Country Lass.—We are sorry we omitted to criticise your writing in our answer some weeks ago. To begin with, you should use better ink that will not turn brown. Keep a regular space between your lines, and refrain from leaving a margin at the end of some of them. The writing itself would be improved by more decision and firmness, the letters being larger. You can easily make it into a good hand.
Mabel Brown.—1. We have inserted your address for “Florence” to see.—2. No doubt character to some extent can be described from handwriting; for instance, a neat precise person seldom writes a bold, sketchy, untidy hand; a very excitable, nervous person seldom writes a neat, close hand, and so on; but we do not believe that every moral and intellectual quality can be deciphered by this means. Of course we cannot tell how far the estimate you enclose is correct, but we thank you for your pleasant letter.
Dolly.—We do not think any permission is needed for reciting the poem you name. Many thanks for your answer to “Ninette.”
OUR OPEN LETTER BOX.
Kyle, Victoria, Australia, writes to inform “Gold Dust” that “Tit for Tat” is published as a song, in two keys, E♭ and C. The words are by “Nemo,” and the music by Henry Pontet. The song can be procured at Enoch and Sons, 14 and 14A, Great Marlborough Street, London. “Kyle” would copy out and forward the song to “Gold Dust,” if she knew her address.
“Ninette” (Budapesth) again has answers—from “Dolly,” who says “Somebody’s Darling” is to be found in Walker’s Golden Reciter (William Walker and Sons, Otley, Yorkshire, price 1s. 6d.); from “Victoria,” who refers it and the “Song of the Shirt” to Recitations for Recreation, in verse, collected by Mary Trebeck (Wells, Gardner, Darton & Co., 44, Victoria Street, London, S.W., price about 1s.), and from “A. A. L. S.,” who mentions the Royal Reader, No. VI. Miss Marguerite Fitzroy Dixon, 1919, Florence Street, Ottawa, offers to copy out and send “Ninette” the poem, “Somebody’s Darling,” on receipt of her address.
Molly Darling wishes to know the author of a “poem,” which we can inform her is a well-known nursery rhyme, beginning—
“When good King Arthur ruled this land
He was a worthy King.”
“Ivy” is anxious for a copy of a poem containing the words—