded to the mountainous -districts we had recently visited. There is, indeed, a great charm in -the dead level of this huge Lombard plain; for apart from its cities, -so interesting, historically and archæologically, we felt a certain -sense of relief in getting again into a flat country, luxuriantly -fertile and productive. - -We made a mistake in not staying at Monza, a very ancient city -containing, amongst other interesting buildings, a cathedral, founded -by Queen Teodolinda in the sixth century, and a Broletto, or town -hall, attributed to Frederic Barbarossa. We arrived at Milan early in -the afternoon, and immediately drove to our hotel, through one of the -magnificent gates which guard the approaches to the city. - -On entering this, the first great Italian city which we had seen, many -thoughts crowded into our minds. Here we were in a country the very -cradle of European art, where through all times, even down to the -present, art seems a vital necessity to the people. In other lands art -has been an ornament or a luxury, but in Italy it seems to enter into -the very life of the inhabitants, and nothing seems to have been able -to wean them from their devotion to the beautiful creations of the -hand of man. We find them revelling in art when foreign armies were -overunning the country and decimating the population. We find it under -tyranny and oppression of the most galling description—surrounded by -acts of horror and infamy of the most despicable kind. We find it often -in combination with ignorance and folly that are simply contemptible. -We find it existing when liberty was utterly suppressed. Thus during -all the Middle Ages and the period of the Renaissance, whether -the Italians were slaves or free, whether they were conquered or -victorious, whether they were united or divided, still this marvellous -spirit of art seems to have pervaded everything from their religion -down to the most ordinary acts of everyday life. - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF MILAN CATHEDRAL.] - -Another thought which naturally suggests itself on entering Milan is -that of the two noble characters whose lives stand out like brilliant -meteors amongst the gloom, horror, wickedness, and folly, which stain -so much of her history. We refer to her two Archbishops—St. Ambrose, -the light and glory of her early history; and Charles Borromeo, the -bright star which illumined her deepest gloom. And one cannot help -thinking of the good and great man pursuing his mission of charity -amongst the sick and dying of the plague-stricken city. - -Our first thought was to find our way to the cathedral, the second -largest Gothic church in Europe, about which probably more has been -written, and a greater number of conflicting opinions as to its merit -expressed, than about any building in the world, with the exception of -St. Peter’s, Rome. As it is impossible to say anything new about this -wonderful cathedral, we shall principally confine our remarks to our -own individual impressions and opinions. - -To commence with, the first view of the interior struck us as far finer -than the more popular exterior. Indeed, so great an effect had it -upon No. 2, that he turned as white as a sheet, and seemed completely -overcome with the wonder of the buildings. The enormous proportions -of the church, the great height of the pillars, with their canopied -niches over the capitals, and the rich religious effect of the whole, -formed a picture, in comparison to which (in our eyes) the blazing but -meretricious glory of the exterior, with its 4,000 or so niches and -vast masses of carving, was not to be compared. It is said that an -intimate acquaintance with both exterior and interior will fall far -short of one’s first impressions. - -Now this did not strike us with regard to the interior. No, not even -after we realised the tracery of the roof to be painted, and the -tracery of the windows to be somewhat straggling and unmeaning. But it -is a different matter from the exterior; after the first astonishment -is over, one sees at once the great over-elaboration and the general -“spikiness” of the effect, though No. 1 thought the admixture of the -Renaissance style in the façade saved this portion of the cathedral -by supplying that solidity and “sobriety of line” which the building -otherwise so painfully lacks. - -Even before we heard that the architect was supposed to have been -a German, we recognised the Teutonic character of the cathedral, -especially of the interior, which seemed to be not entirely unlike that -of Cologne. - -To enter more into detail, the plan is a Latin Cross, terminated by -an apse, and divided into a nave and four aisles. The interior is 477 -feet in length, by 183 in breadth, exclusive of the transepts, and is -supported by fifty-two pillars, which are eighty feet in height and -twelve feet in diameter. The before-mentioned niches, which crown the -pillars, are a great feature, each niche being of different design, -and all remarkably beautiful. The roof is elaborately painted in -imitation (so it is said) of tracery. Street calls this an “abominable -device, which never ceases to offend and annoy the eye more and more -every time it is observed.” The effect did not seem to No. 1 at all -disagreeable; quite the contrary. He thought it added great beauty and -richness to the design, and does not believe that it was ever intended -to deceive the beholder into the idea that it is real tracery. “Why -not believe it to be mere decorative painting, and beautiful art as -such?” he asked. But No. 2 was really deceived into believing that the -imitation of tracery was actually what it represented, particularly -as the design, which is in dark-brown colouring upon a light ceiling, -represents carvings of beautiful patterns and filigree work, very much -like the Gothic screens of some of our English cathedrals, only fixed -upon the ceiling instead of being on the line of sight. But when, after -investigation, he found the paint obliterated here and there by damp -and other causes, showing blotches of brown and white, he was disgusted -beyond measure, and began to look upon other work with suspicion. -“Why,” cried he, “should a Christian church impose on the unwary, or to -the wary preach affectation