Mabelle.—There is no sequel to either book, nor has the “Mystery of Edwin Drood” been finished by anyone bearing authority from the Dickens family.
Just Eighteen.—The mutual opening of each other’s letters should be made from the beginning a matter of distinct agreement between a husband and wife. However great the mutual confidence may be, expediency may often render the indiscriminate opening of letters undesirable as a regular rule. In fact, it would be better, in our opinion, that each should open their own and respect those of the other, thereby showing the greater confidence in that respect. Voluntarily to read aloud the ordinary letters to each other is certainly desirable.
Troublesome Flo.—We do not think the lines original enough to get into print, but they show a very sweet and tender-hearted disposition, and no doubt it gave you pleasure to write them, and relieved your heart at the time; so be satisfied with that, and cherish the good and loving thoughts, and seek ever what is best.
Tulliallan.—Christmas Day, 1860, was a Tuesday.
Bobtail.—January 4th, 1874, was a Sunday.
Jeanette.—You would be both rash and imprudent in marrying so unreliable a man. His saying that he “could do so much with you” is mere talk, when every act has contradicted the assertion. Besides, he has no right to reckon upon leaning on you. You have a right to expect to lean upon him. He is a broken reed to depend upon, and would drag you down to poverty, and then, when failures and want have tried his weak nature, who knows the result? Drink might follow. It is unmanly and dishonourable in a man who has no home nor money to ask any woman to marry him, and you are fully justified in withdrawing from the engagement without asking his permission, having already excused his failures so often. Ask your parents to dismiss him if troublesome.
Margaret.—What is called house-leek, or, vulgarly, “hen and chickens,” is a very good plant for bordering a garden bed.
A Young Mother (New Zealand).—Your very gratifying letter has been long unanswered, but we greatly appreciate the opinion you express respecting this paper, and thank you for it sincerely, the more so as your sole object in writing is to encourage us in our work by a few gracious words. Accept our best wishes for you and yours.
Rogator.—We read in Notes and Queries that whenever the German knights headed an infamous Jew hunt in the Middle Ages they shouted “Hip-hip!” equivalent to saying “Jerusalem is destroyed!” “Hip” is said to be a notarica of the letters Hierosolima est perdita. The authority given is Henri van Laun. The word “hurrah!” is taken from the word Huraj, “to Paradise,” and the two words thus connected would seem to mean “Jerusalem is lost to the Infidel” (or unbelieving Jew or Saracen), “and we are on the way to Paradise.”
Mumbles.—“There is a tide in the affairs of men,” is taken from Shakespeare’s Julius Cæsar, act iv., scene 3.