Irene Foy, 32, Osborne Terrace, Clapham Road, wishes to sell “Onyx” a Greek grammar, written by Irene’s father in English and Greek. Will “Onyx” please write?

Lem.—You will find the poem from which you quote an extract in Ezekiel and Other Poems, by B. M. (Nelson and Sons). It is there entitled “The Sea of Sorrow.”

Constance.—1. “Auf Wiedersehn,” means “till we meet again,” like the French “Au revoir.”—2. We always recommend Dr. Lemmi’s Italian Grammar, published at 5s. by Messrs. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh; and Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall & Co., London. It is quite simple enough to be studied alone.

Soror.—We are sorry you have had to wait so long for a reply, but owing to the time at which we go to press, we cannot promise an answer speedily.

Nurse Petra.—The Jugend-Gartenlaube, 5s. a year, might suit you; but we advise you to write for a full list of German periodicals to Hachette & Co., 18, King William Street, Charing Cross, London.

F. E. Bartram.—Books on entomology appear rather costly; but you might begin with British Butterflies, Moths and Beetles, by W. F. Kirby, published at 1s.; or Sir John Lubbock’s Origin and Metamorphoses of Insects, 3s. 6d. Order at any bookseller’s.

Nydia.—It is not wonderful that a “first attempt,” especially as you have “never learnt how to set down music,” and are only sixteen, should be full of mistakes, too many to specify. It is absolutely impossible for you to hope to succeed without seriously studying the rules of harmony. At the same time we should judge from your pleasant and modest letter that such study would be by no means thrown away.

A correspondent directs our attention to the fact that “foolscap,” concerning which a question was lately answered in “Study and Studio,” is a corruption of the Italian foglio-capo, a folio-sized sheet. The error is an ancient one, for from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century the water mark of this size paper was a fool’s head with cap and bells.

B. E. M.—1. We are constantly mentioning Reading Societies in this column. Try the National Home Reading Union, Surrey House, Victoria Embankment, London, or write to Mrs. Walker, Litlington Rectory, Berwick, Sussex.—2. Do not try or wish to “become pale.” Sufficient exercise, and strict attention to clothing and diet, are the best cure for a faulty circulation.

A Lincolnshire Girl.—1. The lines you quote,

are certainly by Tennyson, from the poem “Lady Clara Vere de Vere.”—2. The allusion,

is to Margaret Roper, the daughter of Sir Thomas More. This devoted daughter obtained possession of her father’s head after his execution, kept it in a leaden casket, and left directions that it should be buried with her. For the whole story, see The Girl’s Own Paper for February, 1898, where we answered the question at length.

Bluebottle.—The reference you quote is probably Professor E. Curtius, a distinguished German authority on etymology.

A. N. D.—1. The lines (which you misquote) are as follows—

They are by Robert Burns, and you will find them in any edition of his poems.—2. Write to the office of The Boy’s Own Paper, in which magazine “The Bishop and the Caterpiller” first appeared.

Florence is very sorry, but circumstances have occurred which unfortunately prevent her from opening a correspondence with a little girl reader of the “G. O. P.” as she wished. Among the many readers of our paper, perhaps someone else will kindly volunteer.

“Madge,” who lives in the country, and works with her hands, would very much like to correspond with “Nellie,” so would Robina J. Gibson, Ferneycleuch, Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire (a farmer’s daughter), and B. E. M., The Rectory, Barnow, Co. Wexford.

M. D. Lewis, Sabia, near Smyrna, Asia Minor, would be very glad to write to any of our readers who would like to hear a little about the remote and uncivilised region where she lives, and the curious superstitions and customs that prevail. She adds, “If any of your readers wish to correspond with me in Greek, I shall be very much pleased.”

Miss Frances White, Yaverland Manor, Brading, Isle of Wight, would be pleased to exchange stamps with girls living abroad; she would send twenty British stamps in exchange for the same number of the nationality of her correspondent.

Maud M. Baughan, Vernon Villa, James Street, Oxford, would like to correspond in English with Miss Ruby Tizarel and Miss Nelly Pollak. As Miss Baughan is a teacher, she would also like to correspond with any teachers across the sea.

Miss R. M. Cooke, Oxford Villa, Gordon Road, Southend-on-Sea, wishes to correspond with some girls of her own age (20) living abroad. She is an enthusiastic collector of view post-cards, and would like to exchange English cards for those of other countries.

