Cornish Girl sends us the address of Miss C. Flower, 14, Norfolk Crescent, Hyde Park, W., who collects used stamps, and sells them for the purpose of helping poor and sick members of The Girls’ Friendly Society. Miss Flower sells foreign stamps at 7d. for fifty, and is very successful in making money out of them. She has sent eight sick members to the sea, and paid for two beds for two months in the Eastbourne House, Durnford Lodge.—2. Black currant acid is made as follows:—three pounds of black currants, one and a half ounces of tartaric acid, to one pint of water. Put the water and the tartaric acid into a deep pan, let the latter dissolve, add the fruit, and let it stand covered for twenty-four hours. Then strain it off and add to every pint one and a half pounds of loaf sugar. Stir it well, and when the sugar is dissolved, bottle it and seal it up. This would be enough for three bottles. A dessertspoonful will be needed for a tumbler of water for drinking. This recipe can be used for other fruits—strawberry, raspberry, mulberry and red currants as well.
Dolly.—The origination of the harp on the ancient Irish National escutcheon, on the authority of tradition, is attributed to one of the early Irish kings, called David, who took a harp as his heraldic device from the harp played by his namesake, the Psalmist. It was first placed on Irish coins by Henry VIII. Paper money owes its origin to the Chinese, some 2697 years B.C. The early issues in that country are said to have been, in all essentials, similar to modern bank notes. A specimen of a Chinese bank note is preserved in the Asiatic Museum, St. Petersburg, bearing date 1399 years B.C.
Begadkephath.—It is a rule to which all the best English stylists conform, that “very” shall not be used to modify a verb, even when the verb is used adjectivally, while it may be used to modify an adjective or an adverb, as thus—very pleasant, very pleasantly. With “pleased,” the correct phrasing is “much pleased,” or “very much pleased.” The foremost reviews of this country—the Athenæum and the Spectator—are loud in denunciation of “very pleased,” “very gratified,” and so forth. It has been made the subject of comment that Thackeray upon occasion writes “very pleased,” and “different to” for “different from.” His superb gifts make good such lapses, just as Shakespeare’s genius lifts him above criticism, even when his grammar is faulty. The average English girl, however, should beware of using ungrammatical phrasing, and when she is not of ingrained vulgarity, we have always found her willing to do so.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Actually said early in the century.
[Transcriber’s Note—The following changes have been made to this text:
Page 315: of to off—“cut off”
Page 320: intruments to instruments—“wind instruments”]