Waiting in Hope.—Freckles are undoubtedly due to the sun. They are not caused by heat but by light. There is always a certain amount of pigment in the skin, and under the influence of strong light this pigment increases greatly in quantity, and becomes gathered together in small patches. These patches are freckles. Where the light of the sun is more intense than it is in our climate, the patches of pigment coalesce, and the face and other exposed parts of the body become uniformly discoloured. Constant exposure to the intense light of the tropical sun, through many generations, has produced the black or brown skin of the coloured races. Since the light rays which cause freckles cannot pass through substances coloured red, persons inclined to freckles should always wear a red veil, or carry a red parasol. Remaining in a darkened room for an hour or so after exposure to the sun will often prevent the face from becoming freckled. The best preparations to apply to the face for the removal of freckles are glycerine and rose-water, glycerine and lime-water, and toilet vinegar. Peroxide of hydrogen bleaches the pigments of the skin, but it is rarely necessary to resort to it for the removal of freckles, unless all other methods fail.

Curious Enquirer.—This is something new to us! That photographic films should be "splendid to put on the nose to remove red spots, or any redness," we have certainly never before heard, nor could we have guessed this curious and unexpected development of photography. Films consist of albumen, gelatine, or collodion, impregnated with an emulsion of an insoluble salt of silver, and how any of these could influence face "decorations" due to indigestion we cannot tell. Perhaps the silver might turn the spots black, but what other benefits the films could produce we cannot conceive.

W. P. W.—Your case is easy to understand, if it is true that you have heart disease. What do you eat, and how do you eat it? Do you swallow down a cup of tea and a bite of something for breakfast before rushing off to catch your train? Do you snatch a hasty lunch at any hour at which you are at leisure? or do you forego lunch altogether, and take nothing between breakfast and dinner? If you are guilty of any of these acts of indiscretion, you must expect to suffer. Your unpleasant symptoms are probably in the main due to errors of diet. You must be very careful about your feeding; never take any indigestible food; never eat in a hurry, and never, not if a whole year's income depends upon it, must you run off directly after a meal to catch a train. You should eat slowly; little at a time and often, and take at least four meals a day. You should take tea in great moderation, and you should carefully guard against constipation from any cause.

E. T.—What is the size of the spot on your chin? If it is small, it is a "spider nævus," and can be readily removed by touching its centre with a red-hot needle. Of course this must be done by a surgeon. No other form of treatment is of any avail. If the spot is larger than a split pea, it can hardly be removed in this way, but it will probably be amenable to some other form of surgical procedure. In any case we advise you to go to a surgeon about it, and not to try to meddle with it yourself, for you can do no good by external application.

Mizpah.—We cannot advertise any special soap in this column. All soap used for the skin should be hard, opaque or semi-opaque, and either scented or medicated with carbolic acid, tar, etc. Never use any patent soap, and above all, never use arsenical soap.

STUDY AND STUDIO.

Ajax.—It is delightful and rare for us to be able to offer musical commendation twice consecutively. Your compositions are good enough for us to urge you, in reply to your question, at once to take harmony lessons. In spite of the merit of the chants, there are blemishes in them—consecutive fifths, etc.—which good teaching would enable you to avoid. We particularly like the close of the "Kyrie"; it is very musical. You should work hard, and may hope to succeed.

Tam o' Shanter.—1. Much depends on individual taste and preference in the selection of a subject to study alone. If you are fond of languages, we should advise you to take up Italian, and get Dr. Lemmi's Italian Grammar. You might with advantage join the National Home Reading Union. Address the Secretary, Surrey House, Victoria Embankment, London.—2. Your friend could certainly study French alone; if she could get a little help with the pronunciation, it would be better. We should recommend her to procure Havet's French Course.

OUR OPEN LETTER BOX.

M. E. J. (Malvern) kindly sent us some information about an extract we have repeatedly tried to trace. In consequence of her suggestion, we wrote to Messrs. Bemrose & Sons, 23, Old Bailey, E.C., who have forwarded us a small pink card headed "Resolve." On one side are the words:

"I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to a human being, or any word that I can speak for Jesus—let me do it now. Let me not neglect or defer it, for I shall not pass this way again."

