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Title: Enquire Within Upon Everything
       The Great Victorian Domestic Standby

Author: Anonymous

Release Date: January 21, 2004 [EBook #10766]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

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title page

Enquire Within
Upon Everything



the great Victorian-era domestic standby



with hyperlinked index




"Whether You Wish to Model a Flower in Wax;
to Study the Rules of Etiquette;
to Serve a Relish for Breakfast or Supper;
to Plan a Dinner for a Large Party or a Small One;
to Cure a Headache;
to Make a Will;
to Get Married;
to Bury a Relative;
Whatever You May Wish to Do, Make, or to Enjoy,
Provided Your Desire has Relation to the Necessities of Domestic Life,
I Hope You will not Fail to 'Enquire Within.'"—Editor.



1894





Table of Contents /(Index)





Companion Works to Enquire Within


title price
Daily Wants, Dictionary of 7s. 6d.
Useful Knowledge, Dictionary of 10s.
Medical and Surgical Knowledge, Dictionary of 5s.
Reason Why. Christian Denominations 3s. 6d.
Reason Why. Physical Geography and Geology 3s. 6d.
Reason Why. General Science 2s. 6d.
Reason Why. Natural History 2s. 6d.
Historical Reason Why. English History 2s. 6d.
Reason Why. Gardener's and Farmer's 2s. 6d.
Reason Why. Domestic Science for Housewives 2s. 6d.
Biblical Reason Why. Sacred History 2s. 6d.
Family Save-All; or, Secondary Cookery, etc. 2s. 6d.
Journey of Discovery, or, The Interview 2s. 6d.
Practical Housewife and Family Medical Guide 2s. 6d.
Notices to Correspondents 2s. 6d.
Corner Cupboard. A Family Repository 2s. 6d.
How a Penny Became a Thousand Pounds
Life Doubled by the Economy of Time

Either of these two Works separately
2s. 6d.

1s. 6d. cloth
Wonderful Things of All Nations, Two Series each 2s. 6d.
The Historical Finger-Post 2s. 6d.


Contents / Index


By the Same Editor


title price
History of Progress in Great Britain. Two Series each 6s.
That's It; or, Plain Teaching. Cloth, gilt edges 3s. 6d.
Walks Abroad and Evenings at Home. Cloth, gilt edges 3s. 6d.
Elegant Work for Delicate Fingers 1s.
Philosophy and Mirth United by Pen and Pencil 1s.
Handy Book of Shopkeeping, or, Shopkeeper's Guide 1s.
Shilling Kitchiner, or, Oracle of Cookery for the Million 1s.

Contents / Index


Editor's Preface


If there be any among my Readers who, having turned over the pages of "Enquire Within," have hastily pronounced them to be confused and ill-arranged, let them at once refer to The Index, at page 389, and for ever hold their peace.

The Index is, to the vast congregation of useful hints and receipts that fill the pages of this volume, what the Directory is to the great aggregation of houses and people in London.

No one, being a stranger to London, would run about asking for "Mr. Smith." But, remembering the Christian name and the profession of the individual wanted, he would turn to the Directory, and trace him out.

Like a house, every paragraph in "Enquire Within" has its number,—and the Index is the Directory which will explain what Facts, Hints, and Instructions inhabit that number.

For, if it be not a misnomer, we are prompted to say that "Enquire Within" is peopled with hundreds of ladies and gentlemen, who have approved of the plan of the work, and contributed something to its store of useful information. There they are, waiting to be questioned, and ready to reply. Within each page some one lives to answer for the correctness of the information imparted, just as certainly as where, in the window of a dwelling, you see a paper directing you to "Enquire Within," some one is there to answer you.

Housekeepers of experience live at Nos. 1, 30, 438, 1251 and 2091; old Dr. Kitchiner lives at 44; Captain Crawley is to be found at 46 and 2568; the well-known Mrs. Warren lives at 1809; Miss Acton at 1310; Dr. Franklin at 1398; Mrs. Hitching at 215; Mr. Banting at 1768; Dr. Wilson Philip at 1762; Mr. Withering at 2338; Mr. Mechi at 997; Dr. Stenhouse at 1776; Dr. Erasmus Wilson at 1700; Dr. Southwood Smith at 1743; Dr. Blair at 2180; M. Soyer at 1130; Dr. Babington at 2407; Miss Gifford at 2337; and Dr. Clark at 2384. In addition to these and many more, a Doctor lives at 475; a Gardener at 249; a Schoolmaster at 161; a Butcher at 27; a Dancing-Master at 139; an Artist at 2548; a Naturalist at 2330; a Dyer at 2682; a Modeller at 2346; a Professed Cook at 1032; a Philanthropist at 1368; a Lawyer at 1440; a Surgeon at 796; a Chess Player at 71; a Whist Player, almost next door, at 73; a Chemist at 650; a Brewer at 2267; a Lawn Tennis Player at 2765; a homœopathic Practitioner at 925; a Wood-stainer at 1413; two Confectioners at 1628 and 2024; a Poultry-Keeper at 1642; a Meteorologist at 962; Philosophers at 973 and 1783; a Practical Economist at 985; a Baker at 1002; a Master of the Ceremonies at 1924 and 2613; a Bird Fancier at 2155: a Washerwoman at 2729; an Analytical Chemist at 2747; an Accountant at 2769; and so on.

Well! there they live—always at home. Knock at their doors—Enquire Within. No Fees to Pay!!

Much care has been taken in selecting the information that is given, and, as is amply shown by the above list, so many kind and competent friends have lent a hand in the production of this volume that is impossible to turn to any page without at once being reminded of the Generous Friend who abides there.

To some extent, though in a far less degree, assistance has been rendered by the authors of many useful and popular works, for which due acknowledgment must be made. Chief among these works are Dr. Kitchiner's "Cooks' Oracle"; "The Cook," in Houlston and Sons' Industrial Library; "The Shopkeeper's Guide;" "The Wife's Own Cookery," "The Practical Housewife," and many of the volumes of the "Reason Why" series.

Lastly, as in everyday life it is found necessary at times to make a thorough inspection of house and home, and to carry out requisite repairs, alterations, and additions, this has been done in the recent editions of "Enquire Within," to which some hundreds of paragraphs have been added, while others have been remodelled and revised in accordance with the progress of the times in which we live. Care, however, has been taken to alter nothing that needed no alteration, so that, practically, this Popular Favourite is still the old "Enquire Within;" improved, it is true, but in no way so changed as to place it beyond the recognition of those to whom it has been a Book Of Constant Reference since its first appearance.

Contents / Index




Publisher's Preface


to the Seventy-Fifth Edition

The unparalleled success achieved by "Enquire Within Upon Everything" demands special mention from its Publishers at the present moment. Its prominent characteristics—varied usefulness and cheapness—have won for it universal esteem. There is scarcely a spot reached by English civilization to which this book has not found its way, receiving everywhere the most cordial welcome and winning the warmest praise. Proof of this world-wide popularity is clearly shown by the record of the number of copies sold, now amounting to the wonderful total of

One Million Copies

—a sale which the Publishers believe to be absolutely without precedent among similar books of reference. This result has been mainly brought about by the kindly interest shown in the book by many friends, to whom the Publishers' most hearty thanks are tendered for their generous support and recommendations.

The work of revision has been carried on from year to year with watchfulness and care, and many Additions have been made, both modern and interesting, including Homœopathy, Lawn Tennis, &c Enquirers on the laws of Landlord and Tenant, Husband and Wife, Debtor and Creditor, are supplied with the latest information. Diseases and their Remedies, and Medicines, their Uses and Doses, have received special attention. The Index has been considerably extended, and with the aid of this, and the Summary of Contents, it is hoped that no Enquirer will fail to receive complete and satisfactory replies.



The "Enquire Within" and "Reason Why" Series now comprises Twenty-seven Volumes, containing upwards of Seven Thousand pages of closely printed matter. They are entirely original in plan, and executed with the most conscientious care. The Indexes have been prepared with great labour, and alone occupy about 500 pages. A vast Fund of valuable Information, embracing every Subject of Interest or Utility, is thus attainable, and at a merely nominal Cost.

These Works are in such general demand, that the Sale has already reached considerably upwards of

One-and-a-Half Million Volumes.

The attention of all parties interested in the dissemination of sound Theoretical Instruction and Practical Knowledge is particularly directed to the Twenty-seven Volumes in this Series of Popular and Valuable Books.

volume title details
1-3 Daily Wants, the Dictionary of containing nearly 1,200 pages of Information upon all matters of Practical and Domestic Utility. Above 118,000 copies have been sold.
4-7 Useful Knowledge, the Dictionary of a Book of Reference upon History, Geography, Science, Statistics, &c A Companion Work to the Dictionary of Daily Wants.
8 & 9 Medical and Surgical Knowledge, the Dictionary of a Complete Practical Guide on Health and Disease, for Families, Emigrants, and Colonists.
10 Enquire Within Upon Everything
11 The Reason Why, Christian Denominations giving the Origin, History, and Tenets of the Christian Sects, with the Reasons assigned by themselves for their Specialities of Faith and forms of Worship.
12 The Reason Why, Physical Geography and Geology containing upwards of 1,200 Reasons, explanatory of the Physical Phenomena of Earth and Sea, their Geological History, and the Geographical distribution of Plants, Animals, and the Human Race.
13 The Reason Why, Biblical and Sacred History a Family Guide to Scripture Readings, and a Handbook for Biblical Students.
14 The Reason Why, General Science giving Hundreds of Reasons for things which, though generally received, are imperfectly understood. This Volume has reached a sale of 53,000.
15 The Reason Why, Historical designed to simplify the study of English History.
16 The Reason Why, Natural History giving Reasons for very numerous interesting Facts in connection with the Habits and Instincts of the various Orders of the Animal Kingdom.
17 The Reason Why, Gardening and Farming giving some Thousands of Reasons for various Facts and Phenomena in reference to the Cultivation and Tillage of the Soil.
18 The Reason Why, Houswife's Science affording to the Manager of Domestic Affairs intelligible Reasons for the various duties she has to superintend or to perform.
19 Journey of Discovery All Round Our House, or, The Interview with copious Information upon Domestic Matters.
20 The Practical Housewife and Family Medical Guide a Series of Instructive Papers on Cookery, Food, Treatment of the Sick, &c, &c
21 The Family Save-All a System of Secondary Cookery with Hints for Economy in the use of Articles of Household Consumption.
22 Notices to Correspondents a Work full of curious Information on all Subjects, gathered from actual Answers to Correspondents of various Magazines and Newspapers.
23 The Corner Cupboard containing Domestic Information, Needlework Designs, and Instructions for the Aquarium, &c
24 Life Doubled by the Economy of Time and How a Penny Became a Thousand Pounds The first of these teaches the Value of Moments, and shows how Life may be abridged by a careless indifference to trifles of time; the second pursues a similar argument with reference to Money.
25 & 26 Wonderful Things affording interesting descriptions of the Wonders of all Nations, with Illustrations.
27 The Historical Finger-Post giving briefly, but clearly, the meaning and origin of hundreds of Terms, Phrases, Epithets, Cognomens, Allusions, &c, in connection with History, Politics, Theology, Law, Commerce, Literature, Army and Navy, Arts and Sciences, Geography, Tradition, National, Social, and Personal Characteristics. &c

Contents / Index


1.  Choice of Articles of Food

Nothing is more important in the affairs of housekeeping than the choice of wholesome food. Apropos to this is an amusing conundrum which is as follows:—"A man went to market and bought two fish. When he reached home he found they were the same as when he had bought them; yet there were three! How was this?" The answer is—"He bought two mackerel, and one smelt!" Those who envy him his bargain need not care about the following rules; but to others they will be valuable:

Contents / Index


2.  Mackerel

must be perfectly fresh, or it is a very indifferent fish; it will neither bear carriage, nor being kept many hours out of the water. The firmness of the flesh and the clearness of the eyes must be the criteria of fresh mackerel, as they are of all other fish.

Contents / Index


3.  Turbot, and all flat white fish

are rigid and firm when fresh; the under side should be of a rich cream colour. When out of season, or too long kept, this becomes a bluish white, and the flesh soft and flaccid. A clear bright eye in any fish is also a mark of its being fresh and good.

Contents / Index


4.  Cod

is known to be fresh by the rigidity of the muscles (or flesh), the redness of the gills, and clearness of the eyes. Crimping much improves this fish.

Contents / Index


5.  Salmon

The flavour and excellence of this fish depend upon its freshness and the shortness of time since it was caught; for no method can completely preserve the delicate flavour that salmon has when just taken out of the water. A great deal of what is brought to London has been packed in ice, and comes from the Scotch and Irish rivers, and, though perfectly fresh, is not quite equal to salmon from English streams.

Contents / Index


6.  Herrings

should be eaten when very fresh; and, like mackerel, will not remain good many hours after they are caught. But they are excellent, especially for breakfast relishes, either salted, split, dried, and peppered, or pickled. Mackerel are very good when prepared in either of these ways.

Contents / Index


7.  Fresh-Water Fish

The remarks as to firmness and clear fresh eyes apply to this variety of fish, of which there are carp, tench, pike, perch, &c

Contents / Index


8.  Lobsters

recently caught, have always some remains of muscular action in the claws, which may be excited by pressing the eyes with the finger; when this cannot be produced, the lobster must have been too long kept. When boiled, the tail preserves its elasticity if fresh, but loses it as soon as it becomes stale. The heaviest lobsters are the best; when light they are watery and poor. Hen lobsters may generally be known by the spawn, or by the breadth of the "flap."

Contents / Index


9.  Crab and Crayfish

must be chosen by observations similar to those given above in the choice of lobsters. Crabs have an agreeable smell when fresh.

Contents / Index


10.  Prawns and Shrimps

when fresh, are firm and crisp.

Contents / Index


11.  Oysters

If fresh, the shell is firmly closed; when the shells of oysters are open, they are dead, and unfit for food. The small-shelled oysters, the Byfleet, Colchester, and Milford, are the finest in flavour. Larger kinds, as the Torbay oysters, are generally considered only fit for stewing and sauces, and as an addition to rump-steak puddings and pies, though some persons prefer them to the smaller oysters, even when not cooked. Of late years English oysters have become scarce and dear; and in consequence the American Blue Point oysters find a ready market.

Contents / Index


12.  Beef

The grain of ox beef, when good, is loose, the meat red, and the fat inclining to yellow. Cow beef, on the contrary, has a closer grain and whiter fat, but the meat is scarcely as red as that of ox beef. Inferior beef, which is meat obtained from ill-fed animals, or from those which had become too old for food, may be known by a hard, skinny fat, a dark red lean, and, in old animals, a line of horny texture running through the meat of the ribs. When meat rises up quickly, after being pressed by the finger, it may be considered as being the flesh of an animal which was in its prime; but when the dent made by pressure returns slowly, or remains visible, the animal had probably passed its prime, and the meat consequently must be of inferior quality.

Contents / Index



13.  Veal

should be delicately white, though it is often juicy and well-flavoured when rather dark in colour. Butchers, it is said, bleed calves purposely before killing them, with a view to make the flesh white, but this also makes it dry and flavourless. On examining the loin, if the fat enveloping the kidney be white and firm-looking, the meat will probably be prime and recently killed. Veal will not keep so long as an older meat, especially in hot or damp weather: when going, the fat becomes soft and moist, the meat flabby and spotted, and somewhat porous like sponge. Large, overgrown veal is inferior to small, delicate, yet fat veal. The fillet of a cow-calf is known by the udder attached to it, and by the softness of the skin; it is preferable to the veal of a bull-calf.

Contents / Index



14.  Mutton

The meat should be firm and close in grain, and red in colour, the fat white and firm. Mutton is in its prime when the sheep is about five years old, though it is often killed much younger. If too young, the flesh feels tender when pinched; if too old, on being pinched it wrinkles up, and so remains. In young mutton, the fat readily separates; in old, it is held together by strings of skin. In sheep diseased of the rot, the flesh is very pale-coloured, the fat inclining to yellow; the meat appears loose from the bone, and, if squeezed, drops of water ooze out from the grains; after cooking, the meat drops clean away from the bones. Wether mutton is preferred to that of the ewe; it may be known by the lump of fat on the inside of the thigh.

Contents / Index



15.  Lamb

This meat will not keep long after it is killed. The large vein in the neck is bluish in colour when the fore quarter is fresh, green when it is becoming stale. In the hind quarter, if not recently killed, the fat of the kidney will have a slight smell, and the knuckle will have lost its firmness.

Contents / Index



16.  Pork

When good, the rind is thin, smooth, and cool to the touch; when changing, from being too long killed, it becomes flaccid and clammy. Enlarged glands, called kernels, in the fat, are marks of an ill-fed or diseased pig.

Contents / Index



17.  Bacon

should have a thin rind, and the fat should be firm, and tinged red by the curing; the flesh should be of a clear red, without intermixture of yellow, and it should firmly adhere to the bone. To judge the state of a ham, plunge a knife into it to the bone; on drawing it back, if particles of meat adhere to it, or if the smell is disagreeable, the curing has not been effectual, and the ham is not good; it should, in such a state, be immediately cooked. In buying a ham, a short thick one is to be preferred to one long and thin. Of English hams, Yorkshire, Westmoreland, and Hampshire are most esteemed; of foreign, the Westphalian. The bacon and "sugar cured" hams now imported in large quantities from Canada and the United States are both cheap and good.

Contents / Index



18.  Venison

When good, the fat is clear, bright, and of considerable thickness. To know when it is necessary to cook it, a knife must be plunged into the haunch; and from the smell the cook must determine whether to dress it at once, or to keep it a little longer.

Contents / Index



19.  Turkey

In choosing poultry, the age of the bird is the chief point to be attended to. An old turkey has rough and reddish legs; a young one smooth and black. Fresh killed, the eyes are full and clear, and the feet moist. When it has been kept too long, the parts about the vent have a greenish appearance.

Contents / Index



20.  Common Domestic Fowls

when young, have the legs and combs smooth; when old these parts are rough, and on the breast long hairs are found when the feathers axe plucked off: these hairs must be removed by singeing. Fowls and chickens should be plump on the breast, fat on the back, and white-legged.

Contents / Index



21.  Geese

The bills and feet are red when old, yellow when young. Fresh killed, the feet are pliable, but they get stiff when the birds are kept too long. Geese are called green when they are only two or three months old.

Contents / Index



22.  Ducks

Choose them with supple feet and hard plump breasts. Tame ducks have yellow feet, wild ones red.

Contents / Index



23.  Pigeons

are very indifferent food when they are kept too long. Suppleness of the feet shows them to be young; the flesh is flaccid when they are getting bad from keeping. Tame pigeons are larger than wild pigeons, but not so large as the wood pigeon.

Contents / Index



24.  Hares and Rabbits

when old, have the haunches thick, the ears dry and tough, and the claws blunt and ragged. A young hare has claws smooth and sharp, ears that easily tear, and a narrow cleft in the lip. A leveret is distinguished from a hare by a knob or small bone near the foot.

Contents / Index



25.  Partridges

when young, have yellowish legs and dark-coloured bills. Old partridges are very indifferent eating.

Contents / Index



26.  Woodcocks and Snipes

when old, have the feet thick and hard; when these are soft and tender, they are both young and fresh killed. When their bills become moist, and their throats muddy, they have been too long killed.

(See Food in Season, Pars. 30—42.)

Contents / Index



27.  Names and Situations of the Various Joints

28.  Meats

In different parts of the kingdom the method of cutting up carcases varies. That which we describe below is the most general, and is known as the English method.

i.   Beef
Fore-Quarter fore-rib (five ribs)
middle rib (four ribs)
chuck (three ribs)
shoulder piece (top of fore leg)
brisket (lower or belly part of the ribs)
clod (fore shoulder blade)
neck
shin (below the shoulder)
cheek
Hind-Quarter Sirloin
rump
aitch-bone these are the three divisions of the upper part of the quarter
buttock and mouse-buttock which divide the thigh
veiny piece joining the buttock
thick flank and thin flank (belly pieces)
and leg
The sirloin and rump of both sides form a baron.


Beef is in season all the year; best in winter.

The Miser Fasts with Greedy Mind to Spare.



ii.   Mutton
shoulder
breast (the belly)
over which are the loin (chump, or tail end)
loin (best end)
neck (best end)
neck (scrag end)
leg
haunch or leg and chump end of loin
and head
A chine is two necks
a saddle two loins


Mutton is best in winter, spring, and autumn.



iii.   Lamb
is cut into fore quarter
hind quarter
saddle
loin
neck
breast
leg
and shoulder


'Grass lamb' is in season from Easter to Michaelmas;
'House lamb' from Christmas to Lady-day.



iv.   Pork
is cut into leg
hand or shoulder
hind loin
fore loin
belly-part
spare-rib, or neck
and head


Pork is in season nearly all the year round, but is better relished in winter than in summer.



v.   Veal
is cut into neck (scrag end)
neck (best end)
loin (best end)
loin (chump, or tail end)
fillet (upper part of hind leg)
hind knuckle which joins the fillet
knuckle of fore leg
blade (bone of shoulder)
breast (best end)
and breast (brisket end)


Veal is always in season, but dear in winter and spring.



vi.   Venison
is cut into haunch
neck
shoulder
and breast


Doe venison is best in January, October, November, and December, and buck venison in June, July, August, and September.



vii.  Scottish mode of division.

According to the English method the carcase of beef is disposed of more economically than upon the Scotch plan. The English plan affords better steaks, and better joints for roasting; but the Scotch plan gives a greater variety of pieces for boiling. The names of pieces in the Scotch plan, not found in the English, are:

the hough or hind leg
the nineholes or English buttock
the large and small runner taken from the rib and chuck pieces of the English plan
the shoulder-lyer the English shoulder, but cut differently
the spare-rib or fore-sye the sticking piece, &c


The Scotch also cut mutton differently.



viii.   Ox-tail

is much esteemed for purposes of soup; so also is the Cheek. The Tongue is highly esteemed. The Heart, stuffed with veal stuffing, roasted, and served hot, with red currant jelly as an accompaniment, is a palatable dish. When prepared in this manner it is sometimes called Smithfield Hare, on account of its flavour being something like that of roast hare.



ix.  Calves' Heads

are very useful for various dishes; so also are their Knuckles, Feet, Heart, &c

Contents / Index



29.  Relative Economy of the Joints

i.   The Round

is, in large families, one of the most profitable parts owing to its comparative freedom from bone: it is usually boiled, and is generally sold at the same price as the sirloin, and ribs. It is sometimes divided downwards, close to the bone; one side being known as the top side, and the other as the silver side. Either of these parts is as good roasted as boiled.



ii.   The Brisket

is always less in price than the roasting parts. It is not so economical a part as the round, having more bone with it, and more fat. Where there are children, very fat joints are not desirable, being often disagreeable to them, and sometimes prejudicial, especially if they have a dislike to fat. This joint also requires more cooking than many others; that is to say, it requires a double allowance of time to be given for simmering it; it will, when served, be hard and scarcely digestible if no more time be allowed to simmer it than that which is sufficient for other joints and meats. Joints cooked in a boiler or saucepan, should always be simmered, that is to say, boiled as slowly as possible. Meat boiled fast, or "at a gallop," as the phrase goes, is always tough and tasteless. The brisket is excellent when stewed; and when cooked fresh (i.e., unsalted) an excellent stock for soup may be extracted from it, and yet the meat will serve as well for dinner.



iii.   The Edge-bone, or Aitch-bone

is not considered to be a very economical joint, the bone being large in proportion to the meat; but the greater part of it, at least, is as good as that of any prime part. On account of the quantity of bone in it, it is sold at a cheaper rate than the best joints. It may be roasted or boiled.



iv.   The Rump

is the part of which the butcher makes great profit, by selling it in the form of steaks, but the whole of it may be purchased as a joint, and at the price of other prime parts. It may be turned to good account in producing many excellent dishes. If salted, it is simply boiled; if used unsalted, it is generally stewed.



v.   The Veiny Piece

is sold at a moderate price per pound; but, if hung for a day or two, it is very good and very profitable. Where there are a number of servants and children to have an early dinner, this part of beef will be found desirable.



vi.   The Leg and Shin

afford excellent stock for soup; and, if not reduced too much, the meat taken from the bones may be served as a stew with vegetables; or it may be seasoned, pounded with butter, and potted; or, chopped very fine, and seasoned with herbs, and bound together by egg and bread crumbs, it may be fried in balls, or in the form of large eggs, and served with a gravy made with a few spoonfuls of the soup.



vii.   Ox-cheek

makes excellent soup. The meat, when taken from the bones, may be served as a stew.



viii.   The Sirloin and the Ribs

are the roasting parts of beef, and these bear in all places the highest price. The more profitable of these two joints at a family table is the ribs. The bones, if removed from the beef before it is roasted, are useful in making stock for soup. When boned, the meat of the ribs is often rolled up on the shape of a small round or fillet, tied with string, and roasted; and this is the best way of using it, as it enables the carver to distribute equally the upper part of the meat with the fatter parts, at the lower end of the bones.

Contents / Index



30.  Food in Season

There is an old maxim, "A place for everything, and everything in its place," To which may be added another, "A season for everything, and everything in season."

[Fish, Poultry, &c, whose names are distinguished by Italics in each month's "Food in Season," are to be had in the highest perfection during the month.]

