Through our daily walk in life we brush up against millions of fellow-men, yet of how few amongst them do we know anything? We each live in a world of our own; we draw a circle, as it were, around us, within which centre all our interests. How lightly our feelings are touched by what happens outside our circle is shown by the exclamation that escapes our lips as we read a fresh tragedy in the daily papers. The actors in it are unknown to us, and in a moment or two the paper is laid aside with a smile on our lips—the news that blighted many lives forgotten! But if it comes within the charmed circle, how different our feelings!
On the other hand, how very little we know of the inner or deeper life of even those in our own little world. Romances, stranger than fiction, happen under our very eyes, and we do not see them. With hearts that are breaking men and women can go through the duties of every-day life, wearing calm and even smiling faces. He knew human nature well who wrote—
“Broken hearts are dumb—or smile.”
What is there to tell us that such smiles are only on the surface? Nothing. So, is it not possible that the very advertisement that appealed to our feelings in the day’s paper may have been inserted by some one living under the same roof with us!
We find some of the pseudonyms used by the advertisers are very transparent disguises, for instance, “Bocaj” (advertisements [No. 355] and [363]), read backwards, is simply Jacob. What an insight we get here into the writer’s character. No one possessing a sly, crafty nature would have dictated an alias so apparent.
Many others are of the same transparent nature. In some cases numbers have been substituted for the letters of the alphabet, and are easily deciphered. Take, for example, advertisement [No. 1561], which reads, “Z. Y. R. Let me send correspondence with rector of college; it will explain how things stand. I go abroad next month.”
In some advertisements the alphabet is slightly altered. Instead of reading the letter B as printed, read C. Thus, “head” would read “if be.” An advertisement of this description is found on June 23rd, 1864 ([No. 1387])—“Alexander Rochfort reported dead. I saw you yesterday. Moate vainly searched ten years.” The same rule applies to advertisement [No. 1454], the meaning of which is, “Bone to first joint taken out yesterday—chloroform—régimes alone prevented me fulfilling my promise to you—Myosotis—May 3rd.”
In advertisements [No. 1701] and [1705] the alphabet is again altered, and this time more ingeniously. Instead of the letter written supply the second following. Thus we read in the first, “Umbrella. Dear Fanny, meet your distracted friend beneath the willow by the lake. Row under the stars. Common sea-breezes. Feather-weight. Yours, Bicycle.” The advertisement preceding it is most intricate, and reads, “Wrote you to-day. Will the letter ever reach. Love beyond telling, purely and true. Inraptured (sic) with love, darling. No sleep that night.” The spelling of this is so incorrect that it was most probably inserted by an illiterate individual. Advertisements [No. 1247], [1248], [1249], [1250] are all from the same source, and the writers have very cleverly transposed the whole alphabet. My readers will find that they have begun their alphabet at the letter L. Thus L reads A; M, B; N, C, and so on through the twenty-six letters. For example, we read in advertisement [No. 1247], “On Tuesday I sent letter to Byrne for you. May I speak fully on all matters at the interview? It may do good. Trust to my love. I am miserable. When may I go to Canterbury, if only to look at you?”
In advertisements [No. 1650], [1651], [1660], [1666], [1670], [1680], [1681], [1696], [1697], [1698], [1702], and [1703] we go back to the simpler style of disguise, namely, that of reading the letter that follows the one written. Advertisement [No. 1650] consequently reads, “O. Y. is ill. Do not like to leave yet. How long notice would you want? Very kind thoughts.” Frankenstein, in advertisements [1734], [1735], [1739], and [1747], has chosen a disguise so clever and deep that I do not think his communications would be easily detected; and for those of my readers who possess only a small amount of patience and a large amount of curiosity, I give the translation of the first of them.
“Three, four, five, six, yes to all, be cautious anywhere even in German in case of seizure or stoppage, omit signature W for the present, twig for safety any letter to me, safe here, trust me, I will never give you up, never darling, put plenty of love in your letters.”