On the reverse side of the card we read:

"This Resolve was written by a New York lady, much impressed with the thought of the uncertainty of life. Not many days after, she was at a meeting in Madison Square Gardens, where she had distributed some printed leaflets with the Resolve, when the hall roof fell in and she was one of those killed by its fall."

The sentence has been frequently referred, by our correspondents, to Marcus Aurelius. We give the information just as we have received it. The cards, we may add, are 5d. per dozen, post free.

M. H. Coupland sends Lilian the verse inquired for in "The Lesson of the Water Mill," by Sarah Doudney. Laira, A. S., Acacia, A Schoolgirl, point out that the verse Lilian quotes is the fourth, not the last. The last verse runs as follows:

"Oh, the wasted hours of life That have drifted by! Oh, the good that might have been! Lost without a sigh. Loved ones that we might have saved, Maybe, by a word; Thoughts conceived, but never penned, Perishing, unheard. Take the proverb to thine heart, Take, and hold it fast:— 'The mill cannot grind With the water that is past.'"

The whole poem may be obtained for 1s. a hundred, from Andrew Stevenson, Stationer, Mound, Edinburgh; also as a "Stirling Leaflet, No. 52," from Peter Drummond, Stirling; also in the Practical Elocutionist, published by Blackie & Son. If Lilian will send her name and address to Mrs. Pawlby, 7, Maida Vale Terrace, Mutley, Plymouth, she will receive a copy.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Anxious.—With reference to pensions accruing to the widows of officers, that of a captain is £50 per annum, and £12 to each child yearly; but should death have resulted from exposure, privation or fatigue, incident to active duty in the field, fifty per cent. more is allowed. If from wounds received in action, and within twelve months after having been invalided, his widow would receive twice the ordinary pension. But there are certain conditions to be considered.

Isabel.—As much may be said in favour of one place you name as another. In the Isle of Wight, Ventnor is much esteemed. In the south of England, Bournemouth, Torquay, and Penzance. In the Channel Islands, the south aspects and shore of Guernsey and Jersey; and the Island of Sark for asthma. We know of no "papers nor magazines" that give the local information you require. But there are little guides, as well as local papers, respecting each place, in which you could find addresses and advertisements as to situations for persons needing employment.

Pin-basket.—1. The Mosaic-work made of broken china is called "crazy-china," of which two illustrations were given in vol. xvi., page 636. The weekly number (doubtless to be had at our office) was for July 6th, 1895.—2. The German-speaking men of Europe wear wedding-rings. We have not observed whether in other countries the practice obtains as a rule of national observance.

Petruchio's Kate.—We could not answer you in a few sentences, so must recommend you to procure a book on such games, viz., Brand's Observations on Popular Antiquities (Chatto & Windus), see pages 205-215.

Brown Bee.—If you failed to get that description of chocolate at the Junior Army & Navy Stores, and at so many shops, we recommend her to visit some of the large confectioners and grocers' stores in the City.

M. S. C.—We do not know to which you refer, but a "thunder-bolt" is a shaft of lightning, or stream of electricity passing from the thunder-cloud to the earth. In geology it means a belemnite or meteoric stone, or fire-ball, which sometimes falls to the earth; an aërolite, at times found of enormous size; aer signifies "air," and athos a stone. It is a combination of metal and stone. Fire-balls, (bolides) and meteors are explosive, the meteors appearing during the day, and the fire-balls at night. Iron is specially present, but the metals appear to be an alloy.

M. A. D.—We do not think you read our answers, or you would not ask a question already so often answered. There is no rule for the wearing of a ring on any special finger, excepting only the wedding-ring. But the third finger of the left hand is not kept exclusively for that.

Mildred.—Your writing is too large and coarse-looking. Slope it a little from left to right, and reverse the plan in reference to the light and heavy strokes, the downwards heavy, the upwards light. It will be more graceful and artistic.

Dear Mr. Editor,—I have begun making a collection of photos of bridges, and am very anxious to get some from everywhere (except Australia), especially Norway and Russia. Would some of your girls kindly lend a hand? and in return, I could send, not bridges, as I live in the bush, but hornets, beetles, or stamps. The bridges must be named, unmounted, and not more than 8×6 inches, as I put them in a book.

Yours faithfully, Aunt Scis.

Mrs. Geo. Barnard, Coomooboolaroo, Duaringa, Rockhampton, Queensland.