Contents / Index



31.  In Season in January

i.   Fish:
Barbel, brill, carp, cod, crabs, cray-fish, dabs, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon-trout, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting.
ii.   Meat:
Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, and doe venison.
iii.   Poultry and Game:
Capons, chickens, ducks, wild-ducks, fowls, geese, grouse, hares, larks, moor-game, partridges, pheasants, pigeons (tame), pullets, rabbits, snipes, turkeys (hen), widgeons, woodcocks.
iv.   Vegetables:
Beet, broccoli (white and purple), Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), Jerusalem artichokes, kale (Scotch), leeks, lettuces, mint (dry), mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, rape, rosemary, sage, salsify, Savoy cabbages, scorzonera, shalots, skirrets, sorrel, spinach (winter), tarragon, thyme, turnips.
v.   Forced Vegetables:
Asparagus, cucumbers, mushrooms, sea-kale.
vi.   Fruit:
Almonds. Apples: Golden pippin, golden russet, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, winter pearmain. Pears: Bergamot d'Hollande, Bon Chrétien, Chaumontel, Colmar, winter beurré. Grapes: English and foreign. Chestnuts, medlars, oranges, walnuts, filbert nuts.

Contents / Index


The Hypocrite Will Fast Seem More Holy.


32.  In Season in February

i.   Fish
Barbel, brill, carp, cockles, cod, crabs, cray-fish, dabs, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Capons, chickens, ducklings, geese, hares, partridges, pheasants, pigeons (tame and wild), rabbits (tame), snipes, turkeys, turkey poults, wild-ducks, woodcocks.
iv.   Vegetables
Beet, broccoli (white and purple), Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, lettuces, mint (dry), mushrooms, onions, parsnips, parsley, potatoes, radish, rape, rosemary, sage, salsify, Savoys, scorzonera, shalots, skirrets, sorrel, spinach, sprouts, tarragon, thyme, turnips, winter savoury.
v.   Forced Vegetables
Asparagus, cucumbers, mushrooms, sea-kale, &c
vi.   Fruit
Apples: Golden pippin, golden russet, Holland pippin, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, Wheeler's russet, winter pearmain. Chestnuts, oranges. Pears: Bergamot, winter Bon Chrétien, winter Russelet.

Contents / Index



33.  In Season in March

i.   Fish
Brill, carp, cockles, cod, conger-eels, crabs, dabs, dory, eels, flounders, ling, lobsters, mackerel, mullets, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, salmon-trout, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, turbot, tench, and whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Capons, chickens, ducklings, fowls, geese, grouse, leverets, pigeons, rabbits, snipes, turkeys, woodcocks.
iv.   Vegetables
Artichokes (Jerusalem), beet, broccoli (white and purple), Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, colewort, cresses, endive, garlic, herbs (dry), kale (sea and Scotch), lettuces, mint, mushrooms, mustard, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, rape, rosemary, sage, Savoys, shalots, sorrel, spinach, tarragon, thyme, turnips, turnip-tops.
v.   Forced Vegetables
Asparagus, French beans, cucumbers, and rhubarb.
vi.   Fruit
Apples: Golden russet, Holland pippin, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, Norfolk beefing, Wheeler's russet. Chestnuts, oranges. Pears: Bergamot, Chaumontel, winter Bon Chrétien. Forced: Strawberries.

Contents / Index



34.  In Season in April

i.   Fish
Brill, carp, chub, cockles, cod, conger-eels, crabs, dabs, dory, eels, floandeis, halibut, herrings, ling, lobsters, mackerel, mullets, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, prawns, plaice, salmon, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, trout, turbot, whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, grass-lamb, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Chickens, ducklings, fowls, geese, leverets, pigeons, pullets, rabbits, turkey poults, wood-pigeons.
iv.   Vegetables
Asparagus, broccoli, chervil, colewort, cucumbers, endive, fennel, herbs of all sorts, lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, sea-kale, sorrel, spinach, small salad, tarragon, turnip-radishes, turnip-tops, and rhubarb.
vi.   Fruit
Apples: Golden russet, nonpareil, Wheeler's russet. Nuts, oranges. Pears: Bergamot, Bon Chrétien, Carmelite. Forced: Apricots, cherries, strawberries.

Contents / Index



35.  In Season in May

i.   Fish
Brill, carp, chub, cod, conger-eels, crab, cray-fish, dabs, dace, dory, eels, flounders, gurnets, haddock, halibut, herring, ling, lobsters, mackerel, mullet, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, trout, turbot, whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, grass-lamb, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Chickens, ducklings, fowls, geese, leverets, pigeons, pullets, rabbits; wood-pigeons.
iv.   Vegetables
Angelica, artichokes, asparagus, balm, kidney-beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, chervil, cucumbers, fennel, herbs of all sorts, lettuce, mint, onions, parsley, peas, new potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, salad of all sorts, sea-kale, sorrel, spinach, turnips.
vi.   Fruit
Apples: Golden russet, winter russet. May-duke cherries; currants; gooseberries; melons. Pears: L'amozette, winter-green. Forced: Apricots, peaches, strawberries.

Contents / Index



36.  In Season in June

i.   Fish
Carp, cod, conger-eels, crabs, cray-fish, dabs, dace, dory, eels, flounders, gurnets, haddocks, herrings, ling, lobsters, mackerel, mullet, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, salmon-trout, skate, smelts, soles, sturgeon, tench, trout, turbot, whitebait, whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, grass-lamb, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, buck venison.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Chickens, ducklings, fowls, geese, leverets, pigeons, plovers, pullets, rabbits, turkey poults, wheat-ears, wood-pigeons.
iv.   Vegetables
Angelica, artichokes, asparagus, beans (French, kidney, and Windsor), white beet, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, chervil, cucumbers, endive, herbs of all sorts, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, salad of all sorts, spinach, turnips, vegetable marrow.
v.   For Drying
Burnet, mint, tarragon, lemon thyme.
vi.   Fruit
Apples: Quarrenden, stone pippin, golden russet. Apricots. Cherries: May-duke, bigaroon, white-heart. Currants; gooseberries; melons. Pears: Winter-green. Strawberries. Forced: Grapes, nectarines, peaches, pines.

Contents / Index



37.  In Season in July

i.   Fish
Barbel, brill, carp, cod, conger-eels, crabs, cray-fish, dabs, dace, dory, eels, flounders, gurnets, haddocks, herrings, ling, lobsters, mackerel, mullet, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, skate, soles, tench, thornback, trout.
ii.   Meat
Beef, grass-lamb, mutton, veal, buck venison.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Chickens, ducks, fowls, green geese, leverets, pigeons, plovers, rabbits, turkey poults, wheat-ears, wild pigeons, wild rabbits.
iv.   Vegetables
Artichokes, asparagus, balm, beans (French, kidney, scarlet, and Windsor), carrots, cauliflowers, celery, chervil, cucumbers, endive, herbs of all sorts, lettuces, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, radishes, salads of all sorts, salsify, scorzonera, sorrel, spinach, turnips.
v.   For Drying
Knotted marjoram, mushrooms, winter savoury.
vi.   For Pickling
French beans, red cabbage, cauliflowers, garlic, gherkins, nasturtiums, onions.
vii.   Fruit
Apples: Codlin, jennetting, Margaret, summer pearmain, summer pippin, quarrenden. Apricots, cherries (black-heart), currants, plums, greengages, gooseberries, melons, nectarines, peaches. Pears: Catherine, green-chisel, jargonelle. Pineapples, raspberries, strawberries.

Contents / Index



38.  In Season in August

i.   Fish
Barbel, brill, carp, cod, conger-eels, crabs, cray-fish, dabs, dace, eels, flounders, gurnets, haddocks, herrings, lobsters, mackerel, mullet, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, skate, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, grass-lamb, mutton, veal, buck venison.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Chickens, ducks, fowls, green geese, grouse (from 12th), leverets, pigeons, plovers, rabbits, turkeys, turkey poults, wheat-ears, wild ducks, wild pigeons, wild rabbits.
iv.   Vegetables
Artichokes, beans (French, kidney, scarlet and Windsor), white beet, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, cucumbers, endive, pot-herbs of all sorts, leeks, lettuces, mushrooms, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, salad of all sorts, salsify, scorzonera, shalots, spinach, turnips.
v.   For Drying
Basil, sage, thyme.
vi.   For Pickling
Red cabbage, capsicums, chilies, tomatoes, walnuts.
vii.   Fruit
Apples: Codlin, summer pearmain, summer pippin. Cherries, currants, figs, filberts, gooseberries, grapes, melons, mulberries, nectarines, peaches. Pears: Jargonelle, summer, Bon Chrétien, Windsor. Plums, greengages, raspberries, Alpine strawberries.

Contents / Index


Without Economy None can be Rich.


39.  In Season in September

i.   Fish
Barbel, brill, carp, cockles, cod, conger-eels, crab, dace, eels, flounders, gurnets, haddocks, hake, herrings, lobsters, mullet, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, shrimps, soles, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, mutton, pork, veal, buck venison.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Chickens, ducks, fowls, green geese, grouse, hares, larks, leverets, partridges, pigeons, plovers, rabbits, teal, turkeys, turkey poults, wheat-ears, wild ducks, wild pigeons, wild rabbits.
iv.   Vegetables
Artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, beans (French and scarlet), cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, cucumbers, endive, herbs of all sorts, leeks, lettuces, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, salad of all sorts, shalots, turnips.
v.   Fruit
Apples: Golden nob, pearmain, golden rennet. Cherries (Morella), damsons, figs, filberts. Grapes: Muscadine, Frontignac, red and black Hamburgh, Malmsey. Hazel nuts, walnuts, medlars, peaches. Pears: Bergamot, brown beurré. Pineapples, plums, quinces, strawberries, walnuts.

Contents / Index



40.  In Season in October

i.   Fish
Barbel, brill, turbot, carp, cockles, cod, conger-eels, crabs, dace, dory, eels, gudgeon, haddocks, hake, halibut, herrings, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, prawns, salmon-trout, shrimps, smelts, soles, tench, thornback, whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, mutton, pork, veal, doe venison.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Chickens, dotterel, ducks, fowls, green geese, grouse, hares, larks, moor-game, partridges, pheasants, pigeons, rabbits, snipes, teal, turkey, wheat-ears, widgeon, wild ducks, wild pigeons, wild rabbits, woodcocks.
iv.   Vegetables
Artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflowers, celery, coleworts, endive, herbs of all sorts, leeks, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, salad, Savoys, scorzonera, skirrets, shalots, spinach (winter), tomatoes, truffles, turnips.
v.   Fruit
Apples: Pearmain, golden pippin, golden rennet, royal russet. Black and white bullace, damsons, late figs, almonds, filberts, hazel nuts, walnuts, filberts. Grapes, medlars. Peaches: Old Newington, October. Pears: Bergamot, beurré, Chaumontel, Bon Chrétien, swan's-egg. Quinces, services, walnuts.

Contents / Index



41.  In Season in November

i.   Fish
Barbel, brill, turbot, carp, cockles, cod, crabs, dace, dory, eels, gudgeons, gurnets, haddocks, hake, halibut, herrings, ling, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting.
ii.   Meat
Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, doe venison.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Chickens, dotterel, ducks, fowls, geese, grouse, hares, larks, partridges, pheasants, pigeons, rabbits, snipes, teal, turkey, wheat-ears, widgeon, wild ducks, wood-cocks.
iv.   Vegetables
Jerusalem artichokes, beet root, borecole, broccoli, cabbages, cardoons, carrots, celery, chervil, coleworts, endive, herbs of all sorts, leeks, lettuces, onions, parsnips, potatoes, salad, Savoys, scorzonera, skirrets, shalots, spinach, tomatoes, turnips.
vi.   Fruit
Almonds. Apples: Holland pippin, golden pippin, Kentish pippin, nonpareil, winter pearmain, Wheeler's russets. Bullace, chestnuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, filberts, grapes, medlars. Pears: Bergamot, Chaumontel, Bon Chrétien.

Contents / Index


With Economy, Few Need be Poor.


42.  In Season in December

i.   Fish
Barbel, brill, turbot, carp, cockles, cod, crabs, dab, dory, eels, gudgeon, gurnets, haddocks, bake, halibut, herrings, ling, lobsters, mackerel, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, ruffe, salmon, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon, tench, whitings.
ii.   Meat
Beef, house-lamb, mutton, pork, veal, doe venison.
iii.   Poultry and Game
Capons, chickens, ducks, fowls, geese, grouse, guinea-fowl, hares, larks, partridges, pea-fowl, pheasants, pigeons, rabbits, snipes, teal, turkeys, wheat-ears, widgeon, wild ducks, woodcocks.
iv.   Vegetables
Jerusalem artichokes, beet root, borecole, white and purple broccoli, cabbages, cardoons, carrots, celery, endive, herbs of all sorts, leeks, lettuces, onions, parsnips, potatoes, salad, Savoys, scorzonera, skirrets, shalots, spinach, truffles, turnips, forced asparagus.
v.   Fruit
Almonds. Apples: Golden pippin, nonpareil, winter pearmain, golden russet. Chestnuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, filberts, Almeria grapes, medlars, oranges. Pears: Bergamot, beurré d'hiver.

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43.  Drying Herbs

Fresh herbs are preferable to dried ones, but as they cannot always be obtained, it is most important to dry herbs at the proper seasons:

Basil is in a fit state for drying about the middle of August
Burnet in June, July, and August
Chervil in May, June, and July
Elder Flowers in May, June, and July
Knotted Marjoram during July
Lemon Thyme end of July and through August
Mint end of June and July
Orange Flowers May, June, and July
Parsley May, June, and July
Sage August and September
Summer Savoury end of July and August
Tarragon June, July, and August
Thyme end of July and August
Winter Savoury end of July and August


These herbs always at hand will be a great aid to the cook. Herbs should be gathered on a dry day; they should be immediately well cleansed, and dried by the heat of a stove or Dutch oven. The leaves should then be picked off, pounded and sifted, put into stoppered bottles, labelled, and put away for use. Those who are unable or may not care to take the trouble to dry herbs, can obtain them prepared for use in bottles at the green-grocer's.

Contents / Index


Do Good to your Enemy, that he may become Your Friend.


44.  Dr. Kitchiner's Rules for Marketing

The best rule for marketing is to pay ready money for everything, and to deal with the most respectable tradesmen in your neighbourhood. If you leave it to their integrity to supply you with a good article at the fair market price, you will be supplied with better provisions, and at as reasonable a rate as those bargain-hunters who trot "around, around, around about" a market till they are trapped to buy some unchewable old poultry, tough tup-mutton, stringy cow-beef, or stale fish, at a very little less than the price of prime and proper food. With savings like these they toddle home in triumph, cackling all the way, like a goose that has got ankle-deep into good luck. All the skill of the most accomplished cook will avail nothing unless she is furnished with prime provisions. The best way to procure these is to deal with shops of established character: you may appear to pay, perhaps, ten per cent. more than you would were you to deal with those who pretend to sell cheap, but you would be much more than in that proportion better served.

Every trade has its tricks and deceptions; those who follow them can deceive you if they please, and they are too apt to do so if you provoke the exercise of their over-reaching talent. Challenge them to a game at "Catch who can," by entirely relying on your own judgment, and you will soon find nothing but very long experience can make you equal to the combat of marketing to the utmost advantage. If you think a tradesman has imposed upon you, never use a second word, if the first will not do, nor drop the least hint of an imposition; the only method to induce him to make an abatement is the hope of future favours; pay the demand, and deal with the gentleman no more; but do not let him see that you are displeased, or as soon as you are out of sight your reputation will suffer as much as your pocket has. Before you go to market, look over your larder, and consider well what things are wanting—especially on a Saturday. No well-regulated family can suffer a disorderly caterer to be jumping in and out to make purchases on a Sunday morning. You will be enabled to manage much better if you will make out a bill of fare for the week on the Saturday before; for example, for a family of half a dozen:

Sunday Roast beef and pudding.
Monday Fowl, what was left of pudding fried, or warmed in the Dutch oven.
Tuesday Calf's head, apple pie.
Wednesday Leg of mutton.
Thursday Ditto broiled or hashed, and pancakes.
Friday Fish, pudding.
Saturday Fish, or eggs and bacon.


It is an excellent plan to have certain things on certain days. When your butcher or poulterer knows what you will want, he has a better chance of doing his best for you; and never think of ordering beef for roasting except for Sunday. When you order meat, poultry, or fish, tell the tradesman when you intend to dress it: he will then have it in his power to serve you with provision that will do him credit, which the finest meat, &c, in the world will never do, unless it has been kept a proper time to be ripe and tender.

(Kitchiner's Cook's Oracle 56th Thousand. 5s. Houlston & Sons.)

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45.  The Family Circle

Under this title a group of acquaintances in London once instituted and carried out a series of friendly parties. The following form of invitation, and the rules of the "Family Circle," will be found interesting, probably useful:

Will you do me the favour of meeting here, as a guest, on —— next, at seven precisely, a few friends who have kindly joined in an attempt to commence occasional pleasant and social parties, of which the spirit and intent will be better understood by the perusal of the few annexed remarks and rules from

Yours sincerely, ——

"They manage it better in France," is a remark to be often applied with reference to social life in England, and the writer fancies that the prevalence here of a few bad customs, easily changed, causes the disadvantageous difference between ourselves and our more courteous and agreeable neighbours.
  1. Worldly appearance; the phantom leading many to suppose that wealth is the standard of worth—in the minds of friends, a notion equally degrading to both parties.
  1. Overdress; causing unnecessary expense and waste of time.
  1. Expensive entertainments, as regards refreshments.
  1. Late hours.
The following brief rules are suggested, in a hope to show the way to a more constant, easy, and friendly intercourse amongst friends, the writer feeling convinced that society is equally beneficial and requisite—in fact, that mankind in seclusion, like the sword in the scabbard, often loses polish, and gradually rusts.
  1. That meetings be held in rotation at each member's house, for the enjoyment of conversation; music, grave and gay; dancing, gay only; and card-playing at limited stakes.
  1. That such meetings commence at seven and end about or after twelve, and that members and guests be requested to remember that punctuality has been called the politeness of kings.
  1. That as gentlemen are allowed for the whole season to appear, like the raven, in one suit, ladies are to have the like privilege; and that no lady be allowed to quiz or notice the habits of another lady; and that demi-toilette in dress be considered the better taste in the family circle; not that the writer wishes to raise or lower the proper standard of ladies' dress, which ought to be neither too high nor too low, but at a happy medium.
  1. That any lady infringing the last rule be liable to reproof by the oldest lady present at the meeting, if the oldest lady, like the oldest inhabitant, can be discovered.
  1. That every member or guest, be requested to bring with them their own vocal, instrumental, or dance music, and take it away with them, if possible, to avoid loss and confusion.
  1. That no member or guest, able to sing, play, or dance, refuse, unless excused by medical certificate; and that no cold or sore throat be allowed to last more than a week.
  1. That as every member or guest known to be able to sing, play, or dance, is bound to do so if requested, the performer (especially if timid) is to be kindly criticized and encouraged; it being a fact well known, that the greatest masters of an art are always the most lenient critics, from their deep knowledge of the feeling, intelligence, and perseverance required to at all approach perfection.
  1. That gentlemen present do pay every attention to ladies, especially visitors; but such attention is to be general, and not particular—for instance, no gentleman is to dance more than three times with one lady during the evening, except in the case of lovers, privileged to do odd things during their temporary lunacy, and also married couples, who are expected to dance together at least once during the evening, and oftener if they please.
  1. That to avoid unnecessary expense, the refreshments be limited to cold meat, sandwiches, bread, cheese, butter, vegetables, fruits, tea, coffee, negus, punch, malt liquors, &c, &c
  1. That all personal or face-to-face laudatory speeches (commonly called toasts, or, as may be, roasts) be for the future forbidden, without permission or inquiry, for reasons following:—That as the family circle includes bachelors and spinsters, and he, she, or they may be secretly engaged, it will be therefore cruel to excite hopes that may be disappointed; and that as some well-informed Benedick of long experience may after supper advise the bachelor to find the way to woman's heart—vice versa, some deep-feeling wife or widow, by "pity moven," may, perhaps, after supper advise the spinster the other way, which, in public, is an impropriety manifestly to be avoided.
  1. (suggested by a lady). That any lady, after supper, may (if she please) ask any gentleman apparently diffident, or requiring encouragement, to dance with her, and that no gentleman can of course refuse so kind a request.
  1. That no gentleman be expected to escort any lady home on foot beyond a distance of three miles, unless the gentleman be positive and the lady agreeable.
Rule the Last:  That as the foregoing remarks and rules are intended, in perfect good faith and spirit, to be considered general and not personal, no umbrage is to be taken, and the reader is to bear in mind the common and homely saying,—
"Always at trifles scorn to take offence,
It shows great pride and very little sense."
P.S.—To save trouble to both parties, this invitation be deemed accepted, without the necessity to reply, unless refused within twenty-four hours.

Contents / Index


As a Man Lives, so shall he Die.


46.  Evening Pastimes

Among the innocent recreations of the fireside, there are few more commendable and practicable than those afforded by what are severally termed Anagrams, Arithmorems, Single and Double Acrostics, Buried Cities, &c, Charades, Conundrums, Cryptographs, Enigmas, Logogriphs, Puzzles, Rebuses, Riddles, Transpositions, &c Of these there are such a variety, that they are suited to every capacity; and they present this additional attraction, that ingenuity may be exercised in the invention of them, as well as in their solution. Many persons who have become noted for their literary compositions may date the origin of their success to the time when they attempted the composition of a trifling enigma or charade.

Contents / Index



47.  Acrostics

The acrostic is a short poem in which the first letters of each line, read collectively, form a name, word, or sentence. The word comes from the Greek akros, extreme, and stichos, order or line. The acrostic was formerly in vogue for valentine and love verses. When employed as a riddle it is called a Rebus, which see.

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48.  Acrostics (Double)

This very fashionable riddle is a double Rebus, the initial and final letters of a word or words selected making two names or two words. The usual plan is to first suggest the foundation words, and then to describe the separate words, whose initials and finals furnish the answer to the question. Thus:
A Party to charm the young and erratic—
But likely to frighten the old and rheumatic.
  1. The carriage in which the fair visitants came:
  2. A very old tribe with a very old name;
  3. A brave Prince of Wales free from scandal or shame.
The answer is Picnic.
1.     P Phaeton N
2.     I Iceni I
3.     C Caradoc C
Sometimes the Double Acrostic is in prose, as in this brief example:
A Briton supports his wig, his grand-mother, his comfort, and his country-women.

The answer is, Beef—Beer:

Bob, Eve, Ease, Fair.

Contents / Index



49.   Acrostics (Triple)

are formed on the same plan, three names being indicated by the initial, central, and final letters of the selected words.

Contents / Index



50.  Anagrams

are formed by the transposition of the letters of words or sentences, or names of persons, so as to produce a word, sentence, or verse, of pertinent or of widely different meaning. They are very difficult to discover, but are exceedingly striking when good. The following are some of the most remarkable:

Words Transpositions
Astronomers No more stars
Catalogues Got as a clue
Elegant Neat leg
Impatient Tim in a pet
Immediately I met my Delia
Masquerade Queer as mad
Matrimony Into my arm
Melodrama Made moral
Midshipman Mind his map
Old England Golden land
Parishioners I hire parsons
Parliament Partial men
Penitentiary Nay I repeat it
Presbyterian Best in prayer
Radical Reform Rare mad frolic
Revolution To love ruin
Sir Robert Peel Terrible poser
Sweetheart There we sat
Telegraphs Great help

Contents / Index



51.  Arithmorems

This class of riddle is of recent introduction. The Arithmorem is made by substituting figures in a part of the word indicated, for Roman numerals. The nature of the riddle—from the Greek arithmos, number, and the Latin remanere, back again—will be easily seen from the following example, which is a double Arithmorem:

H 51 and a tub —— a fine large fish
A 100 and gore —— a sprightly movement in music
R 5 and be —— a part of speech
U 551 and as and —— a Spanish province
To 201 and ran —— a stupefying drug
R 102 and nt —— an acid
OU 250 and pap —— a Mexican town


The answer is Havanna—Tobacco.

Halibut, Allegro, Verb, Andalusia, Narcotic, Nitric, Acapulco.

Contents / Index



52.  Charades

are compositions, poetical or otherwise, founded upon words, each syllable of which constitutes a noun, the whole of each word constituting another noun of a somewhat different meaning from those supplied by its separate syllables. Words which fully answer these conditions are the best for the purposes of charades; though many other words are employed. In writing, the first syllable is termed "My first," the second syllable "My second," and the complete word "My whole." The following is an example of a Poetical Charade:
The breath of the morning is sweet;
The earth is bespangled with flowers,
And buds in a countless array
Have ope'd at the touch of the showers.
The birds, whose glad voices are ever
A music delightful to hear,
Seem to welcome the joy of the morning,
As the hour of the bridal draws near.
What is that which now steals on my first,
Like a sound from the dreamland of love,
And seems wand'ring the valleys among,
That they may the nuptials approve?
'Tis a sound which my second explains,
And it comes from a sacred abode,
And it merrily trills as the villagers throng
To greet the fair bride on her road.
How meek is her dress, how befitting a bride
So beautiful, spotless, and pure!
When she weareth my second, oh, long may it be
Ere her heart shall a sorrow endure.
See the glittering gem that shines forth from her hair—
'Tis my whole, which a good father gave;
Twas worn by her mother with honour before—
But she sleeps in peace in her grave.
Twas her earnest request, as she bade them adieu,
That when her dear daughter the altar drew near,
She should wear the same gem that her mother had worn
When she as a bride full of promise stood there.
The answer is Ear-ring. The bells ring, the sound steals upon the ear, and the bride wears an ear ring. Charades may be sentimental or humorous, in poetry or prose; they may also be acted, in which manner they afford considerable amusement.

Contents / Index



53.  Charades (Acted)

A drawing room with folded doors is the best for the purpose. Various household appliances are employed to fit up something like a stage, and to supply the fitting scenes. Characters dressed in costumes made up of handkerchiefs, coats, shawls, table-covers, &c, come on and perform an extempore play, founded upon the parts of a word, and its whole, as indicated already. For instance, the events explained in the poem given might be acted—glasses might be rung for bells—something might be said in the course of the dialogues about the sound of the bells being delightful to the ear; there might be a dance of the villagers, in which a ring might be formed; a wedding might be performed, and so on: but for acting charades there are many better words, because Ear-ring could with difficulty be represented without at once betraying the meaning. There is a little work entitled "Philosophy and Mirth united by Pen and Pencil," and another work, "Our Charades; and How we Played Them,"1 by Jean Francis, which supply a large number of these Charades. But the following is the most extensive list of words ever published upon which Charades may be founded:



Footnote 1:  "Philosophy and Mirth, united by Pen and Pencil," One Shilling.

"Our Charades; and How we played Them," by Jean Francis, One Shilling.

Both published by Houlston and Sons, Paternoster Square, London, EC.
return

Contents / Index


A Fool's Bolt Is Soon Shot.


54.  Words which may be converted into Acting or Written Charades

A B C D E F G H I J
Aid-less Ba-boon Cab-in Dark-some Ear-ring False-hood Gain-say Had-dock Ill-nature Jac(k)o-bite
Air-pump Back-bite Can-did Day-break Earth-quake Fan-atic Gang-way Hail-stone Ill-usage Joy-ful
Ale-house Back-slide Can-ton Death-watch Ear-wig Fare-well Glow-worm Hail-storm In-action Joy-less
Ann-ounce Bag-gage Care-ful Dog-ma Far-thing Glut-ton Half-penny In-born Justice-ship
Arch-angel Bag-pipe Car-pet Don-key K Fear-less God-child Ham-let In-crease
Arm-let Bag-dad Car-rot Drink-able Key-stone Fee-ling God-daughter Ham-mock In-justice L
Art-less Bail-able Cart-ridge Drug-get Kid-nap Field-farm God-father Hand-cuff Ink-ling Lace-man
Ass-ail Bale-ful Chair-man Duck-ling King-craft Fire-lock God-like Hang-man In-land Lady-bird
Band-age Chamber-maid King-fisher Fire-man God-mother Hap-pen In-mate Lady-ship
M Band-box Cheer-ful N Kins-man Fire-pan God-son Hard-ship In-no-cent Lamp-black
Ma-caw Bane-ful Cheer-less Name-sake Kit-ten Fire-ship Gold-finch Hard-ware In-sane Land-lady
Mad-cap Bar-bed Christ-mas Nan-keen Knight-hood Fire-work Gold-smith Harts-horn In-spirit Land-lord
Mad-house Bar-gain Church-yard Nap-kin Know-ledge Fir-kin Goose-berry Head-land In-tent Land-mark
Mad-man Bar-rack Clans-men Neck-cloth Fish-hook Grand-father Hard-ship Inter-meddle Land-scape
Mag-pie Bar-row Clerk-ship Neck-lace O Flag-rant Grate-ful Hard-ware Inter-sect Land-tax
Main-mast Bat-ten Cob-web Nest-ling Oak-apple Flip-pant Grave-stone Harts-horn Inter-view Lap-dog
Main-sail Beard-less Cock-pit News-paper Oat-cake Flood-gate Green-finch Head-land In-valid Lap-pet
Main-spring Bid-den Cod-ling Nick-name Oat-meal Fond-ling Grey-hound Head-less In-vent Laud-able
Mam-moth Bird-lime Coin-age Night-cap Off-end Foot-ball Grim-ace Head-long In-vest Law-giver
Man-age Birth-right Con-fined Night-gown Oil-man Foot-man Grind-stone Head-stone In-ward Law-suit
Man-date Black-guard Con-firm Night-mare O-men Foot-pad Ground-plot Head-strong Ire-ful Lay-man
Marks-man Blame-less Con-form Night-watch On-set Foot-step Ground-sell Hear-say Iron-mould Leap-frog
Mar-row Block-head Con-tent Nine-fold O-pen Foot-stool Guard-ship Heart-less I-sing-lass Leap-year
Mass-acre Boat-man Con-test Noon-tide O-pinion For-age Gun-powder Heart-sick Lee-ward
Match-less Boot-jack Con-tract North-star Our-selves For-bear Heart-string P Life-guard
May-game Book-worm Con-verse North-ward Out-act For-bid Q Hedge-hog Pack-age Like-wise
Meat-man Bound-less Cork-screw Not-able Out-bid Found-ling Quad-rant Heir-less Pack-cloth Live-long
Mis-chance Bow-ling Count-less Not-ice Out-brave Fox-glove Quench-less Heir-loom Pad-dock Load-stone
Mis-chief Brace-let Court-ship No-where Out-brazen Free-hold Quick-lime Hell-hound Pad-lock Log-book
Mis-count Brain-less Crab-bed Nut-gall Out-cast Free-stone Quick-sand Hell-kite Pain-ful Log-wood
Mis-deed Break-fast Cross-bow Nut-meg Out-cry Fret-work Quick-set Hence-forth Pain-less Loop-hole
Mis-judge Breath-less Cur-tail Out-do Fri-day Quick-silver Hen-roost Pal-ace Lord-ship
Mis-quote Brick-bat Cur-tail R Out-grow Friend-ship Herb-age Pal-ate Love-sick
Monks-hood Brick-dust Rain-bow Out-law Frost-bite S Herds-man Pal-let Low-land
Moon-beam Bride-cake T Ram-part Out-line Fur-long Safe-guard Her-self Pan-cake Luck-less
Moon-light Bride-groom Tar-get Ran-sack Out-live Sal-low Hid-den Pan-tiler Luke-warm
Muf-fin Broad-cloth Tar-tar Rap-a-city Out-march U Sand-stone High-land Pa-pa
Broad-side Taw-dry Rasp-berry Out-rage Up-braid Sat-in High-way Pa-pal V
W Broad-sword Tax-able Rattle-snake Out-ride Up-hill Sat-ire Hind-most Par-able Vain-glory
Wag-on Brow-beat Tea-cup Red-breast Out-run Up-hold Sauce-box Hoar-frost Pa-rent Van-guard
Wag-tail Brown-stone Teem-ful Red-den Out-sail Up-land Sauce-pan Hob-goblin Pa-ring Vault-age
Wain-scot Bug-bear Teem-less Rid-dance Out-sell Up-ride Saw-dust Hogs-head Par-snip
Waist-coat Bull-dog Tell-tale Ring-leader Out-shine Up-right Saw-pit Home-bred Par-son Y
Wake-ful Bump-kin Ten-able Ring-let Out-side Up-roar Scare-crow Honey-bag Par-took Year-ling
Wal-nut Buoy-ant Ten-a-city Ring-tail Out-sit Up-shot Scarf-skin Honey-comb Part-ridge Youth-ful
Wan-ton But-ton Ten-ant Ring-worm Out-sleep Up-start Scar-let Honey-moon Pass-able
Ward-mate Ten-dance Rolling-pin Out-spread Up-ward School-fellow Honey-suckle Pass-over S continued
Ward-robe O continued Ten-don Rose-water Out-stare Use-less School-master Hood-wink Pas-time Ship-wreck
Ward-ship Over-plus Ten-dril Rot-ten Out-stretch School-mistress Horse-back Patch-work Shirt-less
Ware-house Over-poise Ten-or Round-about Out-talk P continued Scot-free Horse-shoe Pa-tent Shoe-string
War-fare Over-power Thank-ful Round-house Out-vie Port-hole Screech-owl Host-age Path-way Shoe-waker
War-like Over-press Thank-less Run-a-gate Out-ward Post-age Scul-lion Hot-bed Pat-ten Shop-board
War-rant Over-rack Them-selves Rush-light Out-weigh Post-chaise Sea-born Hot-house Peace-able Shop-keeper
Wash-ball Over-rate Thence-forth Out-wit Post-date Sea-calf Hot-spur Pea-cock Shop-man
Waste-ful Over-reach There-after W continued Out-work Post-house Sea-coal Hounds-ditch Pear-led Shore-less
Watch-ful Over-right There-at Whit-low Out-worn Post-man Sea-faring Hour-glass Peer-age Short-hand
Watch-man Over-ripen There-by Whit-sun-tide Over-act Post-office Sea-girt House-hold Peer-less Short-lived
Watch-word Over-roast There-fore Who-ever Over-awe Pot-ash Sea-gull House-maid Pen-knife Short-sighted
Water-course Over-rule There-from Whole-sale Over-bear Pot-hook Sea-maid House-wife Pen-man Shot-free
Water-fall Over-run There-in Whole-some Over-board Pound-age Sea-man Hum-drum Pen-man-ship Shoulder-belt
Water-fowl Over-see There-on Wild-fire Over-boil Prim-rose Seam-less Hump-back Penny-worth Shrove-tide
Water-man Over-seer There-to Wil-low Over-burden Prior-ship Seam-stress Hurri-cane Per-jury Side-board
Water-mark Over-set There-with Wind-lass Over-cast Prop-a-gate Sea-nymph Pert-in-a-city Side-long
Water-mill Over-shade Thick-set Wind-mill Over-charge Punch-bowl Sea-piece S continued Pick-lock Side-saddle
Water-work Over-shadow Thought-ful Wind-pipe Over-cloud Sea-port Sod-den Pick-pocket Side-ways
Way-lay Over-shoe Thought-less Win-now Over-come S continued Sea-sick Sol-ace Pie-bald Sight-less
Way-ward Over-shoot Thread-bare Win-some Over-court Star-board Sea-son So-lo Pike-staff Silk-weaver
Weather-cock Over-sight Three-fold Wise-acre Over-do Star-gazer Sea-ward Sol-vent Pill-age Silk-worm
Weather-glass Over-size Three-score Wit-less Over-due Star-less Second-hand Some-body Pin-cushion Silver-smith
Weather-wise Over-sleep Thresh-old Wolf-dog Over-eye Star-light Seed-cake Some-how Pine-apple Sin-less
Web-bed Over-spread Through-out Wood-cock Over-feed Star-like Seed-ling Some-time Pip-kin Six-fold
Web-foot Over-stock Thunder-bolt Wood-land Over-flow Star-ling Seed-pearl Some-what Pitch-fork Skim-milk
Wed-lock Over-strain Thunder-struck Wood-lark Over-grown States-man Seed-time Some-where Pit-men Skip-jack
Week-day Over-sway Till-age Wood-man Over-head Stead-fast Seers-man Song-stress Plain-tiff Sky-lark
Wel-come Over-swell Tip-pet Wood-note Over-hear Steel-yard Sex-tile Son-net Play-fellow Sky-light
Wel-fare Over-take Tip-staff Wood-nymph Over-heard Steer-age Sex-ton Southern-wood Play-house Slap-dash
Well-born Over-throw Tire-some Work-house Over-joy Step-dame Shame-less Span-king Play-mate Sleeve-less
Well-bred Over-took Title-page Work-man Over-lade Step-daughter Sham-rock Spare-rib Play-wright Slip-board
Wheel-wright Over-value Toad-stool Work-shop Over-lay Step-father Shape-less Spar-row Plough-man Slip-shod
Where-at Over-work Toil-some Worm-wood Over-leap Step-mother Sharp-set Speak-able Plough-share Slip-slop
Where-by Ox-gall Tom-boy Wrath-ful Over-load Steward-ship Sheep-cot Speech-less Pole-cat Slope-wise
Whet-stone Ox-lip Tooth-ache Wrath-less Over-look Stiff-neck Sheep-shearing Spite-ful Pol-lute Slow-worm
Whip-cord Top-knot Wrist-band Over-mast Still-born Sheep-walk Sports-man Pop-gun Snip-pet
Whip-hand S cont. Top-most Writ-ten Over-match Stock-jobber Sheet-anchor Spot-less Pop-in-jay Snip-snap
Whirl-pool Stow-age Top-sail Over-pass Stone-fruit Shell-fish Spring-halt Port-age Snow-ball
Whirl-wind Strata-gem Touch-stone S cont. Over-pay Store-fruit Shift-less Spruce-beer Port-hole Snow-drop
White-wash Straw-berry Touch-wood Stream-let Over-peer Store-house Ship-board Stair-case Post-age Snuff-box
Sun-dry Towns-man Strip-ling Sup-position seven Sweet-william
Sun-flower Toy-shop Sum-mary T cont. Sup-press T cont. Sweet-willow
Sun-less Track-less Summer-house Trod-den Swans-down Twelfth-night Swine-herd
Sup-plant Trap-door Summer-set Turn-pike Sweep-stake Twelfth-tide Swords-man
Sup-pliant Tre-foil Sun-beam Turn-spit Sweet-bread Two-fold
Sup-port Trip-let Sun-burnt Turn-stile Sweet-briar Two-pence
Sup-port-able Trip-thong Sun-day Tutor-age Sweet-heart

Contents / Index


A Liar Should Have a Good Memory.


55.  Chronograms or Chrono-graphs

are riddles in which the letters of the Roman notation in a sentence or series of words are so arranged as to make up a date. The following is a good example:
My Day Closed Is In Immortality.
The initials MDCIII. give 1603, the year of Queen Elizabeth's death. Sometimes the Chronogram is employed to express a date on coins or medals; but oftener it is simply used as a riddle:
A poet who in blindness wrote; another lived in Charles's reign; a third called the father of English verse; a Spanish dramatist; the scolding wife of Socrates; and the Prince of Latin poets,—their initials give the year of the Great Plague—MDCLXV.—1665: Milton, Dryden, Chaucer, Lope-de-Vega, Xantippe, Virgil.
The word comes from Chronos, time, and gramma, a letter.

Contents / Index


Begin Well and End Better.


56.  Conundrums

These are simple catches, in which the sense is playfully cheated, and are generally founded upon words capable of double meaning. The following are examples:
Where did Charles the First's executioner dine, and what did he
take?
He took a chop at the King's Head.

When is a plant to be dreaded more than a mad dog?
When it's madder.

What is majesty stripped of its externals?
It is a jest.
[The m and the y, externals, are taken away.]

Why is hot bread like a caterpillar?
Because it's the grub that makes the butter fly.

Why did the accession of Victoria throw a greater damp over England than the death of King William?
Because the King was missed (mist) while the Queen was
reigning (raining).

Why should a gouty man make his will?
To have his legatees (leg at ease).

Why are bankrupts more to be pitied than idiots?
Because bankrupts are broken, while idiots are only cracked.

Why is the treadmill like a true convert?
Because it's turning is the result of conviction.

When may a nobleman's property be said to be all feathers?
When his estates are all entails (hen-tails).

Contents / Index


Every Man Knows Where His Own Shoe Pinches.


57.  Cryptography, or secret writing

from the Greek cryptos, a secret, and graphein, to write—has been largely employed in state despatches, commercial correspondence, love epistles, and riddles. The telegraphic codes employed in the transmission of news by electric wire, partakes somewhat of the cryptographic character, the writer employing certain words or figures, the key to which is in the possession of his correspondent. The single-word despatch sent by Napier to the Government of India, was a sort of cryptographic conundrum—Peccavi, I have sinned (Scinde); and in the agony column of the Times there commonly appear paragraphs which look puzzling enough until we discover the key-letter or figure. Various and singular have been the devices adopted—as, for instance, the writing in the perforations of a card especially prepared, so as only to allow the real words of the message to be separated from the mass of writing by means of a duplicate card with similar perforations; the old Greek mode of writing on the edges of a strip of paper wound round a stick in a certain direction, and the substitution of figures or signs for letters or words. Where one letter is always made to stand for another, the secret of a cryptograph is soon discovered, but when, as in the following example, the same letter does not invariably correspond to the letter for which it is a substitute, the difficulty of deciphering the cryptograph is manifestly increased:
Ohs ya h sych, oayarsa rr loucys syms
Osrh srore rrhmu h smsmsmah emshyr snms.
The translation of this can be made only by the possessor of the key.
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
h u s h m o n e y b y c h a r l e s h r o s s e s q
"Hush Money, by Charles H. Ross, Esq."—twenty-six letters which, when applied to the cryptograph, will give a couplet from Parnell's "Hermit":
"Far in a wild, unknown to public view,
From youth to age a reverend hermit grew."
The employment of figures and signs for letters is the most usual form of the cryptograph. From the following jumble we get a portion of Hamlet's address to the Ghost:

cryptography example

it is easy to write and not very hard to read the entire speech. The whole theory of the cryptogram is that each correspondent possesses the key to the secret. To confound an outside inquirer the key is often varied. A good plan is to take a line from any ordinary book and substitute the first twenty-six of its letters for those of the alphabet. In your next cryptogram you take the letters from another page or another book. It is not necessary to give an example. Enough will be seen from what we have written to instruct an intelligent inquirer.

Contents / Index



58.   Decapitations and Curtailments

are riddles somewhat of the nature of the Logogriph, which see. In the first, the omission of the successive initials produces new words, as—Prelate, Relate, Elate, Late, Ate. In the curtailment the last letter of the word is taken away with a similar result, as—Patent, Paten, Pate, Pat, Pa. Of like kind are the riddles known as variations, mutilations, reverses, and counterchanges. A good example of the last-named is this:
Charge, Chester, Charge: on, Stanley, on!
Were the last words of Marmion.
Had I but been in Stanley's place,
When Marmion urged him to the chase,
A tear might come on every face."
The answer is onion—On, I, on.

Contents / Index


Mock Not a Cobbler for His Black Thumb.


59.  Enigmas

are compositions of a different character, based upon ideas, rather than upon words, and frequently constructed so as to mislead, and to surprise when the solution is made known. Enigmas may be founded upon simple catches, like Conundrums, in which form they are usually called Riddles, such as:
"Though you set me on foot,
I shall be on my head."
The answer is, A nail in a shoe. The celebrated Enigma on the letter H, by Miss Catherine Fanshawe, but usually attributed to Lord Byron, commencing:
"'Twas whispered in heaven, 'twas muttered in hell,
And echo caught faintly the sound as it fell;"
and given elsewhere in this volume (See par. 215, page 77), is an admirable specimen of what may be rendered in the form of an Enigma.

Contents / Index



60.  Hidden Words.

A riddle in which names of towns, persons, rivers, &c, are hidden or arranged, without transposition, in the midst of sentences which convey no suggestion of their presence. In the following sentence, for instance, there are hidden six Christian names:—Here is hid a name the people of Pisa acknowledge: work at each word, for there are worse things than to give the last shilling for bottled wine.—The names are Ida, Isaac, Kate, Seth, Ethel, Edwin. Great varieties of riddles, known as Buried Cities, Hidden Towns, &c, are formed on this principle, the words being sometimes placed so as to read backwards, or from right to left. The example given will, however, sufficiently explain the mode of operation.

Contents / Index



61.  Lipogram

from leipein, to leave out, and gramma, a letter—is a riddle in which a name or sentence is written without its vowels, as:
Thprffthpddngsthtng,
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Whnhnorslst ts—rlftd,
Dths bt—sr rtrt fm nfmy.

"When honour's lost 'tis a relief to die,
Death's but a sure retreat from infamy."
This riddle sometimes appears as a proverb.
"Fear's the white feather all cowards wear."
——s' th wht fthr ll cwrds——

Contents / Index



62.  Logogriph

This is a riddle (logos, a word, and griphos, a riddle) in which a word is made to undergo several changes. These changes are brought about by the addition, subtraction, omission, or substitution of a letter or letters. The following, by the late Lord Macaulay, is an excellent example:
"Cut off my head, how singular I act:
Cut off my tail, and plural I appear.
Cut off my head and tail—most curious fact,
Although my middle's left, there's nothing there!
What is my head cut off?—a sounding sea!
What is my tail cut off?—a flowing river!
Amid their mingling deaths I fearless play
Parent of softest sounds, though mute for ever!
The answer is cod. Cut off its head and it is od (odd, singular); its tail, and it is Co., plural, for company; head and tail, and it is o, nothing. Its head is a sounding C (sea), its tail a flowing D (river Dee), and amid their depths the cod may fearless play, parent of softest sounds yet mute for ever.

Contents / Index



63.  Metagram

a riddle in which the change of the initial letter produces a series of words of different meanings; from meta, implying change, and gramma, a letter. Thus:
I cover your head; change my head, and I set you to sleep; change it again and again, and with every change comes a new idea.—Cap, Nap, Gap, Sap, Hap, Map, Lap, Pap, Rap, Tap. This kind of riddle is also known as word-capping.

Contents / Index


Gunpowder Made By a Monk at Cologne A.D.1330.


64.  Palindrome

from the Greek palin-dromos, running back again. This is a word, sentence, or verse that reads the same both forwards and backwards—as, madam, level, reviver; live on no evil; love your treasure and treasure your love; you provoked Harry before Harry provoked you; servants respect masters when masters respect servants. Numerous examples of Palindrome or reciprocal word-twisting exist in Latin and French; but in English it is difficult to get a sentence which will be exactly the same when read either way. The best example is the sentence which, referring to the first banishment of the Great Napoleon, makes him say, as to his power to conquer Europe:
"Able was I ere I saw Elba."

Contents / Index



65.  Puzzles

vary much. One of the simplest that we know is this:
Take away half of thirteen and let eight remain.

Write XIII on a slate, or on a piece of paper—rub out the lower half of the figures, and VIII will remain.
Upon the principle of the square-words, riddlers form Diagonals, Diamonds, Pyramids, Crosses, Stars, &c These specimens will show their peculiarities:

Contents / Index



66.  Oblique Puzzle.

Malice, eight, a polemical meeting, a Scottish river, what I write with, a decided negative, the capital of Ireland. The initials downward name a celebrated musician.
(solution in p.67 below.)

Contents / Index



67.  Diagonal Puzzle

A direction, a singer, a little bird, a lady's ring, a sharp shaver.

Read from left to right and right to left, the centrals show two famous novelists.
The following are answers to these two puzzles, and afford good examples of their construction to any one who wishes to try his hand at their manufacture.
puzzle 1

Contents / Index



68.  Diamond Puzzle

The head of a mouse, what the mouse lives in, the county of calves, the city of porcelain, a German town, a Transatlantic stream, a royal county, a Yorkshire borough, Eve's temptation, our poor relation, myself. Centrals down and across, show a wide, wide, long river.
The construction of the Diamond Puzzle is exhibited in the following diagram, which is, at the same time, the answer to it.
puzzle 2

Contents / Index



69.  Rebuses

are a class of Enigma generally formed by the first, sometimes the first and last, letters of words, or of transpositions of letters, or additions to words. Dr. Johnson, however, represents Rebus to be a word represented by a picture. And putting the Doctor's definition and our own explanation together, the reader may glean a good conception of the nature of the Rebus of which the following is an example:
The father of the Grecian Jove;
A little boy who's blind;
The foremost land in all the world;
The mother of mankind;
A poet whose love-sonnets are
Still very much admired;—
The initial letters will declare
A blessing to the tired.
Answer—Saturn; Love; England; Eve; Plutarch. The initials form sleep.

The excellent little work mentioned in para. 53, entitled "Philosophy and Mirth united by Pen and Pencil," has this novelty, that many of the Enigmas are accompanied by enigmatical pictures, so that the eye is puzzled as well as the ear.

Contents / Index


Glass First Brought to England A.D. 668.


70.  Square Words

A comparatively modern sort of riddle, in which the letters of each word selected reads both across and down. With four letters the making of the riddle is easy, but with five or six the difficulty increases. We give an example of each.
  1. Inside, a thought, a liquid gem, a timid creature.
  2. To run out, odour, to boil, to loosen, unseen essence.
  3. Compensations, a court favourite, to assist, to bite slightly, Spanish money, sarcasms.
puzzle 3
With seven or eight letters the riddle becomes exceedingly difficult, especially if the selected words are of like character and syllables.

Contents / Index



71.  Chess, Laws of.

The rules given below are those which are now universally accepted by English players.

  1. The board is to be so placed as to leave a white square at the right hand of the player.
  1. Any mistake in placing the board or the men may be rectified before the fourth move is completed, but not after.
  1. The players draw lots for the first move, and take the move alternately.
[When odds are given, the player giving them moves first. White generally moves first; therefore, if black win the move, the board is turned. It is usual to play with the white and black men alternately.]
  1. The piece touched must be moved. When the fingers of the player have once left the man, it cannot be again removed from the square it occupies.
[Except the move be illegal, when the opponent can insist on the piece being moved in the proper manner, or for the opposing King to be moved.]
  1. In touching a piece simply to adjust it, the player must notify to his adversary that such is his intention.
[It is usual, in such a case, to say J'adoube (I adjust); but he may not touch a piece with the intention of moving it, and then, when he discover his mistake, say, J'adoube. The phrase is simply intended to be used when a piece is displaced or overturned by accident.]
  1. If a player take one of his own men by mistake, or touch a wrong man, or one of his opponent's men, or make an illegal move, his adversary may compel him to take the man, make the right move, move his King, or replace the piece, and make a legal move.
  1. A pawn may be played either one or two squares at a time when first moved.
[In the latter case it is liable to be taken en passant, with a pawn that could have taken it had it been played only one square.]
  1. A player cannot castle under any of the following circumstances:
    1. If he has moved either King or Rook.
    2. If the King be in check.
    3. If there be any piece between the King and the Rook.
    4. If the King, in moving, pass over any square commanded by any one of his adversary's forces.
[You cannot castle to get out of check.]
  1. If a player give a check without crying "check," the adversary need not take notice of the check. But if two moves only are made before the discovery of the mistake, the pieces may be replaced, and the game properly played.
  1. If a player say check without actually attacking the King, and his adversary move his King or take the piece, the latter may elect either to let the move stand or have the pieces replaced and another move made.
  1. If, at the end of a game, the players remain, one with a superior to an inferior force, or even if they have equal forces, the defending player may call upon his adversary to mate in fifty moves on each side, or draw the game.
[If one player persist in giving perpetual check, or repeating the same move, his opponent may count the moves for the draw; in which case touching a piece if reckoned a move.]
  1. Stalemate, or perpetual check is a drawn game.
  1. Directly a pawn reaches its eighth square it must be exchanged for a piece.
[It is usual to change the pawn for a Queen, but it may be replaced by a Rook, Bishop, or Knight, without reference to the pieces already on the board. In practice it would be changed for a Queen or a Knight, seeing that the Queen's moves include those of the Rook and Bishop. Thus you may have two or more Queens, three or more Rooks, Bishops, or Knights on the board at the end of the game.]
  1. Should any dispute arise, the question must be submitted to a bystander, whose decision is to be considered final.

For information as to the best modes of play, the Openings and Endings of Games, &c, read The Book of Chess, by G.H. Selkirk, published by Messrs. Houlston and Sons.

Contents / Index



72.  Draughts, Rules of the Game.

The accepted laws for regulating the game are as follows:

  1. The board is to be so placed as to have the white or black double corners at the right hand of the player.
  1. The first move is taken by chance or agreement, and in all the subsequent games of the same sitting, the first move is taken alternately. Black generally moves first.
  1. Any action which prevents your adversary from having a full view of the board is not allowed, and if persisted in, loses the game to the offending player.
  1. The man touched must be moved, but the men may be properly adjusted during any part of the game. After they are so placed, if either player, when it is his turn to play, touch a man, he must move it. If a man be so moved as to be visible on the angle separating the squares, the player so touching the man must move it to the square indicated.
[By this it is meant that a player may not move first to one square and then to another. Once moved on to a square, the man must remain there.]
  1. It is optional with the player either to allow his opponent to stand the huff, or to compel him to take the offered piece.
["Standing the huff" is when a player refuses to take an offered piece, but either intentionally or accidentally makes another move. His adversary then removes the man that should have taken the piece, and makes his own move—huff and move, as it is called.]
  1. Ten minutes is the longest time allowed to consider a move, which if not made within that time, forfeits the game.
  1. It is compulsory upon the player to take all the pieces he can legally take by the same series of moves. On making a King, however, the latter remains on his square till a move has been made on the other side.
  1. All disputes are to be decided by the majority of the bystanders present, or by an umpire.
  1. No player may leave the room without the consent of his adversary, or he forfeits the game.
  1. A false move must be remedied as soon as it is discovered, or the maker of such move loses the game.
  1. When only a small number of men remain toward the end of the game, the possessor of the lesser number may call on his opponent to win in at least fifty moves, or declare the game drawn. With two Kings to one, the game must be won in at most twenty moves on each side.
  1. The player who refuses to abide by the rules loses the game. In the losing game a player must take all the men he can by his move.

Contents / Index



73.  Whist

Great silence and attention should be observed by the players. Four persons cut for partners; the two highest are against the two lowest. The partners sit opposite to each other, and he who cuts the lowest card is entitled to the deal. The ace is the lowest in cutting.

  1. Shuffling—-Each person has a right to shuffle the cards before the deal; but it is usual for the elder hand only; and the dealer after.
  1. Cutting.—The pack is then cut by the right hand adversary; and the dealer distributes the cards, one by one, to each of the players, beginning with the player on his left, until he comes to the last card, which he turns up for trump, and leaves on the table till the first trick be played.
  1. First Play.—The elder hand, the player on the left of the dealer, plays first. The winner of the trick plays again; and so on, till all the cards are played out.
  1. Mistakes.—No intimations, or signs are permitted between the partners. The mistake of one party is the profit of the adversary.
  1. Collecting Tricks.—The tricks belonging to each player should be turned and collected by one of the partners only. All above six tricks reckon towards game.
  1. Honours.—The ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps are called honours; and when either of the partners hold three separately, or between them, they count two points towards the game; and in case they have four honours, they count four points.
  1. Game.—Long Whist game consists of ten points, Short Whist of five points.


Contents / Index



74.  Terms used in Whist.

  1. Finessing, is the attempt to gain an advantage; thus:—If you have the best and third best card of the suit led you put on the third best, and run the risk of your adversary having the second best; if he has it not, which is two to one against him, you are then certain of gaining a trick.
  1. Forcing, is playing the suit of which your partner or adversary has not any, and which in order to win he must trump.
  1. Long Trump, the one or more trumps in your hand when all the rest are out.
  1. Loose Card, a card of no value, and the most proper to throw away.
  1. Points,—Ten make the game; as many as are gained by tricks or honours, so many points are set up to the score of the game.
  1. Quarte, four successive cards in suit.
  1. Quarte Major, a sequence of ace, king, queen, and knave.
  1. Quinte, five successive cards in suit.
  1. Quinte Major, is a sequence of ace, king, queen, knave, and ten.
  1. See-saw, is when each partner trumps a suit, and when they play those suits to each other for that purpose.
  1. Score, is the number of points set up. The following is a good method of scoring with coins or counters:
puzzle 4

For Short Whist there are regular markers.
  1. Slam, is when either side win every trick.
  1. Tenance, is possessing the first last and third best cards, and being the player; you consequently catch the adversary when that suit is played: as, for instance, in case you have ace and queen of any suit, and your adversary leads that suit, you must win two tricks, by having the best and third best of the suit played, and being the last player.
  1. Tierce, three successive cards in suit.
  1. xv. Tierce Major, a sequence of ace, king, and queen.


Contents / Index


Children and Chickens Must Always be Picking.


75.  Maxims for Whist.

  1. Lead from your strong suit, be cautious how you change suits, and keep a commanding card to bring it in again.
  1. Lead through the strong suit and up to the weak; but not in trumps; unless very strong in them.
  1. Lead the highest of a sequence; but if you have a quarte or cinque to a king, lead the lowest.
  1. Lead through an honour, particularly if the game is against you.
  1. Lead your best trump, if the adversaries be eight, and you have no honour; but not if you have four trumps, unless you have a sequence.
  1. Lead a trump if you have four or five, or a strong hand; but not if weak.
  1. Having ace, king, and two or three small cards, lead ace and king if weak in trumps, but a small one if strong in them.
  1. If you have the last trump, with some winning cards, and one losing card only, lead the losing card.
  1. Return your partner's lead, not the adversaries'; and if you hold only three originally, play the best; but you need not return it immediately, when you win with a king, queen, or knave, and have only small ones, or when you hold a good sequence, a strong suit, or five trumps.
  1. Do not lead from ace queen, or ace knave.
  1. Do not—as a rule—lead an ace, unless you have a king.
  1. Do not lead a thirteenth card, unless trumps be out.
  1. Do not trump a thirteenth card, unless you be last player, or want the lead.
  1. Keep a small card to return your partner's lead.
  1. Be cautious in trumping a card when strong in trumps, particularly if you have a strong suit.
  1. Having only a few small trumps, make them when you can.
  1. If your partner refuse to trump a suit, of which he knows you have not the best, lead your best trump.
  1. When you hold all the remaining trumps, play one, and then try to put the lead in your partner's hand.
  1. Remember how many of each suit are out, and what is the best card left in each hand.
  1. Never force your partner if you are weak in trumps, unless you have a renounce, or want the odd trick.
  1. When playing for the odd trick, be cautious of trumping out, especially if your partner be likely to trump a suit. Make all the tricks you can early, and avoid finessing.
  1. If you take a trick, and have a sequence, win it with the lowest.


Contents / Index


There are None So Wicked as Represented.


76.  Laws of Whist

as accepted at the best Clubs.

  1. The deal is determined by cutting-in. Cutting-in and cutting-out must be by pairs.
[Less than three cards, above or below, is not a cut. Ace is lowest. Ties cut again. Lowest deals. Each player may shuffle, the dealer last. The right-hand adversary cuts to dealer.]
  1. iIf a card be exposed, a fresh deal may be demanded.
  1. Dealer must not look at bottom card; and the trump-card must be left, face upwards, on the table till the first trick be turned, or opponents may call a fresh deal.
  1. Too many or too few cards is a misdeal—an exposed or face card. In either case, a fresh deal may be demanded.
[In cases of a misdeal, the deal passes to the next player.]
  1. After the first round has been played, no fresh deal can be called.
[If the first player hold fewer than thirteen cards, the other hands being right, the deal stands.]
  1. If two cards be dealt to the same player, the dealer may rectify his error before dealing another card.
[The dealer must not touch the cards after they have left his hands; but he may count those remaining in the pack if he suspect a misdeal, or he may ask the players to count their cards. One partner may not deal for another without the consent of opponents.]
  1. If the trump-card be not taken into the dealer's hand at the expiration of the first round, it may be treated as an exposed card, and called.
[After this, no one has a right to ask what was the trump-card, but he may ask "What are Trumps?"]
  1. If the third hand play before the second, the fourth has a right to play before his partner; or if the fourth hand play before the second or third, the cards so played must stand, and the second be compelled to win the trick if he can.
  1. If a player lead out of his turn, or otherwise expose a card, that card may be called, if the playing of it does not cause a revoke.
[Calling a card is the insisting of its being played when the suit comes round, or when it may be played.]
  1. If a player trump by mistake, he may recall his card, and play to the suit, if the card be not covered; but he may be compelled to play the highest or lowest of the suit led, and to play the exposed trump when it is called by his adversaries.
  1. If, before a trick be turned, a player discover that he has not followed suit, he may recall his card; but the card played in error can be called when the suit is played.
  1. Before a trick is turned, the player who made it may see the preceding trick.
[Only one trick is to be shown; not more, as is sometimes erroneously believed.]
  1. Before he plays, a player may require his partner to "draw his card," or he may have each card in the trick claimed before the trick be turned.
  1. When a player does not follow suit his partner is allowed to ask him whether he has any card of the suit led.
  1. The penalty for a revoke—either by wrongfully trumping the suit led, or by playing a card of another suit—is the loss of three tricks; but no revoke can be claimed till the cards are abandoned, and the trick turned.
[Revokes forfeit three tricks from the hand or score: or opponents may add three to their score; partner may ask and correct a trick if not turned; the revoking side cannot score out in that deal.]
  1. No revoke can be claimed after the tricks are gathered up, or after the cards are cut for the next deal.
[The wilful mixing up of the cards in such case loses the game.]
  1. The proof of a revoke lies with the claimants, who may examine each trick on the completion of the round.
  1. If a revoke occur on both sides, there must be a new deal.
  1. Honours cannot be counted unless they are claimed previous to the next deal.
[No omission to score honours can be rectified after the cards are packed; but an overscore, if proved, must be deducted.]
  1. Honours can only be called at eight points (in Long Whist), and at nine they do not count.
[In some Clubs, eight, with the deal, cannot call against nine.]

Contents / Index



77.  Short Whist

is the above game cut in half. Honours are not called at any part of the game; but, as in Long Whist, they are counted by their holders and scored—except at the score of four. All the maxims and Rules belonging to the parent game apply to Short Whist.

Contents / Index



78.   Points at Short Whist.

The Game consists of Five Points. One for a Single—5 to 3 or 4; Two for a Double—5 to 1 or 2; Three for a Triple—5 to love. A Rubber—two Games successively won, or the two best Games out of three—counts for Two Points. Thus, if the first Game be won by 5 to 4, the Points are 1 to love; the second Game won by the opposite side by 5 to 1, the Points are then 1 to 2; the third Game won by the side which won the first, by 5 to love. The Points are then 6 to 2—a balance of 4. This is arrived at thus: the Single in the first Game, 1; the Triple in the third Game, 3; the Rubber (two Games of three), 2; together, 6. From this deduct 2, for the Double gained by the opponents in the second Game, which leaves 4, as above. Short Whist is usually played for points—say, a shilling, or a penny, for each point; two for the Game, and two for the Rubber.

Contents / Index


None are so Good as they Should Be.


79.  Advice to all Players.

  1. Count, and arrange your cards into suits; but do not always place your trumps in one particular part of your hand, or your opponents will discover how many you have.
  1. Attend to the game, and play as though your hand consisted of twenty-six instead of thirteen cards.
  1. In the second round of a suit, win the trick when you can, and lead out for your partner's high cards as soon as possible.
  1. Touch only the card you intend to play.
  1. Retain a high trump as long as you can, to bring back your strong suit.
  1. With a weak hand, always try to secure the seventh or odd trick to save the game.
  1. Attend to the score, and play as if the whole fortune of the game depended on yourself.
  1. Remember the number of trumps out at every stage of the game. Note, also, the fall of every court-card in the other suits, so that you are never in doubt as to the card that will win the trick.
  1. Hold the turn-up as long as you can, as by that means you keep your adversaries from knowing your strength in trumps.
  1. Do not force your partner unnecessarily, as by that means you sometimes become his adversary instead of his friend.
  1. When in doubt, play a trump. Play the game in its integrity, and recollect that Whist is full of inferences as well as facts.

Contents / Index



80.  Cribbage

The game of Cribbage differs from all other games by its immense variety of chances. It is played with the full pack of cards, often by four persons, but it is a better game for two. There are also different modes of playing—with five, six, or eight cards; but the best games use those with five or six cards.

Contents / Index


Night is not Dark to the Good.


81.  Terms Used in Cribbage

  1. Crib.—The crib is composed of the cards thrown out by each player, and the dealer is entitled to score whatever points are made by them.
  1. Pairs are two similar cards, as two aces or two kings. Whether in hand or play they reckon for two points.
  1. Pairs-Royal are three similar cards, and reckon for six points, whether in hand or play.
  1. Double Pairs-Royal are four similar cards and reckon for twelve points, whether in hand or play. The points gained by pairs, pairs-royal, and double pairs-royal, in playing, are thus effected:—Your adversary having played a seven and you another, constitutes a pair, and entitles you to score two points; your antagonist then playing a third seven, makes a pair-royal, and he marks six; and your playing a fourth is a double pair-royal, and entitles you to twelve points.
  1. Fifteens.—Every fifteen reckons for two points, whether in hand or play. In hand they are formed either by two cards—as a five and any tenth card, a six and a nine, a seven and an eight, or by three cards, as a two, a five, and an eight, two sixes and a three. If in play, such cards as together make fifteen are played, the player whose card completes that number, scores two points.
  1. Sequences are three or four more successive cards, and reckon for an equal number of points, either in hand or play. In playing a sequence, it is of no consequence which card is thrown down first; as thus:—your adversary playing an ace, you a five, he a three, you a two, then he a four—he counts five for the sequence.
  1. Flush.—When, the cards are all of one suit, they reckon for as many points as there are cards. For a flush in the crib, the turned-up card must be of the same suit as those put out.
  1. Nob.—The knave of the suit turned up reckons for one point; if a knave be turned up, the dealer marks two.
  1. End Hole.—The point scored by the last player, if he make under thirty-one; if he make thirty-one exactly, he marks two.
  1. Last.—Three points taken at the commencement of the game of five-card cribbage by the non-dealer.

Contents / Index


Nor is Day Bright to the Wicked.


82.  The Accepted Laws of Cribbage.

  1. The players cut for deal. The ace is lowest in cutting. In case of a tie, they cut again. The holder of the lowest card deals.
  1. Not fewer than four cards is a cut; nor must the non-dealer touch the pack after he has cut it.
  1. Too many or too few cards dealt constitutes a misdeal, the penalty for which is the taking of two points by the non-dealer.
  1. A faced card, or a card exposed during the act of dealing necessitates a new deal, without penalty.
  1. The dealer shuffles the cards and the non-dealer cuts them for the "start."
  1. If the non-dealer touch the cards (except to cut them for the turn-up) after they have been cut for the start, he forfeits two points.
  1. In cutting for the start, not fewer than three cards must be lifted from the pack or left on the table.
  1. The non-dealer throws out for the crib before the dealer. A card once laid out cannot be recalled, nor must either party touch the crib till the hand is played out. Either player confusing the crib cards with his hand, is liable to a penalty of three points.
[In three and four-hand cribbage the left-hand player throws out first for the crib, then the next; the dealer last. The usual and best way is for the non-dealer to throw his crib over to the dealer's side of the board; on these two cards the dealer places his own, and hands the pack over to be cut. The pack is then at the right side of the board for the next deal.]
  1. The player who takes more points than those to which he is entitled, either in play or in reckoning hand or crib, is liable to be "pegged;" that is, to be put back as many points as he has over-scored, and have the points added to his opponent's side.
[In pegging you must not remove your opponent's front peg till you have given him another. In order "to take him down,'' you remove your own back peg and place it where his front peg ought to be, you then take his wrongly placed peg and put it in front of your own front, as many holes as he has forfeited by wrongly scoring.]
  1. No penalty attaches to the taking of too few points in play, hand, or crib.
  1. When a player has once taken his hand or crib, he cannot amend his score.
  1. When a knave is turned up, "two for his heels" must be scored before the dealer's own card be played, or they cannot be taken.
  1. A player cannot demand the assistance of his adversary in reckoning hand and crib.
  1. A player may not, except to "peg him," touch his adversary's pegs, under a penalty of two points. If the foremost peg has been displaced by accident, it must be placed in the hole behind the peg standing on the board.
  1. The peg once holed cannot be removed by either player till another point or points be gained.
  1. The player who scores a game as won when, in fact, it is not won, loses it.
  1. A lurch—scoring the whole sixty-one before your adversary has scored thirty-one—is equivalent to a double game, if agreed to previous to the commencement of the game.
  1. A card that may be legally played cannot be withdrawn after it has been once thrown face upwards on the table.
  1. If a player neglect to score his hand, crib, or any point or points of the game, he cannot score them after the cards are packed or the next card played.
  1. The player who throws up his cards and refuses to score, forfeits the game.
  1. If a player neglect to play when he can play a card within the prescribed thirty-one, he forfeits two holes.
  1. Each player's hand and crib must be plainly thrown down on the table and not mixed with the pack, under penalty of the forfeiture of the game.
The player who refuses to abide by the rules, loses the game. Bystanders must not interfere unless requested to decide any disputed point.

Contents / Index



83.  Five-Card Cribbage.

In this the sixty-one points or holes on the cribbage-board mark the game. The player cutting the lowest card deals; after which, each player lays out two of the five cards for the crib, which belongs to the dealer. The adversary cuts the remainder of the pack, and the dealer turns up and lays upon the crib the uppermost card, the turn-up. If it be a knave, he marks two points. The card turned up is reckoned by both in counting their hands or crib. After laying out, the eldest hand plays a card, which the other should endeavour to pair, or find one, the pips of which, reckoned with the first, will make fifteen; then the non-dealer plays another card, and so on alternately, until the pips on the cards played make thirty-one, or the nearest possible number under that.

Contents / Index



84.   Counting for Game in Cribbage.

When he whose turn it is to play cannot produce a card that makes thirty-one, or comes under that number, he says, "Go," and his antagonist scores one, or plays any card or cards he may have that will make thirty-one, or under. If he can make exactly thirty-one, he takes two points; if not, one. Such cards as remain after this are not played, but each player then counts and scores his hand, the non-dealer first. The dealer then marks the points for his hand, and also for his crib, each reckoning the cards every way they can possibly be varied, and always including the turned-up card.

cards points
For every fifteen 2
Pair, or two of a sort 2
Pair-royal, or three of a sort 6
Double pair-royal, or four ditto 12
Knave of the turned-up suit 1
Sequences and flushes whatever their number.


Contents / Index



85.  Examples of Hands in Cribbage

cards count
Two sevens, two eights, and a nine 24
Two eights, a seven, and two nines 20
Two nines, a six, seven, and eight 16
Two sixes, two fives, and a four 24
Two sixes, two fours, and a five 24
Two fives, two fours, and a six 24
Two threes, two twos, and an ace 16
Two aces, two twos, and a three 16
Three fives and a tenth card 14
Three fours and a seven 12
Three twos and a nine 8
Six, seven, eight, and two aces the ragged 13
6 + 1 and 8 15-2
6 + 1 and 8 16-4
6 + 1 + 1 + 7 15-6
7 + 8 15-8
the pair of aces
and the sequence 5
13
Three sixes and a nine 12
Three sevens and an eight 12
Three eights and a seven 12
Three nines and a six 12
Three threes and a nine 12
Three sixes and a three 12
Three sevens and an ace 12
Two tens (pair) and two fives 12
Two tenth cards (not a pair)
and two fives
10
Two nines and two sixes 12
Two eights and two sevens 12
Two sixes and two threes 8
Two fives, a four, and a six 12
Two fours, a five, and a six 12
Two sixes, a four, and a five 12
Two threes and two nines 8
Two nines, a seven, and an eight 10
Two eights, a seven, and a nine 12
Two sevens, an eight, and a nine 12
Two sixes, a seven, and an eight 10
Two sixes, a three, and a nine 8
A seven, eight, nine, ten, and knave 7
A six, seven, eight, nine, and ten 9
A six, seven, eight, and nine 8
A six, five, and two sevens 8
Any double sequence of three cards and a pair
(as knave, queen, and two kings).
6
Any sequence of three cards and a fifteen 5
Any sequence of four cards and a fifteen
(as seven, eight, nine and ten)		 6
Any sequence of six cards 6
Any sequence of four cards and a flush 8
Any flush of four cards and a fifteen 6
Any flush of four cards and a pair 6


The highest number that can be counted from five cards is 29—made from four fives and a knave; that is, three fives and a knave of the suit turned up, and a five on the pack—for the combinations of the four fives, 16; for the double pair-royal, 12; his nob, 1-29.

Contents / Index


Rustle is not Industry.


86.  Maxims for laying out the Crib Cards.

In laying out cards for the crib, the player should consider not only his own hand, but also to whom the crib belongs, as well as the state of the game; for what might be right in one situation would be wrong in another. Possessing a pair-royal, it is generally advisable to lay out the other cards for crib, unless it belongs to the adversary. Avoid giving him two fives, a deuce and a trois, five and six, seven and eight, five and any other tenth card. When he does not thereby materially injure his hand, the player should for his own crib lay out close cards, in hope of making a sequence; or two of a suit, in expectation of a flush; or cards that of themselves reckoned with others will count fifteen. When the antagonist be nearly up, and it may be expedient to keep such cards as may prevent him from gaining at play. The rule is to baulk your adversary's crib by laying out cards not likely to prove of advantage to him, and to lay out favourably for your own crib. This applies to a stage of the game when it may be of consequence to keep in hand cards likely to tell in play, or when the non-dealer would be either out by his hand, or has reason for thinking the crib of little moment. A king and a nine is the best baulk, as none can form a sequence beyond it; king or queen, with an ace, six, seven, eight, or nine, are good ones to put out. Low cards are generally the most likely to gain at play; the flushes and sequences, particularly if the latter be also flushes, are eligible hands, as thereby the player will often be enabled either to assist his own crib, or baulk that of the opponent; a knave should never be put out for his crib, if it can be retained in hand.

Contents / Index



87.  Three or Four-Hand Cribbage

differs little from the preceding. They put out but one card each to the crib, and when thirty-one, or the nearest to that has been made, the next eldest hand leads, and the players go on again in rotation, with the remaining cards, till all are played out, before they proceed to show hands and crib. For three-handed cribbage triangular boards are used.

Contents / Index



88.  Three-Hand Cribbage

is sometimes played, wherein one person sits out, not each game, but each deal in rotation. In this the first dealer generally wins.

Contents / Index



89.  Six-Card Cribbage

The two players commence on an equality, without scoring any points for the last, retain four cards in hand, and throw out two for crib. At this game it is of advantage to the last player to keep as close as possible, in hope of coming in for fifteen, a sequence, or pair, besides the end hole, or thirty-one. The first dealer is thought to have some trifling advantage, and each player may, on the average, expect to make twenty-five points in every two deals. The first non-dealer is considered to have the preference, when he gains ten or more the first hand, the dealer not making more than his average number.

Contents / Index



90.  Eight-Card Cribbage

is sometimes played. Six are retained in hand, and the game is conducted on the same plan as before.

Contents / Index



91.  All Fours

is usually played by two persons; not unfrequently by four. Its name is derived from the four chances, called high, low, Jack, game, each making a point. It is played with a complete pack of cards, six of which are to be dealt to each player, three at a time; and the next card, the thirteenth, is turned up for the trump by the dealer, who, if it prove a knave, scores one point. The highest card cut deals first. The cards rank the same as at whist—the first to score ten points, wins.

Contents / Index



92.  Laws of All-Fours

  1. A new deal can be demanded for an exposed card, too few or too many cards dealt; in the latter case, a new deal is optional, provided it be done before a card has been played, but not after, to draw from the opposing hand the extra card.
  1. iNo person can beg more than once in each hand, except by mutual agreement.
  1. Each player must trump or follow suit on penalty of the adversary scoring one point.
  1. If either player score wrongly it must be taken down, and the adversary either scores four points or one, as may have previously been agreed.
  1. When a trump is played, it is allowable to ask your adversary if it be either high or low.
  1. One card may count all-fours; for example, the eldest hand holds the knave and stands his game, the dealer has neither trump, ten, ace, nor court-card; it will follow that the knave will be both high, low, Jack, and game, as explained by:


Contents / Index



93.  Terms used in All-Fours

  1. High.—For the highest trump out, the holder scores one point.
  1. Low.—For the lowest trump out, the original holder scores one point, even if it be taken by the adversary.
  1. Jack.—For the knave of trumps the holder scores one. If it be won by the adversary, the winner scores the point.
  1. Game.—The greatest number that, in the tricks gained, are shown by either player, reckoning:

Four for an ace
Three for a king
Two for a queen
One for a knave
Ten for a ten
The other cards do not count: thus it may happen that a deal may be played without having any to reckon for game.
  1. Begging is when the eldest hand, disliking his cards, uses his privilege, and says, "I beg;" in which case the dealer either suffers his adversary to score one point, saying, "Take one," or gives each player three cards more from the pack, and then turns up the next card, the seventh for trumps. If, however, the trump turned up to be of the same suit as the first, the dealer must go on, giving each three cards more, and turning up the seventh, until a change of suit for trumps shall take place.


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94.  Maxims for All-Fours

  1. Make your knave as soon as you can.
  1. Secure your tens by playing any small cards, by which you may throw the lead into you adversary's hand.
  1. Win your adversary's best cards when you can, either by trumping or with superior cards.
  1. If, being eldest hand, you hold either ace, king, or queen of trumps, without the knave or ten, play them immediately, as, by this means, you may chance to win the knave or ten.

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95.  Loo

This game is played both Limited and Unlimited Loo; it is played two ways, both with five and three cards. Several may play, but five or seven make the better game.

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96.  Three-Card Loo

  1. This game is played by any number of persons, from three, but five or seven make the best game.
  1. The cards are cut for deal, the holder of the lowest card being dealer; after which the deal goes round, from left to right. In case of a tie, the players cut again. Ace is lowest, and the court-cards and tens are reckoned of the same value,—namely, ten.
  1. The left-hand adversary shuffles or makes the pack, and the player to the right of the dealer cuts previous to the deal.
  1. The cards take their usual value, ace highest; then king, queen, knave, ten, and so on, down to deuce. The dealer then gives three cards, one at a time, face downwards, to each player; and also dealing an extra hand, or "miss," which may be thrown on the table either as the first or last card of each round.
  1. A card too many or too few is a misdeal.
  1. The stakes being settled beforehand, the dealer puts into the pool his three halfpence, pence, or sixpences, and the game proceeds:
  1. The first player on the left of the dealer looks at his hand, and declares whether he will play or take the miss. If he decide to play, he says, "I play," or "I take the miss;" but he may elect to do neither; in which case he places his cards on the pack, and has nothing further to do with that round. The next player looks at his hand, and says whether he will play or not; and so on, till the turn comes to the dealer, who, if only one player stand the chance of the loo, may either play or give up the stakes.
  1. In the first round it is usual either to deal a single; that is, a round without a miss, when all the players must play; or each player puts into the pool a sum equal to that staked by the dealer in which latter case a miss is dealt.

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Never Open the Door to a Little Vice.


97.  Laws of Loo.

  1. For a misdeal the dealer is looed.
  1. For playing out of turn or looking at the miss without taking it, the player is looed.
  1. If the first player possess two or three trumps, he must play the highest, or be looed.
  1. With ace of trumps only, the first player must lead it, or be looed.
  1. The player who looks at his own cards, or the miss out of his turn, is looed.
  1. The player who looks at his neighbour's hand, either during the play or when they lie on the table, is looed.
  1. The player who informs another what cards he possesses, or gives any intimation that he knows such or such cards to be in the hand or the miss, is looed.
  1. The player who throws up his cards after the leading card is played, is looed.
  1. Each player who follows the elder hand must head the trick if he can, or be looed.
  1. Each player must follow suit if he can, or be looed.
The player who is looed pays into the pool the sum agreed.

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98.  Mode of Play

  1. When it is seen how many players stand in the round, the elder hand plays a card—his highest trump if he has two or more; if not, any card he chooses. The next plays, and, if he can, follows suit or heads the trick with a trump. If he can do neither, he throws away any card.
  1. And so the round goes on; the highest card of the suit, or the highest trump, winning the trick. The winner of the trick then leads another card.
  1. The game consists of three tricks, and the pool is divided equally among the players possessing them. Thus, if there be three pence, shillings, or half-crowns, in the pool, the tricks are a penny, sixpence, or half-a-crown each. The three tricks may of course be won by a single player, or they may be divided between two or three. Each player who fails to win a trick is looed, and pays into the next pool the amount determined on as the loo.
  1. When played for a determinate stake, as a penny for the deal and three pence for the loo, the game is called Limited Loo. When each player is looed for the sum in the pool, it is Unlimited Loo.
  1. Caution is necessary in playing this game to win. As a general rule, the first player should not take the miss, as the dealer's stake is necessarily to be added to the loo. Nor the miss be taken after two players have "struck in" (declared to play), for the chances are that they possess good leading cards.

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99.  Club Law

Another way of playing Loo is for all the parties to play whenever a club is turned up as trumps. It is merely another mode of increasing the pool.

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100.  Five-Card Loo.

  1. In principle it is the same as the other game Loo, only instead of three, the dealer (having paid his own stake into the pool) gives five cards to each player, one by one, face downwards.
  1. After five cards have been dealt to each player, another is turned up for trump; the knave of clubs generally, or sometimes the knave of the trump suit, as agreed upon, is the highest card, and is styled Pam; the ace of trumps is next in value, and the rest on succession, as at Whist. Each player can change all or any of the five cards dealt, or throw up his hand, and escape being looed. Those who play their cards, either with or without changing, and do not gain a trick, are looed. This is also the case with all who have stood the game, when a flush or flushes occur; and each, except a player holding pam, of an inferior flush, must pay a stake, to be given to him who sweeps the board, or divided among the winners at the ensuing deal, according to the tricks made. For instance, if every one at dealing stakes half-a-crown, the tricks are entitled to sixpence a-piece, and whoever is looed must put down half-a-crown, exclusive of the deal; sometimes it is settled that each person looed shall pay a sum equal to what happens to be on the table at the time. Five cards of a suit, or four with pam, make a flush which sweeps the board, and yields only to a superior flush, or the elder hand. When the ace of trumps is led, it is usual to say, "Pam be civil;" the holder of which last-mentioned card must then let the ace pass.
  1. Any player with five cards of a suit (a flush) looes all the players who stand in the game.
  1. The rules in this game are the same as in Three Card Loo.

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101.  Put

The game of Put is played with an entire pack of cards, generally by two, but sometimes by four persons. At Put the cards have a value distinct from that in other games. The best card in the pack is a trois, or three; the next a deuce, or two; then the ace, king, queen, knave, ten in rotation. The dealer distributes three cards to each player, by one at a time; whoever cuts the lowest card has the deal, and five points make the game, except when both parties say, "I put"—for then the score is at an end, and the contest is determined in favour of the player who may win two tricks out of three. When it happens that each player has won a trick, and the third is a tie—that is, covered by a card of equal value—the whole goes for nothing, and the game must begin anew.

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102.  Two-Handed Put

The eldest hand plays a card; and whether the adversary pass it, win it, or tie it, has a right to say, "I put," or place his cards on the pack. If you accept the first and your opponent decline the challenge, you score one; if you prefer the latter, your adversary gains a point; but if, before he play, your opponent says, "I put," and you do not choose to see him, he is entitled to add one to his score. It is sometimes good play to say, "I put," before you play a card: this depends on the nature of your hand.

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103.  Four-Handed Put.

Each party has a partner, and when three cards are dealt to each, one of the players gives his partner his best card, and throws the other two face downwards on the table: the dealer is at liberty to do the same to his partner, and vice versa. The two who have received their partners' cards play the game, previously discarding their worst card for the one received from their partners. The game then proceeds as at two-handed Put.

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104.  Laws of Put

  1. When the dealer accidentally discovers any of his adversary's cards, the adversary may demand a new deal.
  1. When the dealer discovers any of his own cards in dealing, he must abide by the deal.
  1. When a faced card is discovered during the deal, the cards must be reshuffled, and dealt again.
  1. If the dealer give his adversary more cards than are necessary, the adversary may call a fresh deal, or suffer the dealer to draw the extra cards from his hand.
  1. If the dealer give himself more cards than are his due, the adversary may add a point to his game, and call a fresh deal, or draw the extra cards from the dealer's hand.
  1. No bystander must interfere, under penalty of paying the stakes.
  1. Either party saying, "I put"—that is, "I play"—cannot retract, but must abide the event of the game, or pay the stakes.

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Knowledge Makes Humble.


105.  Speculation

is a lively round game, at which several may play, with a complete pack of cards, bearing the same value as at whist. A pool is made with fish or counters, on which such a value is fixed as the company may agree. The highest trump in each deal wins the pool; and should it happen that not one trump be dealt, then the company pool again, and the event is decided by the succeeding deal. After determining the deal, &c, the dealer pools six fish, and every other player four; then three cards are given to each, by one at a time, and another turned up for trump. The cards are not to be looked at, except in this manner: The eldest hand shows the uppermost card, which, if a trump, the company may speculate on, or bid for—the highest bidder buying and paying for it, provided the price offered be approved of by the seller. After this is settled, if the first card does not prove a trump, then the next eldest is to show the uppermost card, and so on—the company speculating as they please, till all are discovered, when the possessor of the highest trump, whether by purchase or otherwise, gains the pool. To play at speculation well, recollection is requisite of what superior cards of that particular suit have appeared in the preceding deals, and calculation of the probability of the trump offered proving the highest in the deal then undetermined.

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106.  Connexions

Three or four persons may play at this game. If the former number, ten cards each are to be given; but if the latter, only eight are dealt, which bear the same value as at whist, except that diamonds are always trumps. The connexions are formed as follows:
  1. By the two black aces.
  1. The ace of spades and king of hearts.
  1. The ace of clubs and king of hearts.

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107.  For the First Connexion

2s. are drawn from the pool; for the second, 1s.; for the third, and by the winner of the majority in tricks, 6d. each is taken. These sums are supposing gold staked: when only silver is pooled, then pence are drawn. A trump played in any round where there is a connexion wins the trick, otherwise it is gained by the player of the first card of connexions; and, after a connexion, any following player may trump without incurring a revoke: and also, whatever suit may be led, the person holding a card of connexion is at liberty to play the same; but the others must, if possible, follow suit, unless one of them can answer the connexion, which should be done in preference. No money can be drawn till the hands are finished; then the possessors of the connexions are to take first, according to precedence, and those having the majority of tricks take last.

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108.  Matrimony

This game is played with an entire pack of cards, by any number of persons from five to fourteen. It consists of five chances, usually marked on a board, or sheet of paper, as follows:

Best
The Ace of Diamonds turned up.
Confederacy
King and Knave		 INTRIGUE; OR
QUEEN AND KNAVE		 Matrimony
King and Queen.
Pairs
The Highest.


Matrimony is generally played with counters, and the dealer puts what he pleases on each or any chance, the other players depositing each the same quantity, less one—that is, when the dealer stakes twelve, the rest of the company lay down eleven each. After this, two cards are dealt round to every one, beginning on the left; then to each person one other card, which is turned up, and he who so happens to get the ace of diamonds sweeps all.

If it be not turned up, then each player shows his hand; and any of them having matrimony, intrigue, &c, takes the counters on that point; and when two or more people happen to have a similar combination, the oldest hand has the preference; and, should any chance not be gained, it stands over to the next deal.—Observe: The ace of diamonds turned up takes the whole pool, but when in hand ranks only as any other ace; and if not turned up, nor any ace in hand, then the king, or next superior card, wins the chance styled best.

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Ignorance Makes Proud.


109.  Pope Joan.

A game somewhat similar to Matrimony. It is played by any number, with an ordinary pack of cards, and a marking or pool board, to be had of most fancy stationers. The eight of diamonds must first be taken from the pack. After settling the deal, shuffling, &c, the dealer dresses the board. This he does by putting the counters into its several compartments—one counter or other stake to Ace, one each to King, Queen, Knave, and Game; two to Matrimony, two to Intrigue, and six to the nine of diamonds, styled the Pope. This dressing is, in some companies, at the individual expense of the dealer, though, the players usually contribute two stakes each towards the pool.

The cards are then dealt round equally to every player, one turned up for trump, and about six or eight left in the stock to form stops. For example, if the ten of spades be turned up, the nine becomes a stop. The four kings, and the seven of diamonds, are always fixed stops, and the dealer is the only person permitted, in the course of the game, to refer occasionally to the stock for information what other cards are stops in their respective deals. If either ace, king, queen, or knave happen to be the turned-up-trump, the dealer may take whatever is deposited on that head; but when Pope be turned up, the dealer is entitled both to that and the game, besides a stake for every card dealt to each player.

Unless the game be determined by Pope being turned up, the eldest hand begins by playing out as many cards as possible; first the stops, then Pope, if he have it, and afterwards the lowest card of his longest suit—particularly an ace, for that never can be led through. The other players follow, when they can, in sequence of the same suit, till a stop occurs. The player having the stop becomes eldest hand, and leads accordingly; and so on, until some player parts with all his cards, by which he wins the pool (game), and becomes entitled besides to a stake for every card not played by the others, except from any one holding Pope, which excuses him from paying.

If Pope has been played, then the player having held it is not excused. King and Queen form what is called matrimony; queen and knave, when in the same hand, make intrigue; but neither these nor ace, king, queen, knave, or pope, entitle the holder to the stakes deposited thereon, unless played out; and no claim can be allowed after the board be dressed for the succeeding deal. In all such cases the stakes remain for future determination. Pope Joan needs only a little attention to recollect what stops have been made in the course of the play. For instance, if a player begin by laying down the eight of clubs, then the seven in another hand forms a stop, whenever that suit be led from any lower card; or the holder, when eldest, may safely lay it down, in order to clear his hand.

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Knowledge Talks Lowly.


110.  Cassino

The game of cassino is played with an entire pack of cards, generally by four persons, but sometimes by three, and often by two.

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111.  Terms used in Cassino

  1. Great Cassino, the ten of diamonds, which reckons for two points.
  1. Little Cassino, the two of spades, which reckons for one point.
  1. The Cards is when you have a greater share than your adversary, and reckons for three points.
  1. The Spades is when you have the majority of that suit, and reckons for one point.
  1. The Aces: each of which reckons for one point.
  1. Lurched is when your adversary has won the game before you have gained six points.
In some deals at this game it may so happen that neither party win anything, as the points are not set up according to the tricks, &c, obtained, but the smaller number is constantly subtracted from the larger, both in cards and points; and if they both prove equal, the game commences again, and the deal goes on in rotation. When three persons play at this game, the two lowest add their points together, and subtract from the highest; but when their two numbers together either amount to or exceed the highest, then neither party scores.

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112.  Laws of Cassino.

  1. The deal and partners are determined by cutting, as at whist, and the dealer gives four cards, one at a time, to each player, and either regularly as he deals, or by one, two, three, or four at a time, lays four more, face upwards, upon the board, and, after the first cards are played, four others are dealt to each person, until the pack be concluded; but it is only in the first deal that any cards are to be turned up.
  1. The deal is not lost when a card is faced by the dealer, unless in the first round, before any of the four cards are turned up upon the table; but if a card happen to be faced in the pack, before any of the said four be turned up, then the deal begins again.
  1. Any person playing with less than four cards must abide by the loss; and should a card be found under the table, the player whose number is deficient takes the same.
  1. Each person plays one card at a time, with which he may not only take at once every card of the same denomination upon the table, but likewise all that will combine therewith; as, for instance, a ten takes not only every ten, but also nine and ace, eight and deuce, seven and three, six and four, or two fives; and if he clear the board before the conclusion of the game, he is to score a point; and whenever any player cannot pair or combine, then he is to put down a card.
  1. The tricks are not to be counted before all the cards are played; nor may any trick but that last won be looked at, as every mistake must be challenged immediately.
  1. After all the pack is dealt out, the player who obtains the last trick sweeps all the cards then remaining unmatched upon the table and wins the game.

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113.  Vingt-un

Description of the Game.—The game of Vingt-un, or twenty-one, may be played by two or more persons; and, as the deal is advantageous, and often continues long with the same person, it is usual to determine it at the commencement by turning up the first ace, or knave.

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114.  Method of Playing Vingt-un

The cards must all be dealt out in succession, unless a natural Vingt-un occur, and in the meantime the pone, or youngest hand, should collect those that have been played, and shuffle them together, ready for the dealer, against the period when he shall have distributed the whole pack. The dealer first gives two cards, one at a time, to each player, including himself; then he asks each player in rotation, beginning with the eldest hand on the left, whether he stands or chooses another card. If he need another card, it must be given from off the top of the pack, and afterwards another, or more, if desired, till the points of the additional card or cards, added to those dealt, exceed or make twenty-one exactly, or such a number less than twenty-one as the player thinks fit to stand upon.

When the points on the player's cards exceed twenty-one, he throws the cards on the table, face downwards, and pays the stake. The dealer is, in turn, entitled to draw additional cards; and, on taking a Vingt-un, receives double stakes from all who stand the game, except such other players, likewise having twenty-one, between whom it is thereby a drawn game. When any adversary has a Vingt-un, and the dealer not, then the opponent so having twenty-one, wins double stakes from him. In other cases, except a natural Vingt-un happen, the dealer pays single stakes to all whose numbers under twenty-one are higher than his own, and receives from those who have lower numbers; but nothing is paid or received by such players as have similar numbers to the dealer. When the dealer draws more than twenty-one, he pays to all who have not thrown up. In some companies ties pays the dealer.

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Ignorance Talks Loud.


115.  Natural Vingt-un

Twenty-one, when dealt in a player's first two cards, is styled a Natural. It should be declared at once, and entitles the holder to double stakes from the dealer, and to the deal, except it be agreed to pass the deal round. If the dealer turns up a natural he takes double stakes from all the players and retains the deal. If there be more than one natural, all after the first receive single stakes only. Aces count either eleven or one; court cards, ten; the rest according to their points.

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116.  The Odds of natural Vingt-un

depend upon the average number of cards likely to come under or exceed twenty-one; for example, if those in hand make fourteen exactly, it is seven to six that the one next drawn does not make the number of points above twenty-one; but if the points be fifteen, it is seven to six against that hand; yet it would not, therefore, always be prudent to stand at fifteen, for as the ace may be calculated both ways, it is rather above an even bet that the adversary's first two cards amount to more than fourteen. A natural Vingt-un may be expected once in seven coups when two, and twice in seven when four, people play, and so on, according to the number of players.

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117.  Quadrille

This game, formerly very popular, has been superseded by Whist. Quadrille, the game referred to by Pope in his "Rape of the Lock," is now obsolete.

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118.  Ecarté

This game, which has lately revived in popularity, is played by two persons with a pack of cards from which the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes have been discarded. In the clubs it is usual to play with two packs, used alternately. The players cut for deal, the highest card deals. The pack is shuffled and the non-dealer cuts. The dealer then from the united pack gives five cards to each, beginning with his adversary, by twos and threes, or threes and twos; and always dealing in the same way throughout the game. The eleventh card is turned up for trump. If the turn-up be a king, the dealer marks one point; five points being game. The non-dealer looks at his cards, and if he be dissatisfied with them, he may propose—that is, change any or all of them for others from the stock, or remainder of the pack on the table. Should he propose, he says, "I propose," or "cards," and it is in the option of the dealer to give or refuse cards. When he decides to give, he says, "I accept," or "How many?" Should he refuse to change he says, "I decline," or "Play." The dealer may, if he accept the proposal, change any or all the cards in his own hand.

Sometimes a second discard is allowed, but that must be by previous agreement. Of course the non-dealer may play without discarding, in which case the dealer must play his own hand without changing any of his cards. When the hands are arranged the non-dealer plays a card, which is won or lost by the playing of a superior card of the suit led. The second must follow suit, or win the trick if he can; otherwise he may throw any card he chooses. The order in value of the cards is—king, queen, knave, ace, ten, nine, eight, seven. The winner of the trick leads for the next trick, and so on, till the five cards on each side are played. The winner of three tricks scores one point; if he win the whole five tricks—the rôle—he scores two points; if he hold the king, he names it before playing his first card—"I mark king." Should the non-dealer play without proposing, and fail to make three tricks, his adversary marks two points; should the dealer refuse to accept and fail to win three tricks, his opponent scores two. The game is five up; that is, the player who first marks five points, wins. The score is marked by two cards, a three and a two, or by counters. The deal is taken alternately; but when the play is for rubbers it is usual to cut for deal at the end of each rubber.

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Knowledge is Modest, Cautious, and Pure.


119.  Rules of Ecarté

  1. Each player has right to shuffle the cards above the table.
  1. The cut must not be fewer than two cards off the pack, and at least two cards must be left on the table.
  1. When more than one card is exposed in cutting, there must be a new deal.
  1. The highest ecarté card cut secures the deal, which holds good even though the pack be imperfect.
  1. The dealer must give five cards to each by three and two, or by two and three, at a time, which plan must not be changed, during the game.
  1. An incorrect deal, playing out of turn, or a faced card, necessitates a new deal.
  1. The eleventh card must be turned up for trumps; and the remaining cards placed, face downwards, on the table.
  1. The king turned up must be marked by the dealer before the trump of the next deal is turned up.
  1. A king of trumps held in hand must be announced and marked before the player lays down his first card, or he loses his right to mark it. If played in the first trick, it must be announced before it is played to.
  1. A proposal or acceptance cannot be retracted or altered.
  1. Before taking cards, the player must place his discarded cards, face downwards, on the table, and neither look at or touch them till the round be over.
  1. The player holding king marks one point; making three tricks, one point; five tricks, two points.
  1. The non-dealer playing without proposing and failing to win the point, gives two tricks to his opponent.
  1. The dealer who refuses the first proposal and fails to win the point (three tricks), gives his opponent two points.
  1. An admitted overscore or underscore may be amended without penalty before the cards are dealt for the following round.

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120.  Euchre

which is founded on Ecarté, and is the national game of the United States, is played with a pack of cards from which the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes have been withdrawn. In the Euchre pack the cards rank as at Whist, with this exception—the knave of trumps, called the Right Bower, and the other knave of the same colour, known as the Left Bower take precedence over the rest of the trumps. Thus, when hearts are trumps, the cards rank thus:—Knave of hearts, knave of diamonds, ace, king, queen, ten, nine, eight, and seven of hearts. When diamonds are trumps, the knave is right bower, and the knave of hearts left bower; and in like manner the knaves of spades and clubs become right and left bower, when the black suits are trumps.—In Four-handed Euchre, two play against two, and the tricks taken by both partners count for points.

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Ignorance Boastful, Conceited, and Sure.


121.  Rules for Euchre

  1. The players cut for deal; the higher card cut dealing.
  1. The cards are dealt by twos and threes, each player having five.
  1. The eleventh card is turned up for trumps.
  1. Five points constitute game.
  1. The player winning three or four tricks marks one point; winning five tricks, two points.
  1. When the first player considers his hand strong enough to score, he can order it up—that is, he can oblige the dealer to discard one of his cards and take up the trump in its stead.
  1. When the first player does not find his hand strong enough, he may pass—" I pass;" with the view of changing the suit.
  1. In case of the first player "ordering it up," the game begins by his playing a card, to which the dealer must follow suit or trump, or throw away. The winner of the trick then leads: and so on till all the five cards in each hand are played.
  1. If the player order up the trump and fail to make three tricks, he is euchred, and his opponent marks two points.
  1. If the player, not being strong enough, passes, the dealer can say, "I play," and take the trump into his own hand; but, as before, if he fail to score, he is euchred.
  1. If both players pass, the first has the privilege of altering the trump, and the dealer is compelled to play. Should the first player fail to score, he is euchred.
  1. If he pass for the second time, the dealer can alter the trump, with the same penalty if he fail to score.
  1. When trumps are led and you cannot follow suit, you must play the left bower if you have it, to win the trick.
The score is marked as in Ecarté, by each side with a two and three.

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122.  Bézique

This fashionable game is played with two packs of cards, from which the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes, have been discarded. The sixty-four cards of both packs, shuffled well together, are then dealt out, eight to each player, by threes, twos, and threes; the seventeenth turned up for trump, and the rest left, face downwards, on the table. If the trump card be a seven, the dealer scores ten points. An incorrect deal or an exposed card necessitates a new deal, which passes to the other player. A trump card takes any card of another suit. Except trumping, the higher card, whether of the same suit or not, takes the trick—the ace ranking highest, the ten next, and then the king, queen, knave, nine, &c When two cards of equal value are played, the first wins.

Some players require the winning card to be of the same suit as that led, unless trumped. After each trick is taken, an additional card is drawn by each player from the top of the pack—the taker of the last trick drawing first, and so on till all the pack is exhausted, including the trump card. Players are not obliged to follow suit or trump until all the cards have been drawn from the pack. Tricks are of no value, except for the aces and tens they may contain. Tricks should not be looked at till the end of the deal, except by mutual consent. When a player plays without drawing, he must draw two cards next time, and his opponent scores ten. When a player draws out of turn, his opponent scores ten, if he has not drawn a card himself. When a player draws two cards instead of one, his opponent may decide which card is to be returned to the pack—it should not be placed at the top, but towards the middle of the pack. A player discovering his opponent holding more than eight cards, while he only holds eight, adds 100 to his score. Should both have more than their proper number there is no penalty, but each must play without drawing.

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Be Not the First by Whom the New is Tried.


123.  Mode of Playing

  1. Immediately after taking a trick, and then only, a player can make a Declaration; but he must do so before drawing another card. Only one Declaration can be made after each trick.
  1. If, in making a declaration, a player put down a wrong card or cards, either in addition to or in the place of any card or cards of that declaration, he is not allowed to score until he has taken another trick. Moreover, he must resume the cards, subject to their being called for as "faced" cards.
  1. The seven of trumps may be exchanged for the trump card, and for this exchange ten is scored. This exchange is made immediately after he has taken a trick, but he may make a declaration at the same time, the card exchanged not being used in such declaration.
  1. Whenever the seven of trumps is played, except in the last eight tricks, the player scores ten for it, no matter whether he wins the trick or not.
  1. When all the cards are drawn from the pack, the players take up their eight cards. No more declarations can he made, and the play proceeds as at Whist, the ten ranking higher than the king, and the ace highest.
  1. In the last eight tricks the player is obliged to follow suit, and he must win the trick if possible, either by playing a higher card, or, if he has not a card of the same suit, by playing a trump.
  1. A player who revokes in the last eight tricks, or omits to take when he can, forfeits the eight tricks to his opponent.
  1. The last trick is the thirty-second, for which the winner scores ten. The game may be varied by making the last trick the twenty-fourth—the next before the last eight tricks. It is an unimportant point, but one that should be agreed upon before the game is commenced.
  1. After the last eight tricks are played, each player examines his cards, and for each ace and ten that he holds he scores ten.
  1. The non-dealer scores aces and tens first; and in case of a tie, the player scoring the highest number of points, less the aces and tens in the last deal, wins the game. If still a tie, the taker of the last trick wins.
  1. All cards played in error are liable to be called for as "faced" cards at any period of the game, except during the last eight tricks.
  1. In counting forfeits a player may either add the points to his own score or deduct them from the score of his opponent.

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124.  Terms used in Bezique.

  1. A Declaration is the exhibition on the table of any cards or combination of, cards, as follows:
  1. Bezique is the queen of spades and knave of diamonds, for which the holder scores 40 points. A variation provides that when the trump is either spades or diamonds, Bezique may be queen of clubs and knave of hearts. Bézique having been declared, may be again used to form Double Bezique—two queens of spades and two knaves of diamonds. All four cards must be visible on the table together—500 points.
  1. Sequence is ace, ten, king, queen, and knave of trumps—250 points.
  1. Royal Marriage is the king and queen of trumps—40 points.
  1. Common Marriage is the king and queen of any suit, except trumps—20 points.
  1. Four aces are the aces of any suits —100 points.
  1. Four kings are the kings of any suits—80 points.
  1. Four Queens are the queens of any suits—60 points.
  1. Four knaves are the knaves of any suits—40 points.

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Nor Yet the Last to Cast the Old Aside.


125.  Marriages, Sequences, &c

  1. The cards forming the declarations are placed on the table to show that they are properly scored, and the cards may thence be played into tricks as if in your hand.
  1. Kings and queens once married cannot be re-married, but can be used, while they remain on the table, to make up four kings, four queens, or a sequence.
  1. The king and queen used in a sequence cannot afterwards be declared as a royal marriage.
  1. If four knaves have been declared, the knave of diamonds may be used again for a bézique, or to complete a sequence.
  1. If four aces have been declared, the ace of trumps may he again used to perfect a sequence.
  1. If the queen of spades has been married, she may he again used to form a bézique, and vice versâ, and again for four queens.
  1. Playing the seven of trumps—except in last eight tricks—10; exchanging the seven of trumps for the trump card—10; the last trick—10; each ace and ten in the tricks—at the end of each deal—10.
  1. The game is 1,000, 2,000, or 4,000 up. Markers are sold with the cards.

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126.  Forfeits at Bezique

The following are Forfeits:

i. For drawing out of turn 10
ii. For playing out of turn 10
iii. For playing without drawing 10
iv. For overdrawing 100
v. For a revoke in the last eight tricks all the eight tricks.

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127.  Cautions in Bezique.

In playing Bézique, it is best to keep your tens till you can make them count; to retain your sequence cards as long as possible; to watch your opponent's play; to declare a royal marriage previous to declaring a sequence or double bezique; to make sure of the last trick but one in order to prevent your opponent from declaring; to declare as soon as you have an opportunity.

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128.  Three-Handed Bezique

  1. The above rules hold good in the case of three-handed games—treble bézique counting 1,500. An extra pack of cards is required for the third other player; so that, in the case of three, the trump card is the twenty-fifth.
  1. The game is always played from left to right, the first player on the left of the dealer commencing. Three-handed bézique is sometimes played with two packs of cards, suppressing an eight, thus rendering them divisible by three.

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129.  Four-Handed Bezique.

  1. Four-handed Bezique may be played by partners decided either by choice or cutting. Partners sit opposite each other, one collecting the tricks of both, and the other keeping the score, or each may keep his own score, which is preferable.
  1. A player may make a declaration immediately after his partner has taken a trick, and may inquire of his partner if he has anything to declare, before drawing.
  1. Declarations must be made by each player separately, as in two-handed bézique.
  1. The above descriptions will serve to sufficiently acquaint the reader with the rules and modes of play adopted in this excellent game. Bézique is said to be of Swedish origin, and to have been introduced to English players through the medium of some Indian officers who had learned it of a Scandinavian comrade. Variations in the play occur in different companies. These, however, having been indicated above, need not be more particularly noted.

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130.  Napoleon

This popular game is played by four, five, or six persons with a full pack of cards, which take the same value as in Whist. The object of the game is to make tricks, which are paid to or received from the dealer at a fixed rate, a penny or more a trick, as previously arranged. The deal being decided in the usual way, the pack is cut and five cards are dealt one at a time to each player, beginning at the left. After every round the deal passes. Each player looks at his cards, the one to the left of the dealer being the first to declare. When he thinks he can make two or three tricks he says, "I go two," or "I go three." The next may perhaps think he can make four tricks; and if the fourth believes he can do better he declares Napoleon, and undertakes to win the whole five tricks. The players declare or pass in the order in which they sit; and a declaration once made cannot be recalled.

The game then, proceeds. The first card played is the trump suit; and to win the trick, a higher card than that led in each suit must be played. The winner of the first trick leads for the second, and so on till each of the five tricks are played out. Each player must follow suit, but he is not bound to head the trick or to trump. Each card as played remains face upwards on the table. Supposing the stake to be a penny a trick, the declarer, if he win all the tricks he declared, receives from each of his adversaries a penny for each of the declared tricks; but if he fail to win the required number, he pays to each of them a penny a trick. For Napoleon he receives double stakes from each player; but failing to win the five tricks, he pays them single stakes. The game, though simple, requires good judgment and memory to play it well. In some companies it is varied by the introduction of a Wellington, which is a superior call after the Napoleon, and takes triple stakes; or a Sedan, in which the player undertakes to lose all his tricks. This declaration takes precedence of all the others. Each player may Pass, or decline to make a declaration; and when all the players pass, the deal is void. Occasionally a pool or kitty is made by each dealer paying a half stake; or the players may purchase new cards from the pack. In either case, the pool is taken by the winner of the first Napoleon, or divided according to arrangement at the close of the play. The best play in Napoleon is not to win tricks, but to co-operate in defeating the declaring hand.

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131.  Picquet

A game for two players, once very fashionable in France and of some repute in England; but now quite obsolete. Like Quadrille, it is encumbered with a vast number of rules and maxims, technical terms and calculations; all too long and tiresome for modern card-players.

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132.  Poker, or Draw Poker

a gambling game common in the United States. An elaboration of the old English game of Brag, which, like Blind Hookey and Baccarat, is purely one of chance, generally played by two or three sharpers opposed to three or four greenhorns. And, for these reasons, is unworthy a place in this volume.

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133.  Lansquenet

This is a game for a large company, much played in France, where it is the custom to mix three, four, or more packs of cards together. In England it is played with one pack, after the following plan:—The dealer, who has rather an advantage, begins by shuffling the cards, and having them cut by any of the party. He then deals two cards on his left hand, turning them up; then one for himself, and a fourth, which he places in the middle of the table for the company, called the rejouissance. Upon this card any or all of the company, except the dealer, may stake their counter or money, either a limited or unlimited sum, as may be agreed on, which the dealer is obliged to answer, by staking a sum equal to the whole put upon it by different players. He continues dealing, and turning the cards upwards, one by one, till two of a sort appear: for instance, two aces, two deuces, &c, which, in order to separate, and that no person may mistake for single cards, he places on each side of his own card; and as often as two, three, or the fourth card of a sort comes up, he always places them, as before, on each side of his own. Any single card the company have a right to take and put their money upon, unless the dealer's own card happens to be double, which often occurs by this card being the same as one of the two cards which the dealer first of all dealt out on his left-hand. Thus he continues dealing till he brings either their cards, or his own. As long as his own card remains undrawn he wins; and whichever card comes up first, loses. If he draw or deal out the two cards on his left, which are called the hand-cards, before his own, he is entitled to deal again; the advantage of which is no other than being exempted from losing when he draws a similar card to his own, immediately after he has turned up one for himself. This game is often played more simply without the rejouissance card, giving every person round the table a card to put his money on. Sometimes it is played by dealing only two cards, one for the dealer, and another for the company. —Generally Lansquenet is played with counters instead of money. With counters at (say) a penny a dozen, it is a lively and amusing game.

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A Lady in America Made a Quilt in 55,555 Pieces.


134.  Quinze or Fifteen

is played by two persons. The cards are shuffled by both players, and when they have cut for deal (which falls to the lot of him who cuts the lowest), the dealer has the liberty to shuffle them again. When this is done, the adversary cuts them; after which, the dealer gives one card to his opponent, and one to himself. Should the dealer's adversary not approve of his card, he is entitled to have as many cards given to him, one after the other, as will make fifteen, or come nearest to that number; which are usually given from the top of the, pack: for example—if he should have a deuce, and draw a five, which amounts to seven, he must continue going on, in expectation of coming nearer to fifteen. If he draw an eight, which will make just fifteen, he, as being eldest hand, is sure of winning the game. But if he overdraw himself, and make more than fifteen, he loses, unless the dealer should happen to do the same; which circumstance constitutes a drawn game; and the stakes are consequently doubled. In this manner they persevere, until one of them has won the game, by standing and being nearest to fifteen. At the end of each game the cards are packed and shuffled, and the players again cut for deal. The advantage is invariably or the side of the elder hand.

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135.  Solitaire

This is a game for one person, played on a board pierced with thirty-seven holes, in each one of which is placed a marble or peg. The art or motive of the game is to remove one marble and then to shift the rest about, so as to bring the last marble to the hole whence the first was removed. One marble or man takes any other over which it can leap into a vacant hole beyond; or any number of men in succession, so long as there is a hole into which it can go. An example of a game played will better explain the method, than any amount of verbal instruction.

Remove the marble from the centre hole; then bring the marble from 1 in the upper limb of the diagram, to the centre, jumping over and taking the piece between. By following the direction of the figures, it will be found that the last place arrived at will be the centre from which you started. With practice and patience the Solitaire player will be able to start from and return to any hole on the board.

solitaire diagram

Many variations of the game will suggest themselves as you proceed; but the above will suffice to show the plan and system of Solitaire.

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136.  Backgammon

A game of mingled chance and skill, played on a board marked with points, and generally to be found inside the box draughtboard. The board has twenty-four points, coloured alternately red and blue; the implements of play are fifteen draught-men on each side, and the movements of the men are determined by the throw of two dice; each player being provided with a dice box and dies. It is an elaborate game to explain on paper, and would occupy too much space to be given in detail in this work. Those, however, who desire to be fully informed as to its various intricacies, may consult "Bohn's Handbook of Games," or the cheaper and more concise treatise by Captain Crawley.

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137.  Dominoes

This game is played by two or four persons, with twenty-eight pieces of oblong ivory, plain at the back, but on the face divided by a black line in the middle, and indented with spots, from one to a double-six, which pieces are a double-blank, ace-black, double-ace, deuce-blank, deuce-ace, double-deuce, trois-blank, trois-ace, trois-deuce, double-trois, four-blank, four-ace, four-deuce, four-trois, double-four, five-blank, five-ace, five-deuce, five-trois, five-four, double-five, six-blank, six-ace, six-deuce, six-trois, six-four, six-five, and double-six. Sometimes a double set is played with, of which double-nine is the highest.

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138.  Method of Play

At the commencement of the game the dominoes are well mixed together, with their faces upon the table. Each player draws one, and if four play, those who choose the two highest are partners against these who take the two lowest. Drawing the latter also serves to determine who is to lay down the first piece—a great advantage. Afterwards each player takes seven pieces at random. The eldest hand having laid down one, the next must pair him at either end of the piece he may choose, according to the number of pips, or the blank in the compartment of the piece; but whenever any one cannot match the part, either of the domino last put down, or of that unpaired at the other end of the row, then he says, "Go;" and the next is at liberty to play. Thus they play alternately, either until one party has played all his pieces, and thereby won the game, or till the game be blocked; that is, when neither party can play, by matching the pieces where unpaired at either end; then that player wins who has the smallest number of pips on the pieces remaining in his hand. It is to the advantage of every player to dispossess himself as early as possible of the heavy pieces, such as a double-six, five, four, &c Sometimes, when two persons play, they take each only three or five pieces, and agree to play or draw, i.e., when one cannot come in, or pair the pieces upon the board at the end unmatched, he draws from the pieces in stock till he finds one to suit. There are various other ways of playing dominoes, but they are all dependent on the matching of the pips.

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139.  Quadrilles

The First Set:

Figure Name Actions Repeat
First Figure Le Pantalon Right and left. Balancez to partners; turn partners. Ladies' chain. Half promenade; half right and left. four times
Second Figure L'Été Leading lady and opposite gentleman advance and retire; chassez to right and left; cross over to each other's places; chassez to right and left. Balancez and turn partners. four times
or Double L'Été Both couples advance and retire at the same time; cross over; advance and retire again; cross to places. Balancez and turn partners. four times
Third Figure La Poule Leading lady and opposite gentleman cross over, giving right hands; recross, giving left hands, and fall in a line. Set four in a line; half promenade. Advance two, and retire (twice). Advance four, and retire; half right and left. four times
Fourth Figure Trenise The first couple advance and retire twice, the lady remaining on the opposite side; the two ladies go round the first gentleman, who advances up the centre; balancez and turn hands. four times
Fifth Figure La Pastorale The leading couple advance twice, leaving the lady opposite the second time. The three advance and retire twice. The leading gentleman advance and set. Hands four half round; half right and left1. four times
Sixth Figure Galop Finale Top and bottom couples galopade quite round each other. Advance and retire; four advance again, and change the gentlemen. Ladies' chain. Advance and retire four, and regain your partners in your places. The fourth time all galopade for an unlimited period. four times
or All galopade or promenade, eight bars. Advance four en galopade oblique, and retire, then half promenade, eight bars. Advance four, retire, and return to places with the half promenade, eight bars. Ladies' chain, eight bars. Repeated by the side couples, then by the top and bottom, and lastly by the side couples, finishing with grand promenade.


In different companies the Quadrille varies slightly. For instance, in the last figure, sometimes called Flirtation, the four couples set in a circle, the gentlemen turn their partners, the ladies advance to the centre and retire, the gentlemen advance and retire; the gentlemen turn the ladies to the left and promenade: the whole figure being repeated four times.




Footnote 1:   This or the Trenise must be omitted.
return to footnote mark

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140.  Lancers

  1. La Rose.—First gentleman and opposite lady advance and set—turn with both hands, retiring to places—return, leading outside—set and turn at corners.
  1. La Lodoiska.—First couple advance twice, leaving the lady in the centre—set in the centre—turn to places—all advance in two lines—all turn partners.
  1. La Dorset.—First lady advance and stop, then the opposite gentleman—both retire, turning round—ladies' hands across half round, and turn the opposite gentlemen with left hands—repeat back to places, and turn partners with left hands.
  1. L'Étoile.—First couple set to couple at right—set to couple at left—change places with partners, and set, and pirouette to places—right and left with opposite couple,
  1. Les Lanciers.—The grand chain. The first couple advance and turn facing the top; then the couple at right advance behind the top couple; then the couple at left and the opposite couple do the same, forming two lines. All change places with partners and back again. The ladies turn in a line on the right, the gentlemen in a line on the left. Each couple meet up the centre. Set in two lines, the ladies in one line, the gentlemen in the other. Turn partners to places. Finish with the grand chain.

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141.  The Caledonians

Figure Actions Repeat
First Figure The first and opposite couples hands across round the centre and back to places—set and turn partners. Ladies' chain. Half promenade—half right and left. by the side couples
Second Figure The first gentleman advance and retire twice. All set at corners, each lady passing into the next lady's place on the right. Promenade by all. by the other couples
Third Figure The first lady and opposite gentleman advance and retire, bending to each other. First lady and opposite gentleman pass round each other to places. First couple cross over, having hold of hands, while the opposite couple cross on the outside of them—the same reversed. All set at corners, turn, and resume partners. All advance and retire twice, in a circle with hands joined—turn partners.
Fourth Figure The first lady and opposite gentleman advance and stop; then their partners advance; turn partners to places. The four ladies move to right, each taking the next lady's place, and stop—the four gentlemen move to left, each taking the next gentleman's place, and stop—the ladies repeat the same to the right—then the gentlemen to the left. All join hands and promenade round to places, and turn partners. by the other couples
Fifth Figure The first couple promenade or waltz round inside the figure. The four ladies advance, join hands round, and retire—then the gentlemen perform the same—all set and turn partners. Chain figure of eight half round, and set. All promenade to places and turn partners. All change sides, join right hands at corners, and set—back again to places. Finish with grand promenade.


These three are the most admired of the quadrilles: the First Set invariably takes precedence of every other dance.

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Coffee was First Brought to England in 1641.


142.  Spanish Dance

Danced in a circle or a line by sixteen or twenty couples. The couples stand as for a Country Dance, except that the first gentleman must stand on the ladies' side, and the first lady on the gentlemen's side. First gentleman and second lady balancez to each other, while first lady and second gentleman do the same, and change places. First gentleman and partner balancez, while second gentleman and partner do the same, and change places. First gentleman and second lady balancez, while first lady and second gentleman do the same, and change places. First gentleman and second lady balancez to partners, and change places with them. All four join hands in the centre, and then change places, in the same order as the foregoing figure, four times. All four poussette, leaving the second lady and gentleman at the top, the same as in a Country Dance. The first lady and gentleman then go through the same figure with the third lady and gentleman, and so proceed to the end of the dance. This figure is sometimes danced in eight bars time, which not only hurries and inconveniences the dancers, but also ill accords with the music.

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143.  Waltz Cotillon.

Places the same as quadrille. First couple waltz round inside; first and second ladies advance twice and cross over, turning twice; first and second gentlemen do the same; third and fourth couples the same; first and second couples waltz to places, third and fourth do the same; all waltz to partners, and turn half round with both hands, meeting the next lady; perform this figure until in four places; form two side lines, all advance twice and cross over, turning twice; the same, returning; all waltz round; the whole repeated four times.

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144.  La Galopade

is an extremely graceful and spirited dance, in a continual chassez. An unlimited number may join; it is danced in couples, as waltzing.

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145.   The Galopade Quadrilles.

1st. Galopade.
2nd. Right and left, sides the same.
3rd. Set and turn, hands all eight.
4th. Galopade.
5th. Ladies' chain, sides the same.
6th. Set and turn partners all eight.
7th. Galopade.
8th. Tirois, sides the same.
9th. Set and turn partners all eight.
10th. Galopade.
11th Top lady and bottom gentleman advance and retire, the other six do the same.
12th. Set and turn partners all eight.
13th. Galopade.
14th. Four ladies advance and retire, gentlemen the same.
15th. Double ladies' chain.
16th. Set and turn partners all eight.
17th. Galopade.
18th. Poussette, sides the same.
19th. Set and turn.
20th. Galopade waltz.

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146.  The Mazurka.

This dance is of Polish origin—first introduced into England by the Duke of Devonshire, on his return from Russia. It consists of twelve movements; and the first eight bars are played (as in quadrilles) before the first movement commences.

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147.  The Redowa Waltz

is composed of: three parts, distinct from each other. 1st, The Pursuit. 2nd, The waltz called Redowa. 3rd, The waltz a Deux Temps, executed to a peculiar measure, and which, by a change of the rhythm, assumes a new character. The middle of the floor must he reserved for the dancers who execute the promenade, called the pursuit, while those who dance the waltz turn in a circle about the room. The position of the gentleman is the same as for the waltz. The gentleman sets out with the left foot, and the lady with the right. In the pursuit the position is different, the gentleman and his partner face, and take each other by the hand. They advance or fall back at pleasure, and balance in advance and backwards. To advance, the step of the pursuit is made by a glissade forward, without springing, coupé with the hind foot, and jeté on it. You recommence with the other foot, and so on throughout. The retiring step is made by a sliding step of the foot backwards, without spring, jeté with the front foot, and coupé with the one behind. It is necessary to advance well upon the sliding step, and to spring lightly in the two others, sur place, balancing equally in the pas de poursuite, which is executed alternately by the left in advance, and the right backwards. The lady should follow all the movements of her partner, falling back when he advances, and advancing when he falls back. Bring the shoulders a little forward at each sliding step, for they should always follow the movement of the leg as it advances or retreats; but this should not be too marked. When the gentleman is about to waltz, he should take the lady's waist, as in the ordinary waltz. The step of the Redowa, in turning, may be thus described. For the gentleman—jete of the left foot, passing before the lady. Glissade of the right foot behind to the fourth position aside—the left foot is brought to the third position behind—then the pas de basque is executed by the right foot, bringing it forward, and you recommence with the left. The pas de basque should be made in three very equal beats, as in the Mazurka. The lady performs the same steps as the gentleman, beginning by the pas de basque with the right foot. To waltz à deux temps to the measure of the Redowa, we should make each step upon each beat of the bar, and find ourselves at every two bars, the gentleman with his left foot forwards, and the lady with her right, that is to say, we should make one whole and one half step to every bar. The music is rather slower than for the ordinary waltz.

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Phosphorus was Discovered in 1677.


148.  Valse Cellarius

The gentleman takes the lady's left hand with his right, moving one bar to the left by glissade, and two hops on his left foot, while the lady does the same to the right, on her right foot; at the second bar they repeat the same with the other foot—this is repeated for sixteen bars; they then waltz sixteen bars, glissade and two hops, taking care to occupy the time of two bars to get quite round. The gentleman now takes both hands of the lady, and makes the grand square—moving three bars to his left—at the fourth bar making two beats while turning the angle; his right foot is now moved forward to the other angle three bars—at the fourth, beat again while turning the angle; the same repeated for sixteen bars—the lady having her right foot forward when the gentleman has his left toot forward; the waltz is again repeated; after which several other steps are introduced, but which must needs be seen to be understood.

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149.  Circular Waltz.

The dancers form a circle, then promenade during the introduction—all waltz sixteen bars—set, holding partner's right hand, and turn—waltz thirty-two bars—rest, and turn partners slowly—face partner and chassez to the right and left—pirouette lady twice with the right hand, all waltz sixteen bars—set and turn—all form a circle, still retaining the lady by the right hand, and move round to the left, sixteen bars—waltz for finale.

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150.  Polka Waltzes

The couples take hold of hands as in the usual waltz.

First Waltz. The gentleman hops the left foot well forward, then hack; and glissades half round. He then hops the right foot forward and back, and glissades the other half round. The lady performs the same steps, beginning with the right foot.

Second. The gentleman, hopping, strikes the left heel three times against the right heel, and then jumps half round on the left foot; he then strikes the right heel three times against the left, and jumps on the right foot, completing the circle. The lady does the same steps with reverse feet.

Third. The gentleman raises up the left foot, steps it lightly on the ground forward, then strikes the right heel smartly twice, and glissades half round. The same is then done with the other foot. The lady begins with the right foot.

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151.  Valse a Deux Temps.

This waltz contains, like the common waltz, three times, but differently divided. The first time consists of a gliding step; the second a chassez, including two times in one. A chassez is performed by bringing one leg near the other, then moving it forward, backward, right, left, and round. The gentleman begins by sliding to the left with his left foot, then performing a chassez towards the left with his right foot without turning at all during the first two times. He then slides backwards with his right leg, turning half round; after which he puts his left leg behind, to perform a chassez forward, turning then half round for the second time. The lady waltzes in the same manner, except that the first time she slides to the right with the right foot, and also performs the chassez on the right, and continues the same as the gentleman, except that she slides backwards with her right foot when the gentleman slides with his left foot to the left; and when the gentleman slides with his right foot backwards, she slides with the left foot to the left. To perform this waltz gracefully, care must be taken to avoid jumping, but merely to slide, and keep the knees slightly bent.

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Average Weight of Man's Brain, 3-1/2lbs, Woman's 2lbs. 11oz.


152.  Circassian Circle

The company is arranged in couples round the room—the ladies being placed on the right of the gentlemen,—after which, the first and second couples lead off the dance.

Figure. Eight and left, set and turn partners—ladies' chain, waltz.

At the conclusion, the first couple with fourth, and the second with the third couple, recommence the figure,—and so on until they go completely round the circle, when the dance is concluded.

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153.  Polka

In the polka there an but two principal steps, all others belong to fancy dances, and much mischief and inconvenience is likely to arise from their improper introduction into the ball-room.

