Part 1 — ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

RULES.

I. No charge is made for answering questions.

II. All correspondents to give initials or pseudonym.

III. The Editor reserves the right of declining to reply to any of the questions.

IV. No direct answers can be sent by the Editor through the post.

V. No more than two questions may be asked in one letter, which must be addressed to the Editor of "The Girl's Own Paper," 56, Paternoster Row, London, E.C.

VI. No addresses of firms, tradesmen, or any other matter of the nature of an advertisement will be inserted.

MEDICAL.

Lily W.—What you describe is a typical case of severe anæmia, and though it is possible that your heart may be diseased, we strongly believe that all your symptoms are due to anæmia alone. You say that you have been treated for anæmia, and it is necessary for you to continue that treatment. It is very common, in the more severe grades of anæmia, for the sight to get dim after a few minutes' work—it is only a temporary inconvenience and gets well again when the health improves. Green spectacles would be of no help to you.

M. A.—It is only a theory—and an exceedingly improbable one—that the benefits of sea air are due to ozone. Usually there is more ozone at the seaside than elsewhere, but the quantity present is very minute. Ozone is a poisonous, irrespirable gas of great interest scientifically, but it is not of any medicinal value.

A. E. M.—The seriousness of the complaint that you mention varies with its cause. It is very seldom indeed that it is dangerous. It may be caused by anæmia. The second matter that you describe is not very uncommon. A large number of people when they go to the seaside are affected as you are. The freckles are undoubtedly caused by the sun, but it is uncertain what caused the "peeling." Possibly this is only partly due to the sun and partly due to wind. The best thing you could do for the condition is to apply a little glycerine and rose-water, or a little cold cream to the face and hands. Always wear a veil and gloves when you go out. We should very much doubt if erysipelas, which you say you had some years ago, has anything to do with your present troubles. It is not our experience that erysipelas leaves anything behind it, or affects the subsequent health in any way. The prescription that you mention is well known to us, but is only really useful in some cases.

Virgo.—The question "is cancer hereditary?" has exercised the minds of many great physicians and surgeons for a long period, and it is not yet fully answered. At the present time the general opinion seems to be that cancer is occasionally hereditary. When all sources of error are removed, as far as possible, it appears that it is very rarely hereditary, but that it is a disease that runs in one or two families—chiefly Jewish, which is strange, for cancer is uncommon among Jews as a race. Cancer rarely develops before the fortieth year. Unfortunately it is only too true that the disease is on the increase in England.

Edith Hoppner.—The preparation that you mention contains either carbonate or subnitrate of bismuth, sodium carbonate, mucilage of tragacanth, and either compound infusion of gentian or some simple diluent. It is not a pharmocopœial preparation, but it is exceedingly useful and frequently prescribed for indigestion or diarrhœa.

Troubled.—Wash your head with warm water and borax, dry it well and then apply a little sulphur ointment to the roots of the hair. The complaint is rather difficult to remedy and often lasts many years.

Ellie.—Acne spots do get worse from exposure to the sun. We have frequently noticed this, but cannot say for certain why it should be so. Wearing a veil will keep the effects of the sun from injuring the face.

Teeth.—Have your teeth scaled if they are very thickly covered with tartar. Scaling improves and does not injure the teeth. Use the following tooth-powder:—Precipitated chalk, 50 parts; carbonate of magnesia, 50 parts; powdered cuttlefish, 5 parts; powdered orris-root, 5 parts; powdered hard soap, 5 parts; oil of cloves, 1 part.

Lady Joan.—No, we cannot approve of girls' smoking. You are quite right, it is a dirty and disgusting sight.

STUDY AND STUDIO.

Mary.—1. For the London B.A. degree, three successive examinations are necessary; matriculation, the intermediate B.A., and the final B.A. It would take you three years, under favourable conditions, to pass them.—2. As to whether a girl, just eighteen, could prepare for these examinations at home, working four hours a day, much depends on the ability and the previous education of the student; but she would have to be an unusually clever girl to accomplish it. Coaching, if only by correspondence, is most desirable. Two questions are all we can answer at one time.

Roseville.—

is the first verse of a song by Thomas Moore. You will find it in any collection of his poems.

Dovu (Fiji).—The author of Chronicles of the Schönberg-Cotta Family and The Diary of Mrs. Kitty Trevylyan, is Mrs. Rundle Charles.

