E. M. P.—Soap-jelly is made as follows:—Take 10 quarts of rain water, 3½ lb. of good yellow soap, 1 lb. of washing soda. Slice up the soap and put on to boil with the water, keep on stirring, and when the soap is dissolved add the soda. Stir carefully, as it easily boils over, and when all is dissolved, pour into a barrel to keep. It will form a jelly when cold, and keeps a long time. Of course, if you find these proportions too excessive, you can make half the quantity.
E. M.—Although perhaps incorrect, it is usual in conversation to drop the “h” in names ending in “ham,” but with certain exceptions, such, for example, as “Etchingham” in Sussex. It is not a “cockneyism” to do so. A certain amount of abbreviation and clipping of words is permissible in colloquial and rapid speaking. We say “won’t,” but write at full length “will not,” and we say “don’t,” but write “do not.” Such clipping of words in writing is bad style. People also write “its” for “it is,” which is likewise objectionable; and if they wish to abbreviate, they should, in this case, write thus, “it’s.” We should simply say “both dogs”; the other words are superfluous.
A Reader.—If the brothers and sisters of your friend are much older than yourself, there is nothing remarkable in their calling you by your Christian name; but it would depend on the degree of intimacy whether you should call them by theirs; and as by your writing you seem to be quite a child, we should say no, unless you were asked to do so. Many young men are rather tenacious on the subject, and resent it from little girls.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Early Military Life of General Sir George Napier.
[2] Many of these wanderers were sheltered and hidden by the Spaniards, among whom some at least felt kindly towards their English friends; and numbers afterwards escaped safely to England.
[3] “This is a cruel determination for me to make—I mean, to retreat.”—From a letter of Moore’s.
[Transcriber’s note—the following changes have been made to this text: