Katherine.—We can tell you all about your complaint, for we can speak from personal experience, having been liable to the condition for many years. The disease is called "herpes labialis." It is one of a large group of affections which consist of small blisters on a red base and occur on various parts of the body. That variety of herpes which occurs on the side of the trunk is called herpes zoster or shingles. Herpes labialis is a very common complaint. It frequently recurs in those liable to it and often occurs on both sides of the mouth at once. It is very erratic and scarcely ever occupies the same site in two or more successive attacks. Of its cause we know but little. It is very common in typhoid fever and other infectious diseases, and is almost constantly present in pneumonia. In some people it occurs after every slight disturbance of digestion, after alterations of diet, or after change of residence from one place to another. It frequently recurs at regular intervals of time. Its origin is unquestionably nervous. It begins with a sharp smarting pain in a limited region of the lips or chin. The smarting increases, the place gets red, and in a few hours vesicles make their appearance. In a day or two the vesicles dry up and a scab forms which eventually drops off, leaving a red mark which persists for a week or more. It is purely superficial and never leaves a scar. To prevent this condition is by no means easy. Find out, if possible, what causes it, and then, if you can remove the cause, the condition will probably cease. During an attack, thickly dust the place over with zinc oxide and cover it with cotton wool. No drug has the slightest effect on the condition, and indeed the same may be said of every form of treatment. Like so many other nervous diseases, it runs its course uninfluenced by treatment. Often the liability to the condition disappears as if by magic and never again returns.

Marguerita.—No, there is not any danger in threadworms. An injection of salt and water will remove them. A dose of one grain of santonin followed by a mild purge is sometimes sufficient to get rid of them.

One in Trouble.—Of course, if a person next door contracted typhoid fever from bad drains, you do stand a risk of catching the disease from the same source. Typhoid fever is not infectious in the usual sense of the term; that is, it is not caught from one person by another. Washing the soiled linen of typhoid patients may produce the disease unless the clothes have been disinfected. If the vegetables that you grow are cooked before you eat them, they will not produce typhoid, for the organism of typhoid is killed by boiling water. If the men have not yet removed the old pipes from your garden, you should certainly complain to the sanitary inspector of the district about it, and have the pipes removed at once, for they are not only unsightly but positively dangerous, both to yourself and to the whole neighbourhood.

A Lover of the "G.O.P."—Irregular action of the heart may be due to weakness, anæmia, indigestion, or true heart disease. Of course by irregular action of the heart you mean perceptible, irregular thumpings of the heart—what we usually call palpitation, in fact. You yourself cannot tell whether your heart is beating regularly or not, unless you are a physician. By far the commonest cause of palpitation is indigestion, and infinitely the rarest cause is heart disease.

STUDY AND STUDIO.

M. C. F. (Bristol).—Many thanks for your card. We have already corrected the error of our correspondent, A. S. C. D., about B. M.

Crimson Rambler.—We should advise you to read Mrs. Watson's articles on "What are the County Councils doing for girls?" in The Girl's Own Paper for March, July, August, and September, 1887. There is a domestic economy school at Northampton where girls can obtain board, lodging, and thorough practical instruction in cookery. This would perhaps be the nearest to you. Fifteen free studentships are offered for competition, but if you did not gain one, the sum you mention would probably be more than enough. Write for full details to Byron R. Simpson, Esq., County Hall, Northampton. Opportunities simply abound in all directions for the training you require, and space would fail us to enumerate them all, but we may just add that the cost of training at the London National Training School of Cookery, Buckingham Palace Road, S.W., is thirteen guineas for the full course of twenty-four weeks. The papers we mention will supply every detail.

Dorothy.—We should advise you also to consult Mrs. Watson's articles. The Clerk, Technical Instruction Committee, West Riding Offices, Wakefield, may help you if you write to him. You might also write to the Secretary of Girton College, Miss Kensington, 83, Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park, London, requesting information.

Fosbury.—The character of Tom Thurnall appears in Two Years Ago, by Charles Kingsley. The book is a charming and beautiful one, and will never be "old-fashioned" in the depreciatory sense.

Betsy Trotwood.—1. In the bars of organ music you enclose, the bass notes are played on the pedals. 2. A turn placed over a chord means that the top note of the chord is played as a turn.

Bongie's Friend.—1. We should advise you to write to the poetess you name through the publishing office of the paper. 2. Your English writing is very good. "Comply" is a better word than "agree" with my desire, and Mr. is always written in the abbreviated form, but you express yourself excellently.

INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Miss M. H. Coupland, 12, Crescent Parade, Ripon—a teacher, fond of literature and music—would like a German correspondent, each writing in the language of the other.

Gertrude Padfield, Birtsmorton Court, near Tewkesbury, Worcestershire, wishes to correspond with a French girl, who is requested to send her name and address.

Gänseblümchen.—A German girl would like to exchange letters with an Italian girl, a French girl, and an English girl, living in London. Her greatest wish would be to find an Italian correspondent. Would those who like to answer please give their address.

Miss Valentine Massaria, S. Moisé 2243, Venice, would like to correspond with an English girl of good family of about her own age (16) or a little older; both to write in English.

Miss K. L. A., c/o the Misses Thompson, Orgill House, 15, Goldsmith Road, King's Heath, Birmingham, would like a French lady correspondent between twenty and thirty years of age.

J. A.—Cruet-stands have long been relegated to the side-board, and from thence handed round by the footman or waitress. Pepper, salt and mustard are placed at the corners of the dinner table, together with tablespoons. Ham and chicken patties, and mince-pies, are generally placed on dish papers (with stamped borders) in plated dishes. Eggs (boiled) and hot chestnuts folded in a napkin in a deep pudding dish, or a bowl with a stand, such as is used for fruit.

Florence Benton.—1. Longfellow's Poems are far preferable to those others to which you refer; which are very rough and sometimes obscure. So you have lost nothing by inability to purchase them.—2. Old red and black English stamps have a certain value, and this depends on the letters on the corners. The water-mark also must be consulted, which may be seen by holding the stamp up to the light. This was sometimes a crown or a star, or a crown surmounting two "C's"; for India, an elephant's head; Jamaica, a pineapple, etc. It is called a "water-mark" as it was produced by very small jets of water projected in the stamp, which washed away minute fragments of paper and thinned it in the outline pattern required. These water-marks and the corner letters were employed to protect the Government from forgery. These letters varied in their selection and combination; and if you had examined a whole sheet of them you would have discovered that no two stamps had a similar arrangement of letters. A little "Handbook for a Collector of Postage Stamps," by W. T. Ogilvie, would help you. Swan, Sonnenschein & Co., Paternoster Row, E.C., would also assist you. We are glad our paper pleases you so much.

I. W. L. inquires what can be done to relieve, or save the flesh from burning through an accidental sprinkling of vitriol. It cannot be too much impressed on those who have occasion to employ so dangerous a liquid, that no application of water should be made. It is that combination of liquids that burns into the flesh. Wipe off the vitriol, or any other such burning liquid, with a perfectly dry cloth at once, and no injury will follow. The application of common chalk on the place will likewise prevent burning. Wipe thoroughly, and then rub in the chalk before venturing to wash it at the time of your next ablutions.

Margaret.—It is quite true that there are blue, green, yellow or sand-coloured, and red diamonds; for the colour is no absolute guide to the nature of the gem. There are green sapphires, white ones, and some of a yellowish, or grey hue. There are also black or grey pearls, and it is only the composition of the gem that determines its class.

Mildred Marchant.—There is a book on Orchids for Amateurs, which is greatly commended by the Gardener's Chronicle, and published at 170, Strand, W.C. It is by James Britten, F.L.S., and W. H. Gower. It would be sent carriage free. The illustrations are excellent.

Maori.—Certainly, you must not touch meat, nor a bone with your fingers when eating. You should clean your teeth both morning and night, at least; three times would be better, and requisite for those who wear false teeth on a plate. Your writing is very neat and legible.

Four Girls.—See our Extra Christmas Number for what you ask.

White Heather.—We do not believe in the so-called science of palmistry.