Miss Adamson, formerly of Tunbridge Wells, desires to inform the readers of The Girl's Own Paper that her Amateur Literary Guild has ceased to exist. She recommends an excellent pseudonym club with a printed magazine: address, Miss Cornwall, 10, Princeton Mansions, Red Lion Square, London. We accept no responsibility whatever with regard to this, or any amateur society.

A. H. Richards.—In Christina Rossetti's poem "Uphill" the "inn" may be taken as meaning "death" or "the grave." The poem is a sombre allegorical description of life's journey and its inevitable close.

we understand as signifying, "You shall have labour enough and to spare," a stern reply to the inquiry, "Shall I find comfort?" This fine poem is written in Miss Rossetti's austerest strain.

Zara Keith.—Your poems are above the average of those we receive for criticism. They are so good, that it would be worth your while to try to make them better. "Soar the skies" is an incorrect expression, and "boons" is an inadmissible verb. The close of "aspiration" is too abrupt. We like the poem "Communion" best. We see no reason why you should not, with careful study and practice, write what will find acceptance some day.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Gertie.—Our sentiments are absolutely at variance with those of the sect to which you refer. At the root of the whole procedure of these people we find the design to shake confidence in the divine teachings of the Holy Scriptures. There are many who, while praising them, and the God-man, whose doctrines are therein made known, nevertheless preach a so-called "gospel, which is not the gospel," and "entering not in by the door of the sheep-fold," "climb up another way." The teachers they follow are not those which they, themselves, imagine them to be. These are our sentiments.

Modest Violet.—It is a matter of common honesty to restore to the owner what you have lost or broken. At the same time it is only fair to give due warning to a servant, and a thorough understanding should be arrived at on the question when a servant is engaged. This is not usually done, but it is a very desirable precaution. A careless servant may destroy things which, though not costly to buy, no money could replace to the owner. It seems that you have broken several things, and your mistress cannot afford to pay for so much carelessness and destruction of her property. Put yourself in her place. This breakage by rough handling has become a wide-spread trial and grievance amongst those who keep domestic servants.

Industry.—You can obtain all information respecting the Mission to the "Deep Sea Fishermen" from the Secretary, Francis H. Hood, Esq., Office of the R. National Mission to Deep-Sea Fishermen, 181, Queen Victoria Street, E.C. A monthly magazine is published by the society, called The Toilers of The Deep, which is well illustrated and very interesting, price 3d. We recommend you to order it. The No. for May is out. Her Majesty the Queen is the Patron. Messrs. Jevons and Mellor, Corporation Street, Birmingham, supply the materials used in working for the Mission, taking off a special discount on all materials in aid of the Mission. Patterns and prices would be forwarded to workers on application.

Emily.—The 20th of June, 1874, was a Saturday, and the 5th of February, 1870, a Saturday also.

Olive.—We think you could obtain the "crinkled paper" for flower-making at any fancy-work shop, or by order through the proprietors. Perhaps you might obtain some advice from Miss Younghusband, 70, Lower Belgrave Street, S.W. Apologise for so doing, and send a certificate of respectability from your clergyman, giving your real name and address. This lady occupies herself specially on the subject of "women's work in all branches."

Cape Coast (no name given).—As no revelation has been made to us in Holy Scripture as to the language of the blessed, when "in the Kingdom of their Father," how can you expect us to know anything about it? see St. Luke, ix., 30, 31, and 35 and 36. The Apostles heard and understood what was said; but we do not know in what language the words were spoken. There will be no stagnation, nor idleness in Heaven, and that there will be work of some kind unaccompanied by fatigue, or wear and tear; but certainly, no "doctors" will be needed, and no "engineers," nor teachers of "languages." If you study your Bible a little more carefully you will not send us such questions.

Biblio.—You do not say whether your old Bible be an illustrated one, nor do you give any particulars respecting it—even of its dimensions. A volume of the Authorised Version, London, by R. Barker, of 1611, folio, the value would be from £10 to £15. The Royal Version (by same publisher), of 1616, is valued only at a few shillings. The Genevan and Tomson (same publisher), London, of 1615, is valued at about 17s. There is another by Barker, of this date, worth only 12s.

FOOTNOTES:

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE.

The following changes have been made to the original text:

Page 5: congregration to congregation

Page 10: carrriage to carriage

Page 13: of to off