and artifice?” - -There is no triforium, and the pavement is a mosaic of various coloured -marbles. There is a great quantity of old stained glass in the windows, -which, though not equal to our old English glass, yet gives the -building a very religious effect, which is still more enhanced by the -colour of the stonework, which has the appearance of old ivory. The -interior is well filled with ancient monuments; but we have no space -to describe them, and will simply add that the most remarkable are -those of Gian Giacomo and Gabriele de Medici, attributed to Michael -Angelo; of Cardinal Caracciolo, in black marble, by Bambaja; and of -Ottone Visconti, Archbishop of Milan, which is earlier in date than -any portion of the cathedral. In the north transept is the bronze -candelabrum for holding seven lamps, constructed in imitation of that -which existed in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem—a magnificent work -erected in the thirteenth century. And in the south transept is a -famous statue of St. Bartholomew being flayed alive. - -St. Charles Borromeo, the great Archbishop of Milan, is buried below -the dome in a subterranean chapel. It may interest our girls to know -that he was the originator of Sunday-schools in Europe. - -The Duomo of Milan is like no other building in the world, it belongs -to no distinct style of architecture, and in art it had neither parents -nor children. Nothing was ever built like it before, and nothing -will ever be built like it again. We do not say that it is the most -beautiful church ever built, nor do we deny that, architecturally -speaking, it possesses many grave faults, but what we mean is this: -Of all other churches we say they are built in such and such a style, -or are of such and such an order of architecture. But of this we say -simply, it is the Duomo of Milan. - -When this vast structure, with its countless pinnacles of pure white -marble glittering in the sun, and backed-up by a dark blue sky, breaks -upon our astonished gaze, the mind is absorbed with wonder. - -Is it a vision? What have we seen before like it—possibly only one -thing—the snow-clad peaks of the Alps. One cannot get rid of the notion -that some kind of relationship exists between the two. We begin almost -to suspect that some mighty Alp, with its snow-clad peaks, must have -been its mother—so much is it like the kind of architecture that would -have sprung from the mountains. - -It was after leaving the Duomo that the two bachelors had their -first quarrel. This is how it came about:—The older bachelor, who is -impressionable and of a poetical and non-technical turn of mind, enjoys -an undisturbed first sight of a magnificent building, without first of -all inquiring into its structural and architectural details; and if -there is one thing more than another which annoys him, it is to have -the “dry bones” of workmanship dinned into his ears and thrust before -his mental vision when the complete building should rather impress on -him all that it has to say of great achievement and power. - -Now the younger bachelor is technical and fond of dates, so seized the -opportunity of showing off his knowledge of history and archæology -at the very moment when his friend was first gazing at the religious -splendour of the interior of the cathedral. This made No. 2 insist -on a judicial separation, at any rate for the first hour, so the -greater part of the building was explored in “single blessedness.” -The quarrel, postponed, of course, until we had left the Duomo, was -happily of short duration, and the two bachelors compared notes, and -came to the conclusion that, after all, more permanent unity is created -by contradictory temperaments. Whether this would apply in the case -of man and wife they unfortunately could offer no opinion founded -on experience, so they wended their way through some very narrow, -uninteresting streets to the church of St. Ambrose, at the west of the -city. - -St. Ambrogio, founded in the fourth century, is full of ancient -epitaphs and early Christian antiquities, notwithstanding that it -was very much repaired in the seventeenth century. The walls of the -“atrium,” or open court, in front of it, contain fragments of frescoes, -ancient inscriptions, etc., which, backed up by the Romanesque red -brick church (dating from the ninth century), form one of the most -picturesque scenes in North Italy. - -The interior of St. Ambrogio is, if possible, more interesting than -the exterior; it is of grey stone, with arches of red brick, a quaint -effect of colour. There are no transepts, and the building terminates -in an apse. - -It would take pages to describe all that is remarkable in the interior -of St. Ambrogio, so we shall only mention some of the interesting -features. On first entering the nave we noticed two pillars, on one of -which is a brazen serpent, said to be the brazen serpent of Exodus. The -vaulting of the apse is very ancient, and is covered with mosaic work -as fine as anything in St. Mark’s, Venice. Below we noticed the old -chair of St. Ambrose. The high altar is interesting, as being the place -where some of the German emperors received the iron crown of Lombardy; -a baldachino or ciborium covers it. - -On the front of the high altar (itself a blaze of glory) are depicted -scenes from the life of Christ, while on the back are represented -incidents in the life of St. Ambrose, the former in plates of gold and -the latter silver-gilt. - -St. Ambrogio contains several frescoes. The finest are “Legend of St. -George,” by Bernardino; and “Ecce Homo,” by Luini. In it also are the -shrines of Saints Gervasius and Protasius—very popular saints in Italy. - -On leaving St. Ambrogio we wished to get straight back to our hotel; -but we unfortunately lost our way, and were obliged to ask an Italian -gentleman to direct us. He not only put us on the right road, but -actually went out of his way to ensure our not losing ourselves again. -This is characteristic of the North Italians. They are really polite, -and, according to the elder bachelor, the most gentlemanly people he -has visited. - -After _table d’hôte_ we strolled out of the hotel, and walked through -the magnificent Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel (containing some