MISCELLANEOUS.
Japonica.—We do not see how “Japonica” can require advice on such a subject. Most girls of eighteen have some knowledge of the rules of propriety; and if in doubt as to allowing stray young men to kiss her, ignorance which we do not believe, she can consult any older person—her mother, or one of her brothers—as to how far it is permissible. We often think that such letters as “Japonica’s” are written by foolish and vain girls to show off, not to obtain advice. There could be no other motive in writing to us on the subject.
Winnie has probably not consulted her parents on this point, or she might find that there is really some very strong objection, of which she is in ignorance, to the “good Christian young man” whom she says “she has found.” Tell your parents all about it, and do not try to persuade us to counsel you to be disobedient to their wishes.
Esmeralda.—Why not take The Boy’s Own Paper, 56, Paternoster Row, E.C. You might purchase a number and see how you liked it.
Puzzled.—The smell of which you complain arises from the skins being only partially cured and not thoroughly dried. Skunk, however, retains an unpleasant odour in most cases. Drying the skins in a brick oven for a little time, taking care not to burn them, might do good. But we fear there is little help for this trouble.
Threepence.—There is no royal road to handwriting. It is an art which must be carefully acquired; and if you wish to improve yours, you must get some copies and set to work in a painstaking way. Select a handwriting you admire and proceed to copy it, letter by letter, word by word. If you persevere, you will succeed in about a month’s time in making a total change.
Chadband.—1. The Rev. Mr. Chadband is a character in Dickens’s Bleak House. He was a religious hypocrite. The word “Chadbandism” is a novelty, applied as it has been lately, in the daily press.—2. Chauvinism means a blind idolatry of Napoleon I. Just now it seems to mean a warlike spirit, a blind patriotism. The word Chauvin is taken from Les Aides de Camp, by Bayard and Dumanoir; and was made popular by Charet’s Conscrit Chauvin. Conspuez, which is the word most heard in Paris of to-day, is from the verb conspuer, which means to spit upon or to despise. A Bordereau is a memorandum, or account of some occurrence, event, or conversation. Dossier means a barrister’s brief, and also a bundle of papers. In the way used, it means what we should call “the case” against a prisoner. We do not wonder that you are puzzled if you do not understand French.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Caroline Fox became later the wife of Sir William Napier, historian of the Peninsular War.
[2] “Then the most honoured military character of the day.”—Sir W. Napier.
[Transcriber’s Note—the following corrections have been made to the text:
Page 426: dignatatem changed to dignitatem—“infra dignitatem”.]