First step. The gentleman raises the left foot slightly behind the right, the right foot is then hopped with, and the left brought forward with a glissade. The lady commences with the right, jumps on the left, and glissades with the right. The gentleman during his step has hold of the lady's left hand with his right.
Second step. The gentleman lightly hops the left foot forward on the heel, then hops on the toe, bringing the left foot slightly behind the right. He then glissades with the left foot forward; the same is then done, commencing with the right foot. The lady dances the same step, only beginning with the right foot.


There are a variety of other steps of a fancy character, but they can only be understood with the aid of a master, and even when well studied, must be introduced with care. The polka should be danced with grace and elegance, eschewing all outré and ungainly steps and gestures, taking care that the leg is not lifted too high, and that the dance is not commenced in too abrupt a manner. Any number of couples may stand up, and it is the privilege of the gentleman to form what figure he pleases, and vary it as often as his fancy and taste may dictate.

First Figure. Four or eight bars are devoted to setting forwards and backwards, turning from and towards your partner, making a slight hop at the commencement of each set, and holding your partner's left hand; you then perform the same step (forwards) all round the room.
Second Figure. The gentleman faces his partner, and does the same step backwards all round the room, the lady following with the opposite foot, and doing the step forwards.
Third Figure. The same as the second figure, only reversed, the lady stepping backwards, and the gentleman forwards, always going the same way round the room.
Fourth Figure. The same step as figures two and three, but turning as in a waltz.

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Man's Heart Beats 92,160 Times in a Day.


154.  The Gorlitza

is similar to the polka, the figures being waltzed through.

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155.  The Schottische

The gentleman holds the lady precisely as in the polka. Beginning with the left foot, he slides it forward, then brings up the right foot to the place of the left, slides the left foot forward, and springs or hops on this foot. This movement is repeated to the right. He begins with the right foot, slides it forward, brings up the left foot to the place of the right foot, slides the right foot forward again, and hops upon it. The gentleman springs twice on the left foot, turning half round; twice on the right foot; twice encore on the left foot, turning half round; and again twice on the right foot, turning half round. Beginning again, he proceeds as before. The lady begins with the right foot, and her step is the same in principle as the gentleman's. Vary, by a reverse turn; or by going in a straight line round the room. Double, if you like, each part, by giving four bars to the first part, and four bars to the second part. The time may be stated as precisely the same as in the polka; but let it not be forgotten that La Schottische ought to be danced much slower.

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156.  Country Dances.  Sir Roger de Coverley

First lady and bottom gentleman advance to centre, salute, and retire; first gentleman and bottom lady, same. First lady and bottom gentleman advance to centre, turn, and retire; first gentleman and bottom lady the same. Ladies promenade, turning off to the right down the room, and back to places, while gentlemen do the same, turning to the left; top couple remain at bottom; repeat to the end of dance.

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157.  La Polka Country Dances.

All form two lines, ladies on the right, gentlemen on the left.

Figure Top lady and second gentleman heel and toe (polka step) across to each other's place—second lady and top gentleman the same. Top lady and second gentleman retire back to places—second lady and top gentleman the same. Two couples polka step down the middle and back again—two first couples polka waltz. First couple repeat with the third couple, then with fourth, and so on to the end of dance.

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158.  The Highland Reel

This dance is performed by the company arranged in parties of three, along the room in the following manner: a lady between two gentlemen, in double rows. All advance and retire—each lady then performs the reel with the gentleman on her right hand, and retires with the opposite gentleman to places—hands three round and back again—all six advance and retire— then lead through to the next trio, and continue the figure to the end of the room. Adopt the Highland step, and music of three-four time.

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159.  Terms used to Describe the Movements of Dances.

Balancez Set to partners.
Chaine Anglaise The top and bottom couples right and left.
Chaine Anglaise double The right and left double.
Chaine des Dames The ladies' chain.
Chaine des Dames double The ladies' chain double, which is performed by all the ladies commencing at the same time.
Chassez Move to the right and left.
Chassez croisez Gentlemen change places with partners, and back again.
Demie Chaine Anglaise The four opposite persons half right and left.
Demie Promenade All eight half promenade.
Dos-à-dos The two opposite persons pass round each other.
Demie Moulinet The ladies all advance to the centre, giving hands, and return to places.
La Grande Chaine All eight chassez quite round, giving alternately right and left hands to partners, beginning with the right.
Le Grand Rond All join hands and advance and retire twice.
Pas d'Allemande The gentlemen turn the partners under their arms.
Traversez The two opposite persons change places.
Vis-à-vis The opposite partner.

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The Human Body has 240 Bones.


160.  Scandal—Live it down.

Should envious tongues some malice frame,
To soil and tarnish your good name,
Live it down!

Grow not disheartened; 'tis the lot
Of all men, whether good or not:
Live it down!

Him not in answer, but be calm;
For silence yields a rapid balm:
Live it down!

Go not among your friends and say,
Evil hath fallen on my way:
Live it down!

Far better thus yourself alone
To suffer, than with friends bemoan
The trouble that is all your own:
Live it down!

What though men evil call your good!
So Christ Himself, misunderstood,
Was nailed unto a cross of wood!
And now shall you for lesser pain,
Your inmost soul for ever stain,
By rendering evil back again?
Live it down!

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161.  Errors in Speaking

There are several kinds of errors in speaking. The most objectionable of them are those in which words are employed that are unsuitable to convey the meaning intended. Thus, a person wishing to express his intention of going to a given place, says, "I propose going," when, in fact, he purposes going. The following affords an amusing illustration of this class of error:—A venerable matron was speaking of her son, who, she said, was quite stage-struck. "In fact," remarked the old lady, "he is going to a premature performance this evening!" Considering that most amateur performances are premature, it cannot be said that this word was altogether misapplied; though, evidently, the maternal intention was to convey quite another meaning.

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162.  Other Errors

arise from the substitution of sounds similar to the words which should be employed; that is, spurious words instead of genuine ones. Thus, some people say "renumerative," when they mean "remunerative." A nurse, recommending her mistress to have a perambulator for her child, advised her to purchase a preamputator!

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163.  Other Errors (2)

are occasioned by imperfect knowledge of the English grammar: thus, many people say, "Between you and I," instead of "Between you and me." And there are numerous other departures from the rules of grammar, which will be pointed out hereafter.

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164.  By the Misuse of the Adjective:

"What beautiful butter!" "What a nice landscape! "They should say, "What a beautiful landscape!" "What nice butter!" Again, errors are frequently occasioned by the following causes:

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165.  By the Mispronunciation of Words.

Many persons say pronounciation instead of pronunciation; others say pro-nun'-she-a-shun, instead of pro-nun-ce-a-shun.

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166.  By the Misdivision of Words and syllables.

This defect makes the words an ambassador sound like a nam-bassador, or an adder like a nadder.

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167.  By Imperfect Enunciation,

as when a person says hebben for heaven, ebber for ever, jocholate for chocolate, &c

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168.  By the Use of Provincialisms

or words retained from various dialects, of which we give the following examples:

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169.  Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Suffolk, &c

Foyne, twoyne, for fine, twine; ineet for night; a-mon for man; poo for pull.

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170.  Cumberland, Scotland, &c

Cuil, bluid, for cool, blood; spwort, seworn, whoam, for sport, scorn, home; a-theere for there; e-reed, seeven, for red, seven; bleedin' for bleeding; hawf for half; saumon for salmon.

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171.  Devonshire, Cornwall, &c

F-vind for find; fet for fetch; wid for with; zee for see; tudder for the other; drash, droo, for thrash, and through; gewse for goose, &c

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172.  Essex, London, &c

V-wiew for view; vent for went; vite for white; ven for when; vot for what. Londoners are also prone to say Toosday for Tuesday; noomerous for numerous; noospaper for newspaper, &c

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The Musical Scale was Invented in 1022.


173.  Hereford, &c

Clom for climb; hove for heave; puck for pick; rep for reap; sled for sledge.

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174.  Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, &c

Housen for houses; a-ioyne for lane; mon for man; thik for this; brig for bridge; thack, pick, for thatch, pitch.

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175.  Yorkshire, &c

Foyt for foot; foight for fight; o-noite, foil, coil, hoil, for note, foal, coal, hole; loyne for lane; o-nooin, gooise, fooil, tooil, for noon, goose, fool, tool; spwort, scworn, whoam, for sport, scorn, home; g-yet for gate.

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176.  Examples of Provincial Dialects

The following will be found very amusing:

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177.  The Cornish Schoolboy

An ould man found, one day, a young gentleman's portmantle, as he were a going to es dennar; he took'd et en and gived et to es wife, and said, "Mally, here's a roul of lither, look, see, I suppoase some poor ould shoemaker or other have los'en; tak'en, and put'en a top of the teaster of tha bed; he'll be glad to hab'en agin sum day, I dear say." The ould man, Jan, that was es neame, went to es work as before. Mally then opened the portmantle, and found en et three hunderd pounds. Soon after thes, the ould man not being very well, Mally said, "Jan, I'ave saaved away a little money, by the bye, and as thee caan't read or write, thee shu'st go to scool" (he were then nigh threescore and ten). He went but a very short time, and comed hoam one day and said, "Mally, I waint go to scool no more, 'caase the childer do be laffen at me: they can tell their letters, and I caan't tell my A, B, C, and I wud rayther go to work agen." "Do as thee wool," ses Mally. Jan had not been out many days, afore the young gentleman came by that lost the portmantle, and said, "Well, my ould man, did'ee see or hear tell o' sich a thing as a portmantle?" "Port-mantle, sar, was't that un, sumthing like thickey?" (pointing to one behind es saddle). "I vound one the t'other day zackly like that." "Where es, et?" "Come along, I carr'd'en and gov'en to my ould 'ooman, Mally; thee sha't av'en, nevr vear.—Mally, where es that roul of lither I broft en tould thee to put en a top o' the teaster of the bed, afore I go'd to scool?" "Drat thee emperance," said the young gentleman; "thee art bewattled; that were afore I were born." So he druv'd off, and left all the three hunderd pounds with Jan and Mally.

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178.  Yorkshire

Men an' women is like so monny cards, played wi' be two oppoanents, Time an' Eternity: Time gets a gam' noo an' then, and hez t' pleasure o' keepin' his cards for a bit, bud Eternity's be far t'better hand, an' proves, day be day, an' hoor be hoor, 'at he's winnin incalcalably fast.—"Hoo sweet, hoo varry sweet is life!" as t' fiee said when he wur stuck i' treacle!

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179.  Effect of Provincialisms

Persons bred in these localities, and in Ireland and Scotland, retain more or less of their provincialisms; and, therefore, when they move into other districts, they become conspicuous for their peculiarities of speech. Often they appear vulgar and uneducated, when they are not so. It is, therefore, desirable for all persons to approach the recognised standard of correctness as nearly as possible.

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180.  Correction of Errors in Speaking

To correct these errors by a systematic course of study would involve a closer application than most persons could afford, and require more space than we can devote to the subject. We will therefore give numerous Rules and Hints, in a concise and simple form, which will be of great assistance to inquirers. These Rules and Hints will be founded upon the authority of scholars, the usages of the bar, the pulpit, and the senate, and the authority of societies formed for the purpose of collecting and diffusing knowledge pertaining to the language of this country.

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A Salmon has been Known to Produce 10,000,000 Eggs.


181.  Rules and Hints for Correct Speaking.

  1. Who and whom are used in relation to persons, and which in relation to things. But it was once common to say, "the man which." This should now be avoided. It is now usual to say, "Our Father who art in heaven," instead of "which art in heaven."
  1. Whose is, however, sometimes applied to things as well as to persons. We may therefore say, "The country whose inhabitants are free." Grammarians differ in opinion upon this subject, but general usage justifies the rule.
  1. Thou is employed in solemn discourse, and you in common language. Ye (plural) is also used in serious addresses, and you in familiar language.
  1. The uses of the word It are various, and very perplexing to the uneducated. It is not only used to imply persons, but things, and even, ideas, and therefore, in speaking or writing, its assistance is constantly required. The perplexity respecting this word arises from the fact that in using it in the construction of a long sentence, sufficient care is not taken to ensure that when it is employed it really points out or refers to the object intended. For instance, "It was raining when John set out in his cart to go to the market, and he was delayed so long that it was over before he arrived." Now what is to be understood by this sentence? Was the rain over? or the market? Either or both might be inferred from the construction of the sentence, which, therefore, should be written thus:— "It was raining when John set out in his cart to go to the market, and he was delayed so long that the market was over before he arrived."
  1. Rule.—After writing a sentence always look through it, and see that wherever the word It is employed, it refers to or carries the mind back to the object which it is intended to point out.
  1. The general distinction between This and That may be thus defined: this denotes an object present or near, in time or place, that something which is absent.
  1. These refers, in the same manner, to present objects, while those refers to things that are remote.
  1. Who changes, under certain conditions, into whose and whom. But that and which always remain the same.
  1. That may be applied to nouns or subjects of all sorts; as, the girl that went to school, the dog that bit me, the ship that went to London, the opinion that he entertains.
  1. The misuse of these pronouns gives rise to more errors in speaking and writing than any other cause.
  1. When you wish to distinguish between two or more persons, say, "Which is the happy man?"—not who—"Which of those ladies do you admire?"
  1. Instead of "Who do you think him to be?"—say, "Whom do you think him to be?"
  1. Whom should I see?
  1. To whom do you speak?
  1. Who said so?
  1. Who gave it to you?
  1. Of whom did you procure them?
  1. Who was he?
  1. Who do men say that I am?
  1. Whom do they represent me to be1?
  1. In many instances in which who is used as an interrogative, it does not become whom; as "Who do you speak to?" "Who do you expect?" "Who is she married to?" "Who is this reserved for?" "Who was it made by?" Such sentences are found in the writings of our best authors, and it would be presumptuous to consider them as ungrammatical. If the word whom should be preferred, then it would be best to say, "For whom is this reserved?" &c
  1. Instead of "After which hour," say "After that hour."
  1. Self should never be added to his, their, mine, or thine.
  1. Each is used to denote every individual of a number.
  1. Every denotes all the individuals of a number.
  1. Either and or denote an alternative: "I will take either road, at your pleasure;" "I will take this or that."
  1. Neither means not either; and nor means not the other.
  1. Either is sometimes used for each—"Two thieves were crucified, on either side one."
  1. "Let each esteem others as good as themselves," should be, "Let each esteem others as good as himself."
  1. "There are bodies each of which are so small," should be, "each of which is so small."
  1. Do not use double superlatives, such as most straightest, most highest, most finest.
  1. The term worser has gone out of use; but lesser is still retained.
  1. The use of such words as chiefest, extremest, &c, has become obsolete, because they do not give any superior force to the meanings of the primary words, chief, extreme, &c
  1. Such expressions as more impossible, more indispensable, more universal, more uncontrollable, more unlimited, &c, are objectionable, as they really enfeeble the meaning which it is the object of the speaker or writer to strengthen. For instance, impossible gains no strength by rendering it more impossible. This class of error is common with persons who say, "A great large house," "A great big animal," "A little small foot," "A tiny little hand."
  1. Here, there, and where, originally denoting place, may now, by common consent, he used to denote other meanings; such as, "There I agree with you," "Where we differ," "We find pain where we expected pleasure," "Here you mistake me."
  1. Hence, whence, and thence, denoting departure, &c, may be used without the word from. The idea of from is included in the word whence—therefore it is unnecessary to say "From whence."
  1. Hither, thither, and whither, denoting to a place, have generally been superseded by here, there, and where. But there is no good reason why they should not be employed. If, however, they are used, it is unnecessary to add the word to, because that is implied—"Whither are you going?" "Where are you going?" Each of these sentences is complete. To say, "Where are you going to?" is redundant.
  1. Two negatives destroy each other, and produce an affirmative. "Nor did he not observe them," conveys the idea that he did observe them.
  1. But negative assertions are allowable. "His manners are not unpolite," which implies that his manners are, in some degree, marked by politeness.
  1. Instead of "I had rather walk," say "I would rather walk."
  1. Instead of "I had better go," say "It were better that I should go."
  1. Instead of "I doubt not but I shall be able to go," say "I doubt not that I shall be able to go."
  1. Instead of "Let you and I," say "Let you and me."
  1. Instead of "I am not so tall as him," say "I am not so tall as he."
  1. When asked "Who is there?" do not answer "Me," but "I."
  1. Instead of "For you and I," say "For you and me."
  1. Instead of "Says I," say "I said."
  1. Instead of "You are taller than me," say "You are taller than I."
  1. Instead of "I ain't," or "I arn't," say "I am not."
  1. Instead of "Whether I be present or no," say "Whether I be present or not."
  1. For "Not that I know on," say "Not that I know."
  1. Instead of "Was I to do so," say "Were I to do so."
  1. Instead of "I would do the same if I was him," say "I would do the same if I were he."
  1. Instead of "I had as lief go myself," say "I would as soon go myself," or "I would rather."
  1. It is better to say "Bred and born," than "Born and bred."
  1. It is better to say "Six weeks ago," than "Six weeks back."
  1. It is better to say "Since which time," than "Since when."
  1. It is better to say "I repeated it," than "I said so over again."
  1. It is better to say "A physician," or "A surgeon," than "A medical man."
  1. Instead of "He was too young to have suffered much," say "He was too young to suffer much."
  1. Instead of "Less friends," say "Fewer friends." Less refers to quantity.
  1. Instead of "A quantity of people," say "A number of people."
  1. Instead of "He and they we know," say "Him and them."
  1. Instead of "As far as I can see," say "So far as I can see."
  1. Instead of "If I am not mistaken," say "If I mistake not."
  1. Instead of "You are mistaken," say "You mistake."
  1. Instead of "What beautiful tea!" say "What good tea!"
  1. Instead of "What a nice prospect!" say "What a beautiful prospect!"
  1. Instead of "A new pair of gloves," say "A pair of new gloves."
  1. Instead of saying "He belongs to the house," say "The house belongs to him."
  1. Instead of saying "Not no such thing," say " Not any such thing."
  1. Instead of "I hope you'll think nothing on it," say "I hope you'll think nothing of it."
  1. Instead of "Restore it back to me," say "Restore it to me."
  1. Instead of "I suspect the veracity of his story," say "I doubt the truth of his story."
  1. Instead of "I seldom or ever see him," say " I seldom see him."
  1. Instead of "Rather warmish" or "A little warmish," say "Rather warm."
  1. Instead of "I expected to have found him," say "I expected to find him."
  1. Instead of "Shay," say "Chaise."
  1. Instead of "He is a very rising person," say "He is rising rapidly."
  1. Instead of "Who learns you music?" say "Who teaches you music?"
  1. Instead of "I never sing whenever I can help it," say "I never sing when I can help it."
  1. Instead of "Before I do that I must first ask leave," say "Before I do that I must ask leave."
  1. Instead of "To get over the difficulty," say "To overcome the difficulty."
  1. The phrase "get over" is in many cases misapplied, as, to "get over a person," to "get over a week," to "get over an opposition."
  1. Instead of saying "The observation of the rule," say "The observance of the rule."
  1. Instead of "A man of eighty years of age," say "A man eighty years old."
  1. Instead of "Here lays his honoured head," say "Here lies his honoured head."
  1. Instead of "He died from negligence," say " He died through neglect," or "in consequence of neglect."
  1. Instead of "Apples are plenty," say "Apples are plentiful."
  1. Instead of "The latter end of the year," say "The end, or the close of the year."
  1. Instead of "The then government," say "The government of that age, or century, or year, or time."
  1. Instead of "For ought I know," say "For aught I know."
  1. Instead of "A couple of chairs," say "Two chairs."
  1. Instead of "Two couples," say "Four persons."
  1. But you may say "A married couple," or, "A married pair," or, "A couple of fowls," &c, in any case where one of each sex is to be understood.
  1. Instead of "They are united together in the bonds of matrimony," say "They are united in matrimony," or, "They are married."
  1. Instead of "We travel slow," say "We travel slowly."
  1. Instead of "He plunged down into the river," say "He plunged into the river."
  1. Instead of "He jumped from off of the scaffolding," say "He jumped off from the scaffolding."
  1. Instead of "He came the last of all," say "He came the last."
  1. Instead of "universal," with reference to things that have any limit, say "general;" "generally approved," instead of "universally approved;" "generally beloved," instead of "universally beloved."
  1. Instead of "They ruined one another," say "They ruined each other."
  1. Instead of "If in case I succeed," say "If I succeed."
  1. Instead of "A large enough room," say "A room large enough."
  1. Instead of "This villa to let," say "This villa to be let."
  1. Instead of "I am slight in comparison to you," say "I am slight in comparison with you."
  1. Instead of "I went for to see him," say "I went to see him."
  1. Instead of "The cake is all eat up," say "The cake is all eaten."
  1. Instead of "It is bad at the best," say "It is very bad."
  1. Instead of "Handsome is as handsome does," say "Handsome is who handsome does."
  1. Instead of "As I take it," say "As I see," or, "As I under stand it."
  1. Instead of "The book fell on the floor," say "The book fell to the floor."
  1. Instead of "His opinions are approved of by all," say "His opinions are approved by all."
  1. Instead of "I will add one more argument," say "I will add one argument more," or "another argument."
  1. Instead of "Captain Reilly was killed by a bullet," say "Captain Reilly was killed with a bullet."
  1. Instead of "A sad curse is war," say "War is a sad curse."
  1. Instead of "He stands six foot high," say "He measures six feet," or "His height is six feet."
  1. Instead of "I go every now and then," say "I go often, or frequently."
  1. Instead of "Who finds him in clothes," say "Who provides him with clothes."
  1. Say "The first two," and "the last two," instead of "the two first," "the two last;" leave out all expletives, such as "of all," "first of all," "last of all," "best of all," &c, &c
  1. Instead of "His health was drank with enthusiasm," say "His health was drunk enthusiastically."
  1. Instead of "Except I am prevented," say "Unless I am prevented."
  1. Instead of "In its primary sense," say "In its primitive sense."
  1. Instead of "It grieves me to see you," say "I am grieved to see you."
  1. Instead of "Give me them papers," say "Give me those papers."
  1. Instead of "Those papers I hold in my hand," say "These papers I hold in my hand."
  1. Instead of "I could scarcely imagine but what," say "I could scarcely imagine but that."
  1. Instead of "He was a man notorious for his benevolence," say "He was noted for his benevolence."
  1. Instead of "She was a woman celebrated for her crimes," say "She was notorious on account of her crimes."
  1. Instead of "What may your name be?" say "What is your name?"
  1. Instead of "Bills are requested not to be stuck here," say "Billstickers are requested not to stick bills here."
  1. Instead of "By smoking it often becomes habitual," say "By smoking often it becomes habitual."
  1. Instead of "I lifted it up," say "I lifted it."
  1. Instead of "It is equally of the same value," say "It is of the same value," or "equal value."
  1. Instead of "I knew it previous to your telling me," say "I knew it previously to your telling me."
  1. Instead of "You was out when I called," say "You were out when I called."
  1. Instead of "I thought I should have won this game," say "I thought I should win this game."
  1. Instead of "This much is certain," say "Thus much is certain," or, "So much is certain."
  1. Instead of "He went away as it may be yesterday week," say "He went away yesterday week."
  1. Instead of "He came the Saturday as it may be before the Monday," specify the Monday on which he came.
  1. Instead of "Put your watch in your pocket," say "Put your watch into your pocket."
  1. Instead of "He has got riches," say "He has riches."
  1. Instead of "Will you set down?" say "Will you sit down?"
  1. Instead of "The hen is setting," say "The hen is sitting."
  1. Instead of "It is raining very hard," say "It is raining very fast."
  1. Instead of "No thankee," say "No thank you."
  1. Instead of "I cannot do it without farther means," say "I cannot do it without further means."
  1. Instead of "No sooner but," or "No other but," say "than."
  1. Instead of "Nobody else but her," say "Nobody but her."
  1. Instead of "He fell down from the balloon," say "He fell from the balloon."
  1. Instead of "He rose up from the ground," say "He rose from the ground."
  1. Instead of "These kind of oranges are not good," say "This kind of oranges is not good."
  1. Instead of "Somehow or another," say "Somehow or other."
  1. Instead of "Undeniable references required," say "Unexceptionable references required."
  1. Instead of "I cannot rise sufficient funds," say "I cannot raise sufficient funds."
  1. Instead of "I cannot raise so early in the morning," say "I cannot rise so early in the morning."
  1. Instead of "Well, I don't know," say "I don't know."
  1. Instead of "Will I give you some more tea?" say "Shall I give you some more tea?"
  1. Instead of "Oh dear, what will I do?" say "Oh dear, what shall I do?"
  1. Instead of "I think indifferent of it," say "I think indifferently of it."
  1. Instead of "I will send it conformable to your orders," say "I will send it conformably to your orders."
  1. Instead of "Give me a few broth," say "Give me some broth."
  1. Instead of "Her said it was hers," say "She said it was hers."
  1. Instead of "To be given away gratis," say "To be given away."
  1. Instead of "Will you enter in?" say "Will you enter?"
  1. Instead of "This three days or more," say "These three days or more."
  1. Instead of "He is a bad grammarian," say " He is not a grammarian."
  1. Instead of "We accuse him for," say "We accuse him of."
  1. Instead of "We acquit him from," say "We acquit him of."
  1. Instead of "I am averse from that," say "I am averse to that."
  1. Instead of "I confide on you," say "I confide in you."
  1. Instead of "I differ with you," say "I differ from you."
  1. Instead of "As soon as ever," say "As soon as."
  1. Instead of "The very best" or "The very worst," say "The best or the worst."
  1. Instead of "A winter's morning," say "A winter morning," or "A wintry morning."
  1. Instead of "Fine morning, this morning," say "This is a fine morning."
  1. Instead of "How do you do?" say "How are you?"
  1. Instead of "Not so well as I could wish," say "Not quite well."
  1. Avoid such phrases as "No great shakes," "Nothing to boast of," "Down in my boots," "Suffering from the blues." All such sentences indicate vulgarity.
  1. Instead of "No one cannot prevail upon him," say "No one can prevail upon him."
  1. Instead of "No one hasn't called," say "No one has called."
  1. Avoid such phrases as "If I was you," or even, "If I were you." Better say, "I advise you how to act."
  1. Instead of "You have a right to pay me," say "It is right that you should pay me."
  1. Instead of "I am going on a tour," say "I am about to take a tour," or "going."
  1. Instead of "I am going over the bridge," say "I am going across the bridge."
  1. Instead of "He is coming here," say "He is coming hither."
  1. Instead of "He lives opposite the square," say "He lives opposite to the square."
  1. Instead of "He belongs to the Reform Club," say "He is a member of the Reform Club."
  1. Avoid such phrases as "I am up to you," "I'll be down upon you," "Cut," or "Mizzle."
  1. Instead of "I should just think I could," say "I think I can."
  1. Instead of "There has been a good deal," say "There has been much."
  1. Instead of "Following up a principle," say "Guided by a principle."
  1. Instead of "Your obedient, humble servant," say "Your obedient," or, "Your humble servant."
  1. Instead of saying "The effort you are making for meeting the bill," say "The effort you are making to meet the bill."
  1. Instead of saying "It shall be submitted to investigation and inquiry," say "It shall be submitted to investigation," or "to inquiry."
  1. Dispense with the phrase "Conceal from themselves the fact;" it suggests a gross anomaly.
  1. Never say "Pure and unadulterated," because the phrase embodies a repetition.
  1. Instead of saying "Adequate for," say "Adequate to."
  1. Instead of saying "A surplus over and above," say "A surplus."
  1. Instead of saying "A lasting and permanent peace," say "A permanent peace."
  1. Instead of saying "I left you behind at London," say "I left you behind me at London."
  1. Instead of saying "Has been followed by immediate dismissal," say "Was followed by immediate dismissal."
  1. Instead of saying "Charlotte was met with Thomas," say "Charlotte was met by Thomas." But if Charlotte and Thomas were walking together, "Charlotte and Thomas were met by," &c
  1. Instead of "It is strange that no author should never have written," say "It is strange that no author should ever have written."
  1. Instead of "I won't never write," say "I will never write."
  1. To say "Do not give him no more of your money," is equivalent to saying "Give him some of your money." Say "Do not give him any of your money."
  1. Instead of saying "They are not what nature designed them," say "They are not what nature designed them to be."
  1. Instead of "By this means," say "By these means."
  1. Instead of saying "A beautiful seat and gardens," say "A beautiful seat and its gardens."
  1. Instead of "All that was wanting," say "All that was wanted."
  1. Instead of saying "I had not the pleasure of hearing his sentiments when I wrote that letter," say "I had not the pleasure of having heard," &c
  1. Instead of "The quality of the apples were good," say "The quality of the apples was good."
  1. Instead of "The want of learning, courage, and energy are more visible," say "Is more visible."
  1. Instead of "We are conversant about it," say "We are conversant with it."
  1. Instead of "We called at William," say "We called on William."
  1. Instead of "We die for want," say "We die of want."
  1. Instead of "He died by fever," say "He died of fever."
  1. Instead of "I enjoy bad health," say "My health is not good."
  1. Instead of "Either of the three," say "Any one of the three."
  1. Instead of "Better nor that," say "Better than that."
  1. Instead of "We often think on you," say "We often think of you."
  1. Instead of "Though he came, I did not see him," say "Though he came, yet I did not see him."
  1. Instead of "Mine is so good as yours," say "Mine is as good as yours."
  1. Instead of "He was remarkable handsome," say "He was remarkably handsome."
  1. Instead of "Smoke ascends up the chimney,'I say "Smoke ascends the chimney."
  1. Instead of "You will some day be convinced," say "You will one day be convinced."
  1. Instead of saying "Because I don't choose to," say "Because I would father not."
  1. Instead of "Because why?" say "Why?"
  1. Instead of "That there boy," say "That boy."
  1. Instead of "Direct your letter to me," say "Address your letter to me."
  1. Instead of "The horse is not much worth," say "The horse is not worth much."
  1. Instead of "The subject-matter of debate," say "The subject of debate."
  1. Instead of saying "When he was come back," say "When he had come back."
  1. Instead of saying "His health has been shook," say "His health has been shaken."
  1. Instead of "It was spoke in my presence," say "It was spoken in my presence."
  1. Instead of "Very right," or "Very wrong," say "Right," or "Wrong."
  1. Instead of "The mortgager paid him the money," say "The mortgagee paid him the money." The mortgagee lends; the mortgager borrows.
  1. Instead of "This town is not as large as we thought," say "This town is not so large as we thought."
  1. Instead of "I took you to be another person," say "I mistook you for another person."
  1. Instead of "On either side of the river," say "On each side of the river."
  1. Instead of "There's fifty," say "There are fifty."
  1. Instead of "The best of the two," say "The better of the two."
  1. Instead of "My clothes have become too small for me," say "I have grown too stout for my clothes."
  1. Instead of "Is Lord Lytton in?" say "Is Lord Lytton within?"
  1. Instead of "Two spoonsful of physic," say "Two spoonfuls of physic."
  1. Instead of "He must not do it." say "He need not do it."
  1. Instead of "She said, says she," say "She said."
  1. Avoid such phrases as "I said, says I," "Thinks I to myself, thinks I," &c
  1. Instead of "I don't think so," say "I think not."
  1. Instead of "He was in eminent danger," say "He was in imminent danger."
  1. Instead of "The weather is hot," say "The weather is very warm."
  1. Instead of "I sweat," say "I perspire."
  1. Instead of "I only want two shillings," say "I want only two shillings."
  1. Instead of "Whatsomever," always take care to say "Whatever," or "Whatsoever."
  1. Avoid such exclamations as "God bless me!" "God deliver me!" "By God!" "By Gor'!" "My Lor'!" "Upon my soul," &c, which are vulgar on the one hand, and savour of impiety on the other, for:
  1. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."