Will O Mimosa San exchange illustrated post-cards with Madame Gaston Cantin, Rue de Saujon, La Tremblade, Charente Inférieure, France, whom we thank for her pleasant words, describing the delight of her correspondence with an English reader of the “G. O. P.”

“Bertram,” a girl fond of out-door exercise, would like to correspond with a French girl about sixteen years of age.

Miss Sofie Abelsberg, Budapesth, Hungary (11, Nagy János Street), wishes for a well-educated English or American girl correspondent of her own age (18) who would write in German or English, Miss Abelsberg in English.

Florida would like to correspond with a Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish or Russian girl of good family about 20 years of age. She would help them in English if they would help her in their languages. Will any girls of these nationalities send addresses here?

A Farmer’s Daughter (Choice of Employment).—Are there not rather many kinds of work which you dislike? You “would not think of entering into domestic service at all.” You “would not care for shop business either.” You think, however, that you might like to act as a clerk, or a lady’s companion. Now, we are obliged to tell you that companions are very little wanted, and that clerks, if they are to receive moderately good salaries, must be well educated. You tell us, however, that your parents would not be disposed to spend anything further on your education or training. This makes the position somewhat difficult. It compels you to regard home as your school. But there are many useful things that a girl can learn on a farm. You might learn dairy-work thoroughly and earn something by the sale of butter. Later, if you could master the newest methods, from studying the appliances used by your most successful farming friends, you could seek a position as superintendent of some gentleman’s private dairy. People who can make butter and cheese well never go a-begging. Then you should also study the best and most remunerative methods of rearing poultry and of marketing eggs. Something, even, might be earned from your garden, if you have one, and the soil is favourable for bulbs—as in many parts of Ireland it is. The secret of comfort in farmers’ households is for the family to remain together, and for each member—father and mother, sons and daughters, to contribute their share of work. But where families break up, the trouble comes, for each person then wants a separate house, and consequently larger earnings.

Twentieth Volume (Art Teachership).—Your friends have unfortunately been only too well acquainted with the facts, when they told you that it would be extremely difficult to obtain a situation as teacher of art in a school. Drawing is taught in a good many girls’ schools, but by no means in all. The head-mistresses of many High Schools are disposed to give most of the time allowed to general English subjects and languages, which count in examinations, and to leave girls of artistic tastes to study drawing later at a regular school of art. Evidently you draw well, or you could not have obtained so much success in the South Kensington examinations. But the question arises, can you not earn something by your own drawings? Could you not draw illustrations for stories, or make designs for some commercial or advertising purpose? In all directions of this kind there is much work to be done and money to be earned. Or have you thought of trying some handicraft such as lace-making, silk-weaving, or cane basket-making? Perhaps, as you live in the Midlands, you could some day visit the Birmingham Municipal School of Arts and Crafts and observe the many kinds of beautiful work done by girls there. Such a visit might give you useful ideas. In chromo-lithography, too, there is constantly a demand for good designs. There are some large chromo-lithographic firms in Birmingham. The other matter you speak of is not one in which we can help directly, but you might make the cottage known to the railway authorities so that they could include it in the lists of country lodgings which they publish.

F. W. G. (Hospital Nurse).—You would not be required to know much arithmetic in order to be admitted to a hospital; but at the same time you ought to know something of the subject, otherwise your notions of the portions of drugs to administer, and other such matters in which an accurate mind is essential, will be very hazy. During the period which must yet elapse before your admission you had better be trying to improve your arithmetic. Your writing, about which you ask our opinion, is sufficiently legible and clear, but it would be improved with practice. There is a slight disposition to make the letters slope too much.

Independence (Nurse-Companion, etc.).—A nurse-companion is usually expected to have been trained at a hospital. The training need not have been sufficient to qualify a woman for regular hospital employment, but it ought to have covered a period of six months at all events. You do not mention that you have been in any hospital, and we therefore think you had better give up the idea of becoming a nurse-companion. Perhaps, as music appears to be your best accomplishment, you would do most wisely to seek employment as nursery governess. Your general education we judge by your letter to be fairly good. But try to improve yourself by every means within your power, as you cannot long remain a nursery governess; and you must either advance so as to become a fully qualified governess, when you are older, or devote your attention to the practical duties of looking after young children. In the latter case you would, of course, term yourself a children’s nurse. It is possible that you might be well advised to advertise yourself as a children’s nurse from the first, seeking a subordinate position to begin with, in order to gain experience. Your handwriting is satisfactory.