of the best -shops in Milan) into the Piazza del Duomo. It was a beautiful moonlight -night, and the cathedral looked simply glorious—its dazzling whiteness -almost frightening us as it suddenly burst on our view. After due -deliberation No. 2 irreverently said that the appearance was similar to -that of a colossal wedding-cake, with its sugary-looking ornamentations -under a strong light. The Duomo, though not a very pure example of -Gothic, possibly over-ornamented, and its detail not always in the -best taste, is certainly one of the most extraordinary examples of -man’s industry, perseverance, and wealth to be found in the whole realm -of art. - -It was about 9 o’clock p.m. that the first scene was enacted of what -might have completely wrecked our holiday, viz., the longing of the -younger bachelor to smoke one of the long cigars, with straws in them -at either end, which foreigners, especially Italians, seem so to enjoy. -No. 2 (the older) bachelor being the better linguist, went into a -tobacco shop and ordered one of these cigars. It was in vain that the -shopman declared they were never bought by English; it was of no use -his repeating that they were so inferior—No, No. 1 had set his heart on -possessing one of them, and have one he would. - -We bought two, one of which the younger bachelor immediately smoked, -having first carefully extracted the straws. The other was given to the -waiter, and it is safe to predict that neither of us will ever be seen -with one of those terrible cigars again. About 10 p.m. No. 1 began to -show signs of a violent bilious attack, which grew worse as the night -came on. This was the commencement of an ailment which afterwards -turned out to be “gastric fever.” There was little sleep that night for -either of the bachelors, as No. 2 sat up by his friend during a great -part of the night. The next morning, however, though still unwell, No. 1 -insisted on going to church. On returning hotel-ward the younger felt -alarmingly ill, and could not walk further without help. - -When we got to the hotel, No. 2 determined to send for a doctor, -and, looking into his Baedeker, chose one of those recommended. Our -girls must not think it was entirely the horrible cigar that made No. 1 -so ill. They must remember he was described as having a shocking -digestion, which had been “upset” by the continual travelling and the -change of food; also, the sudden change from the bracing mountain air -to the comparatively enervating climate of Milan, no doubt accelerated -the illness. The doctor came about four hours after he was sent -for, and, after asking innumerable questions as to the occupation, -rule of life, etc., of the bachelor, seemingly unnecessary—not to -say impertinent—prescribed an alarming amount of medicine. We shall -remember that doctor, with his important manner and soft, deep voice. -He was a smart, healthy-looking man, with an imposing moustache and -short black hair. We shall also remember the answer he gave to the -older bachelor, who had inquired how long it would be before his friend -would be well enough to resume his travels—“Maybe in two or three -weeks,” being the encouraging reply. - -The younger bachelor is here reminded of the interesting view of -chimney-pots and house-roof visible from his bedroom window, which it -was his fate to watch incessantly for two whole days, miserably ill, -with one longing in life, viz., to quench his burning thirst with “a -lemon squash.” - -As it seemed the less expensive method, No. 2 shopped for the lemons, -bringing in a dozen at a time, and squeezing them with his fingers into -a water-bottle glass. The sugar was purloined from the _salle-à-manger_ -(as we wish this narrative of ours to be a strictly truthful one, -we resolutely admit our guilt, but hope the Italian Government will -not be too hard on us), for we preferred the charge of one halfpenny -per “squash,” instead of one franc, the probable price of one bought -at the hotel. If any one of our readers has had a brother to supply -incessantly with “lemon squash” for two days and one night, without -the use of a proper lemon-squeezer, she will appreciate the sad -intelligence that No. 2’s finger joints are now less supple and -powerful than before this Italian tour. - -_La femme de chambre_ was, as most young women are to forlorn and -helpless bachelors, tender and kind. In fact, at the end of two days -she quietly suggested that a lemon squash was the worst drink for the -poor patient, and actually the dear thing made for him some oatmeal, -bringing into the room a sieve, a basin, some warm water, and a screw -of paper containing oatmeal. Then (_à la_ Useful Hints in the G. O. P.) -the recipe was as follows:—A little oatmeal in the strainer, hold over -the empty basin, and with the warm water (by this time very lukewarm), -percolate through the sieve, and behold a dish of Scotch oatmeal! - -That preparation did not seem to improve the condition of the poor -patient. - -“Oh, that we had some English lady with us,” cried No. 2. - -“Never no more,” groaned No. 1, with his face to the wall, though -whether this depressing remark had a reference to the oatmeal, the -gentler sex, or the “holiday” (save the mark!), No. 2 has not yet been -able to determine. - -(_To be continued._) - - - - -ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. - -[Illustration] - - -MISCELLANEOUS. - -GUINEVERE must 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,” -is _Ignis 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? - -MAGGIE might obtain the first volume by means of an advertisement in -the _Exchange 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 RACHEL must 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. - -CURLY and FLUFFY.—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. - -INEZ and PHILIP.—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 LONGLEGS should 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 from _Kiare -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. - -HOPE has 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 LEEMING and ALICE 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. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GIRL'S OWN PAPER, VOL. 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