My first gave us early support; my second is with virtues endowed; and my whole is to be found near a farmhouse.
Answer: Milkmaid (Milk-Maid).
LETTER OR FIGURE CHARADES.
In this description of Charade a word is selected and so arranged that other words may be formed with the different letters. The same letters may be repeated; but care should be taken that every letter forming the Charade word be employed. Thus, the word "Telegraph" being chosen, may be arranged in the following manner, and the Charade be propounded as follows:—
I am a word of nine letters: amy 1, 2, 7 is a Chinese plant; bmy 5, 6, 7, 1, 2 is a fireside requisite; cmy 5, 6, 2, 7, 1 signifies vast; dmy 5, 6, 7, 8, 4 is the name of a luscious fruit; emy 9, 4, 7, 1 signifies warmth; fmy 8, 4, 7, 6 is the name of a fruit; gmy 1, 4, 7, 6 signifies to rend; hmy 6, 4, 7, 8 must be done with corn previously to gathering it in; imy 5, 7, 1, 9, 2, 6 is to collect; jmy 8, 2, 4, 3 is to pare; kmy 7, 3, 2 is the name of a malt liquor; lmy 9, 7, 3, 4 means hearty; mmy 7, 8, 4 is an animal; nmy 9, 4, 7, 3 is to cure; omy 3, 4, 7, 8 is to jump; pmy 3, 4, 5 is the name of a human limb; qmy 2, 4, 3 the name of a fish; rmy 1, 6, 7, 8 is the name of an article used to catch vermin; smy 8, 4, 7, 3 is to ring; and tmy whole is a marvellous invention.
Answer: aTea; bgrate; cgreat; dgrape; eheat; fpear; gtear; hreap; igather; jpeel; kale; lhale; mape; nheal; oleap; pleg; qeel; rtrap; speal; tTELEGRAPH.
One other example of Letter Charades is given, in order to show the vast number of words that can be produced from the letters of one single word:—
I am a word of eight letters: amy 4, 3, 5, 6, 8 is significant of eminence; bmy 7, 5, 6, 8 is tidy; cmy 3, 6, 4, 1 are untidy; dit is necessary to frequently practise my 5, 6, 8; emy 7, 5, 6, 3 is not distant; fmy 1, 5, 6, 8 is a place of rest; gmy 1, 5, 3, 4, 2 is the name of a woollen article; hmy 4, 2, 6, 3 is accoutrements; imy 4, 6, 8, 5 is an entrance; jmy 1, 5, 8 is to fix in position; kmy 1, 2, 3, 5 is dry and withered; lmy 1, 2, 6 is where mmy 8, 6, 3, 1 live, and nwhere bad boys are 1, 5, 7, 8; owe don't like to 1, 2, 5 the man call for the p3, 2, 7, 8 and q3, 6, 8, 5, 1; rmy 7, 5, 8 is used by fishers; smy 8, 5, 7 is a number; tmy 7, 5, 1, 8 is built in spring; umy 3, 2, 1, 8 is needful; vmy 3, 6, 8 is vermin; wmy 6, 7, 8 is an insect; xmy 7, 6, 4 is a useful animal; ymy 5, 6, 3 is part of the human body; zmy 8, 5, 6, 3, 1 is a sign of sorrow; aamy 1, 2, 6, 3 is to burn, and bbmy whole is an officer of the army.