STUDY AND STUDIO.
Elspeth.—You will see your question answered in our September part. The quotation—
"Ships that pass in the night, etc.,"
is from Tales of a Wayside Inn, by Longfellow, Third Evening, Theologian's Second Tale, Elizabeth, Part IV. Many thanks for your pleasant letter.
Money Spinner.—When you "meet a bishop in society, but do not know him very well," you should perhaps once in the course of the interview address him as "my lord."
Jennie.—1. We do not know of any French paper that would find you a girl correspondent. You had better send us your name and address, as our other readers have done, and no doubt some French correspondent will observe it.—2. We can only suggest that you should ask all your friends and acquaintances to save you any crests they may come across in the way of correspondence.
Amy.—Your verses, while they show devout feeling, cannot receive much commendation from a poetical point of view.
"As at the close of day the trials and care"
is a halting line, "trials" being a dissyllable. We prefer your prose sketch, which is pathetic, yet we think "Granny" was a little selfish in preventing her son from being a sailor. With practice and study you might possibly write stories that would be "fit to publish." One defect in "Granny's Hero" is the mode of beginning the story—a sort of double introduction. "We were talking of heroes (not heros) to-night," and again, "We were sitting in the gloaming one dull winter's evening." The first two paragraphs should be omitted.
Haha.—Your story is immature. You show a certain amount of intensity and passion, but it is ill-regulated; you "strike twelve all at once," as the saying is, by rushing immediately into violent emotions into which you cannot carry your readers with you, because you have not shown any cause, or prepared them for such a climax. You evidently have a keen eye for natural beauty, but you need to curb the exuberance of your descriptions. "Old Sol" is not a satisfactory expression. Read all the good prose and poetry you can, and try to "form" a style.
M. S. W.—Your verses are superior to the average of those we receive for criticism, yet we can hardly say they are sufficiently good for you to expect payment for them. You could offer "Donald's Away" to another magazine, if you have not sold the copyright; but you would be obliged to tell the editor it had already appeared elsewhere, and this would prove a drawback. "Long ago," and the two verses you enclose, are very creditable work, and it is possible, of course, that you might receive remuneration for them; but it is very difficult thus to dispose of "magazine verse," the supply being large and the competition keen.
Purple Heather.—We are afraid we must reiterate to you the unpalatable advice of our last answer. The verses are not bad, but it is very unlikely that you would ever receive any payment for them. Poetry of real merit is slow in finding acceptance in the present day. We must advise you to turn your attention to some more practical way of making money. There are many occupations besides teaching by which you could earn something.
Isobel.—1. Your poem, "I Long to be There," is not sufficiently original to be worthy of publication. The chief criticism we should offer upon it is that we have frequently read hymns expressing the same sentiment in very similar words. This is not wonderful when the same idea possesses many Christian hearts, but it would diminish the value of your composition from any editor's point of view.—2. Do you wish your poems "published" or "printed"? If you only wanted one copy, the cost would not exceed a few shillings; but much depends on the quality of paper, type and binding. Consult the nearest printer of good business reputation.
Emma Portlock.—Your verses, considering your circumstances, do you credit. You should entitle a poem "In Memoriam," or else "Memoria," not "Memoriam" alone, as it is not grammatically correct. Do not use "thee" and "you" alternately in addressing the same person.
A. B.—We can never reply "in the next number" of The Girl's Own Paper, as we go to press long before you receive your magazine. We are sorry to seem generally discouraging, but "Evening" contains nothing original, nor would it be likely to find a publisher. Poetic genius is the dower of a very few; but there must be something "fresh" about work that commands success.
Nannee.—Your poem "Speculations" is very interesting, though here and there is a halting line, such as
"Or not till my soul's new birth,"
where the emphasis would have to fall on "till" to make the line scan. We can tell you, however, that the thought expressed is not commonplace.