A Clydesdale Lassie (Hospital Nursing).—Paying probationers are received commonly for a period of three months at a time, for which thirteen guineas is paid in advance. You could not enter a general hospital on these terms just at present. Twenty-two is customarily the lowest age for admission.

Wee Wifie (Fancy Work).—It is almost impossible to obtain a sale for fancy articles which are only made at home and in small quantities. Little novelties which can be produced cheaply and in large numbers may often be sold direct to wholesale and retail dealers in bazaar and fancy articles. We should recommend a lady who must live at home either to do work on these lines and treat her home as a small manufactory, or else devote her time to the making of fine underclothing, which she could sell to the drapers and outfitters. Shops where embroidery is sold usually keep their own workers on the premises, for the simple reason that orders have to be executed promptly and in exact obedience to the demand of the moment. It is not possible for work of this kind to be sent to workers who can only be reached by correspondence.

Fruit Farmer.—No, strawberries are not indigenous to England, according to Haydn, in his Dictionary of Dates, where he says that they were brought to this country from Flanders in 1530. Against this date, we refer to Shakespeare’s Richard III., in which we find them spoken of as growing in the Bishop of Ely’s garden in Holborn, which shows it was cultivated as early as the latter part of the fifteenth century. A hundred years subsequently four kinds of this fruit were cultivated in the garden of a barber-surgeon, Gerard by name, also in Holborn.

Deaf.—Had you not better consult some missionary, or the friend whom you have out in China, so as to find out what the children in China may be likely to want? Have you seen the small scrap-books made of old post-cards, or of cards the same size, and tied together at the side, so as to form a small long book? Pictures are pasted on the back and front of each card. Perhaps you could make these; but we think you will do well to inquire about it.

W. M. B. D., Heather, Lauria, etc.—We have seen several copies of this snow-ball letter from New South Wales. The addresses in each are rather different, and we, like you, cannot imagine what the philanthropist wants with so many stamps, nor do we understand why the Government should give an endorsement. We should let it alone, and return the letters. The address seems insufficient, and we have failed to find any one of the places mentioned in the most recent Gazetteer. These philanthropic people who require a million of stamps are often difficult to find; and they might as well give the money at once.

C. Brown.—To fix prints upon wood, and remove the paper, care must be taken that the surface of the latter be perfectly smooth. Then moisten a piece of thick drawing-paper, and apply a layer of thin glue on its surface; leave it to dry; give it two or three more coats, leaving each to dry separately. Coat the paper then with several layers of spirit varnish, and prepare the wood in the same way; and then apply the print. We should have said that the wood must be previously prepared by a slight coat of glue, and when dry, rubbed with glass-paper, and a white alcoholic varnish applied. When dry, about five or six more coats of the same will be required. Cut the edge of the print closely round, lay it on a table face downwards, and moisten the back with a wet sponge, and then place between two leaves of blotting-paper. Apply another coat of varnish to the wood, and, before it is dry, lay the face of the print down upon it, wiping the back in such a way as to drive out the air so as to form no blisters. Lay a sheet of dry paper upon it, and pass a soft linen cloth over it to press it firmly down. Then leave it to dry, and when thoroughly so, moisten it with a sponge, and roll off the paper with your fingers. Great care must be taken in this process not to remove any part of the paper upon which the impression is taken. After this rubbing it must be left to dry. When dry, one more coat of varnish must be given over the delicate film of paper left, and it will be left perfectly transparent. When quite dry, polish with Dutch rushes, steeped for three or four days in olive oil, which latter must be removed with a fine linen cloth, and then sprinkle with starch or hair-powder. Rub this off with the hand, and apply three or four more coats of varnish, leaving each to dry as before, and in three or four days polish with a fine woollen cloth with whiting of the finest kind.

Mercy B.—The names of the hospitals for which you ask are as follows:—Newcastle Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Fever Hospital, and Lincoln County Hospital. For the last-named, over four hundred applications are refused yearly, and about fourteen are accepted. Address the matron in all cases. We could not give any idea of the time you would have to wait, of course.

Unhappy Maude.—We think you will be really unhappy if you do not take your father’s and brother’s advice, and give up a foolish attachment. Do you think that any man who drinks could love you dearly and devotedly? Would he not love drink far better? Gather all your strength together and go away for a change, and try to turn your thoughts to some other subject. If you managed to break off with your lover once, you can do so again, and at twenty-one you will soon forget.