Footnote 1:   Persons who wish to become well acquainted with the principles of English Grammar by an easy process, are recommended to procure "The Useful Grammar," price 3d., published by Houlston and Sons.
return to footnote mark

Contents / Index


Some Female Spiders Produce 2,000 Eggs.


182.  Pronunciation

Accent is a particular stress or force of the voice upon certain syllables or words. This mark ' in printing denotes the syllable upon which the stress or force of the voice should he placed.

Contents / Index


There are 9,000 Cells in a Square Foot of Honeycomb.


183.  A Word may have more than One Accent.

Take as an instance aspiration. In uttering this word we give a marked emphasis of the voice upon the first and third syllables, and therefore those syllables are said to be accented. The first of these accents is less distinguishable than the second, upon which we dwell longer, therefore the second accent in point of order is called the primary, or chief accent of the word.

Contents / Index


A Cow Consumes 100 lbs. of Green Food Daily.


184.  When the full Accent falls on a Vowel

that vowel should have a long sound, as in vo'cal; but when it, falls on or after a consonant, the preceding vowel has a short sound, as in hab'it.

Contents / Index


2,300 Silkworms Produce 1lb of Silk.


185.  To obtain a Good Knowledge of Pronunciation

it is advisable for the reader to listen to the examples given by good speakers, and by educated persons. We learn the pronunciation of words, to a great extent, by imitation, just as birds acquire the notes of other birds which may be near them.

Contents / Index


A Queen Bee Produces 100,000 Eggs in a Season.


186.  Double Meaning

But it will be very important to bear in mind that there are many words having a double meaning or application, and that the difference of meaning is indicated by the difference of the accent. Among these words, nouns are distinguished from verbs by this means: nouns are mostly accented on the first syllable, and verbs on the last.

Contents / Index


A Cow Yields 168 lbs. of Butter per Annum.


187.  Noun signifies Name

Nouns are the names of persons and things, as well as of things not material and palpable, but of which we have a conception and knowledge, such as courage, firmness, goodness, strength; and verbs express actions, movements, &c If the word used signifies that anything has been done, or is being done, or is, or is to be done, then that word is a verb.

Contents / Index


It would Take 27,600 Spiders to Produce 1 lb. of Web


188.  Examples of the above.

Thus when we say that anything is "an in'sult," that word is a noun, and is accented on the first syllable; but when we say he did it "to insultsult' another person," the word insult' implies acting, and becomes a verb, and should be accented on the last syllable. The effect is, that, in speaking, you should employ a different pronunciation in the use of the same word, when uttering such sentences as these:—"What an in'sult!" "Do you mean to insult' me?" In the first sentence the stress of voice must be laid upon the first syllable, in', and in the latter case upon the second syllable, sult'.

Contents / Index



189.  Meaning varied by Accentuation.

A list of nearly all the words that are liable to this variation is given in the following page. It will be noticed that those in the first column, having the accent on the first syllable, are mostly nouns; and that those in the second column, which have the accent on the second and final syllable, are mostly verbs:

noun verb noun verb noun verb
abject abject contrast contrast inlay inlay
absent absent converse converse inlay inlay
abstract abstract convert convert object object
accent accent convict convict outleap outleap
afsix affix convoy convoy perfect perfect
aspect aspect decrease decrease perfume perfume
attribute attribute descant descant permit permit
augment augment desert desert prefix prefix
august august detail detail premise premise
bombard bombard digest digest presage presage
colleague colleague discord discord present present
collect collect discount discount produce produce
comment comment efflux efflux project project
compact compact escort escort protest protest
complot complot essay essay rebel rebel
comport comport exile exile record record
compound compound export export refuse refuse
compresss compress extract extract retail retail
concert concert ferment ferment subject subject
concrete concrete forecast forecast supine supine
conduct conduct foretaste foretaste survey survey
confine confine frequent frequent torment torment
conflict conflict impart impart traject traject
conserve conserve import import transfer transfer
consort consort impress impress transport transport
contest contest imprint imprint undress undress
context context incense incense upcast upcast
contract contract increase increase upstart upstart

Contents / Index



190.  Exceptions

Cement is an Exception to the above rule, and should always be accented on the last syllable. So also the word Consols.

Contents / Index



191.  Hints to "Cockney Speakers."

The most objectionable error of the Cockney, that of substituting the v for the w, and vice versâ, is, we believe, pretty generally abandoned. Such sentences as "Are you going to Vest Vickkam?" "This is wery good weal," &c, were too intolerable to be retained. Moreover, there has been a very able schoolmaster at work during the past forty years. This schoolmaster is no other than the loquacious Mr. Punch, from whose works we quote a few admirable exercises:
  1. Low Cockney.—"Seen that party lately?" "What! the party with the wooden leg, as come with—" "No, no—not that party. The party, you know, as—" "Oh! ah! I know the party you mean, now." "Well, a party told me as he can't agree with that other party, and he says that if another party can't be found to make it all square, he shall look out for a party as will."—(And so on for half an hour.)
  1. Police.—"Lor, Soosan, how's a feller to eat meat such weather as this! Now, a bit o' pickled salmon and cowcumber, or a lobster salid, might do."
  1. Cockney Yachtsman.—(Example of affectation.) Scene: the Regatta Ball.—"I say, Tom, what's that little craft with the black velvet flying at the fore, close under the lee scuppers of the man-of-war?" "Why, from her fore-and-aft rig, and the cut of her mainsail, I should say she's down from the port of London; but I'll signal the commodore to come and introduce us!"
  1. Omnibus Driver.—Old acquaintance. "'Ave a drop, Bill?" Driver. "Why, yer see, Jim, this 'ere young hoss has only been in 'arness once afore, and he's such a beggar to bolt, ten to one if I leave 'im he'll be a-runnin' hoff, and a smashin' into suthun. Howsoever—here—(handing reins to a timid passenger)—lay hold, sir, I'll Chance It!"
  1. Costermonger (to extremely genteel person).—"I say, guv'ner, give us a hist with this 'ere bilin' o' greens!' (A large hamper of market stuff.)
  1. Genteel Cockney (by the seaside).—Blanche. "How grand, how solemn, dear Frederick, this is! I really think the ocean is more beautiful under this aspect than under any other!" Frederick.—"H'm—ah! Per-waps. By the way, Blanche, there's a fella shwimping. S'pose we ask him if he can get us some pwawns for breakfast to-mowaw mawning?"
  1. Stuck-up Cockney.—(Small Swell enters a tailor's shop.) "A—Brown, A—want some more coats!" Snip. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. How many would you please to want?" Small Swell. "A—let me see; A—ll have eight. A—no, I'll have nine; and look here! A—shall want some trousers." Snip. "Yes, sir, thank you, sir. How many would you like?" Small Swell.—"A— don't know exactly. S'pose we say twenty-four pairs; and look here! Show me some patterns that won't be worn by any snobs!"
  1. Cockney Flunkey,—(Country Footman meekly inquires of London Footman)—"Pray, sir, what do you think of our town? A nice place, ain't it" London Footman (condescendingly). "Vell, Joseph, I likes your town well enough. It's clean: your streets are hairy; and you have lots of rewins. But I don't like your champagne, it's all gewsberry!"
  1. Cockney Cabby (with politeness). — "Beg pardon, sir; please don't smoke in the keb. sir; ladies do complain o' the 'bacca uncommon. Better let me smoke it for yer outside, sir!"
  1. Military Cockney.—Lieutenant Blazer (of the Plungers).—"Gwood wacious! Here's a howible go! The ifan [?word illegible] v's going to gwow a moustache! Cornet Huffey (whose face is whiskerless). "Yaw don't mean that! Wall! there's only one alternative for us. We must shave!"
  1. Juvenile Low Cockney.—"Jack; Whereabouts is Amstid-am?" Jack. "Well, I can't say exackerley, but I know it's somewhere near "Ampstid-'eath!"
  1. Cockney Domestic.—Servant girl—" Well, mam—Heverythink considered, I'm afraid you won't suit me. I've always bin brought up genteel: and I couldn't go nowheres where there ain't no footman kep'."
  1. Another.—Lady. "Wish to leave! why, I thought, Thompson, you were very comfortable with me!" Thompson (who is extremely refined). "Ho yes, mum! I don't find no fault with you, mum—nor yet with master—but the truth his, mum—the hother servants is so orrid vulgar and hignorant, and speaks so hungrammaticai, that I reely cannot live in the same 'ouse with 'em—and I should like to go this day month, if so be has it won't illconvenience you!"
  1. Cockney Waiter.—"'Am, sir? Yessir? Don't take anything with your 'am, do you, sir?" Gentleman. "Yes, I do; I take the letter H!"
  1. Cockney Hairdresser.—"They say, sir, the cholera is in the Hair, sir!" Gent (very uneasy). "Indeed! Ahem! Then I hope you're very particular about the brushes you use." Hairdresser. "Oh, I see you don't nunderstand me, sir; I don't mean the 'air of the 'ed, but the hair hof the hatmosphere?"
  1. Cockney Sweep (seated upon a donkey).—"Fitch us out another penn'orth o' strawberry hice, with a dollop o' lemon water in it."
  1. Feminine Cookney (by the sea-side.)—"Oh, Harriet, dear, put on your hat and let us thee the stheamboat come in. The thea is tho rough!—and the people will be tho abthurdly thick!"


Contents / Index


Alum First Discovered A.D. 1300.


192.  Correction

Londoners who desire to correct the defects of their utterance cannot do better than to exercise themselves frequently upon those words respecting which they have been in error.

Contents / Index



193.  Hints for the Correction of the Irish Brogue

According to the directions given by Mr. B. H. Smart, an Irishman wishing to throw off the brogue of his mother country should avoid hurling out his words with a superfluous quantity of breath. It is not broadher and widher that he should say, but the d, and every other consonant, should be neatly delivered by the tongue, with as little riot, clattering, or breathing as possible. Next let him drop the roughness or rolling of the r in all places but the beginning of syllables; he must not say stor-rum and far-rum, but let the word be heard in one smooth syllable. He should exercise himself until he can convert plaze into please, planty into plenty, Jasus into Jesus, and so on. He should modulate his sentences, so as to avoid directing his accent all in one manner—from the acute to the grave. Keeping his ear on the watch for good examples, and exercising himself frequently upon them, he may become master of a greatly improved utterance.

Contents / Index


Tea First Used In England A. D. 1698.


194.  Hints for Correcting the Scotch Brogue.

The same authority remarks that as an Irishman uses the closing accent of the voice too much, so a Scotchman has the contrary habit, and is continually drawling his tones from the grave to the acute, with an effect which, to southern ears, is suspensive in character. The smooth guttural r is as little heard in Scotland as in Ireland, the trilled r taking its place. The substitution of the former instead of the latter must be a matter of practice. The peculiar sound of the u, which in the north so of ten borders on the French u, must be compared with the several sounds of the letter as they are heard in the south; and the long quality which a Scotchman is apt to give to the vowels that ought to be essentially short, must he clipped. In fact, aural observation and lingual exercise are the only sure means to the end; so that a Scotchman going to a well for a bucket of water, and finding a countryman bathing therein, would not exclaim, "Hey, Colin, dinna ye ken the water's for drink, and nae for bathin'?"

Contents / Index



195.  Of Provincial Brogues

it is scarcely necessary to say much, as the foregoing advice applies to them. One militiaman exclaimed to another, "Jim, you hain't in step" "Bain't I?" exclaimed the other; "well, change yourn!" Whoever desires knowledge must strive for it. It must not be dispensed with after the fashion of Tummus and Jim, who held the following dialogue upon a vital question:—Tummus. "I zay, Jim, be you a purtectionist?" Jim. "E'as I be." Tummus. "Wall, I zay, Jim, what be purtection?" Jim. " Loa'r, Tummus, doan't 'ee knaw? " Tummus. "Naw, I doan't." Jim. "Wall, I doan't knaw as can tell 'ee, Tummus, vur I doan't exakerly knaw mysel'!"

Contents / Index



196.  Rules of Pronunciation.

  1. C before a, o, and u, and in some other situations, is a close articulation, like k. Before e, i, and y, c is precisely equivalent to s in same, this; as in cedar, civil, cypress, capacity.
  1. E final indicates that the preceding vowel is long; as in hate, mete, sire, robe, lyre, abate, recede, invite, remote, intrude.
  1. E final indicates that c preceding has the sound of s; as in lace, lance; and that g preceding has the sound of j, as in charge, page, challenge.
  1. E final, in proper English words, never forms a syllable, and in the most-used words, in the terminating unaccented syllable it is silent. Thus, motive, genuine, examine, granite, are pronounced motiv, genuin, examin, granit.
  1. E final, in a few words of foreign origin, forms a syllable; as syncope, simile.
  1. E final is silent after l in the following terminations,—ble, cle, dle, fle, gle, kle, ple, tle, zle; as in able, manacle, cradle, ruffle, mangle, wrinkle, supple, rattle, puzzle, which are pronounced a'bl, mana'cl, cra'dl, ruf'fl man'gl, wrin'kl, sup'pl, puz'zl.
  1. E is usually silent in the termination en; as in token, broken; pronounced tokn, brokn.
  1. ous, in the termination of adjectives and their derivatives, is pronounced us; as in gracious, pious, pompously.
  1. ce, ci, ti before a vowel, have the sound of sh; as in cetaceous, gracious, motion, partial, ingratiate; pronounced cetashus, grashus, moshun, parshal, ingrashiate.
  1. si, after an accented vowel, is pronounced like zh; as in Ephesian, confusion; pronounced Ephezhan, confuzhon
  1. When ci or ti precede similar combinations, as in pronunciation, negotiation, they should be pronounced ze instead of she, to prevent a repetition of the latter syllable; as pronunceashon instead of pronunsheashon.
  1. gh, both in the middle and at the end of words ia silent; as in caught, bought, fright, nigh, sigh; pronounced caut, baut, frite, ni, si. In the following exceptions, however, gh are pronounced as f:—cough, chough, clough, enough, laugh, rough, slough, tough, trough.
  1. When wh begins a word, the aspirate h precedes w in pronunciation; as in what, whiff, whale; pronounced hwat, hwiff, hwale, w having precisely the sound of oo, French ou. In the following words w is silent:—who, whom, whose, whoop, whole.
  1. h after r has no sound or use; as in rheum, rhyme; pronounced reum, ryme.
  1. h should be sounded in the middle of words; as in forehead, abhor, behold, exhaust, inhabit, unhorse.
  1. H should always be sounded except in the following words:—heir, herb, honest, honour, hospital, hostler, hour, humour, and humble, and all their derivatives,—such as humorously, derived from humour.
  1. k and g are silent before n; as know, gnaw; pronounced no, naw.
  1. w before r is silent; as in wring, wreath; pronounced ring, reath.
  1. b after m is silent; as in dumb, numb; pronounced dum, num.
  1. L before k is silent; as in balk, walk, talk; pronounced bauk, wauk, tauk.
  1. ph has the sound of f; as in philosophy; pronounced filosofy.
  1. ng has two sounds, one as in anger, the other as in fin-ger.
  1. nafter m, and closing a syllable, is silent; as in hymn, condemn.
  1. pbefore s and t is mute; as in psalm, pseudo, ptarmigan; pronounced sarm, sudo, tarmigan.
  1. r has two sounds, one strong and vibrating, as at the beginning of words and syllables, such as robber, reckon, error; the other as at the terminations of words, or when succeeded by a consonant, as farmer, morn.
  1. Before the letter r, there is a slight sound of e between the vowel and the consonant. Thus, bare, parent, apparent, mere, mire, more, pure, pyre, are pronounced nearly baer, paerent, appaerent, me-er,mier, moer,puer, pyer. This pronunciation proceeds from the peculiar articulation of r, and it occasions a slight change of the sound of a, which can only be learned by the ear.
  1. There are other rules of pronunciation affecting the combinations of vowels, &c; but as they are more difficult to describe, and as they do not relate to errors which are commonly prevalent, we shall content ourselves with giving examples of them in the following list of words. When, a syllable in any word in this list is printed in bold, the accent or stress of voice should be laid on that syllable.

Contents / Index


Auctions Commenced in Britain in A.D. 1779.


197.  Proper Pronunciations of Words often Wrongly Pronounced.

Again usually pronounced a-gen, not as spelled.
Alien á-li-en not ale-yen.
Antipodes an-tip-o-dees.
Apostle as a-pos'l, without the t.
Arch- artch in compounds of our own language, as in archbishop, archduke; but ark in words derived from the Greek, as archaic, ar-ka-ik; archaeology, ar-ke-ol-o-gy; archangel, ark-ain-gel; archetype, ar-ke-type; archiepiscopal, ar-ke-e-pis-co-pal; archipelago, ar-ke-pel-a-go; ar-chives, ar-kivz, &c
Asia a-sha.
Asparagus as spelled, not asparagrass.
Aunt ant, not aunt.
Awkward awk-wurd, not awk-urd.
Bade bad
Because be-cawz, not ba-cos
Been bin
Beloved as a verb, be-luvd; as an adjective, be-luv-ed. Blessed, cursed, &c, are subject to the same rule.
Beneath with the th in breath, not with the th in breathe.
Bio'graphy as spelled, not beography.
Buoy boy, not bwoy.
Canal' as spelled, not ca-nel.
Caprice capreece
Catch as spelled, not ketch.
Chaos ka-oss.
Charlatan shar-latan.
Chasm kazm
Chasten chasn
Chivalry shiv-alry.
Chemistry kem'-is-tre, not kim-is-tre.
Choir kwire
Clerk klark
Combat kum-bat.
Conduit kun-dit.
Corps kor: the plural corps is pronounced korz.
Covetous cuv-e-tus, not cov-e-tus.
Courteous curt-yus.
Courtesy 1. (politeness), cur-te-sey.
2. (a lowering of the body), curt-sey.
Cresses as spelled, not cree-ses.
Cu'riosity cu-re-os-e-ty, not curosity.
Cushion coosh-un, not coosh-in.
Daunt dawnt, not dant or darnt, as some erroneously pronounce it.
Design and Desist have the sound of s, not of z.
Desire should have the sound of z.
Despatch de-spatch, not dis-patch.
Dew due, not doo.
Diamond as spelled, not dimond.
Diploma de-plo-ma, not dip-lo-ma.
Diplomacy de-plo-ma-cy, not dip-lo-ma-cy.
Direct de-reckt, not di-rect.
Divers (several), di-verz; but diverse (different), di-verse.
Dome as spelled, not doom.
Drought drowt, not drawt.
Duke as spelled, not dook.
Dynasty dyn-as-te, not dy-nas-ty.
Edict e-dickt, not ed-ickt.
E'en and e'er een and air.
Egotism eg-o-tizm, not e-go-tism.
Either e-ther or i-ther.
Engine en-jin, not in-jin.
Ensign en-sign; ensigncy, en-sin-se.
Epistle without the t.
Epitome e-pit-o-me
Epoch e-pock, not ep-ock.
Equinox e-qui-nox, not eck-wi-nox.
Europe U-rope, not U-rup. Euro-pean not Eu-ro-pean.
Every ev-er-y, not ev-ry.
Executor egz-ec-utor, not with the sound of x.
Extraordinary as spelled, not ex-tror—di-ner-i, or ex-traordinary, nor extrornarey
February as spelled, not Febuary.
Finance fe-nance, not finance.
Foundling as spelled, not fond-ling.
Garden gar-dn, not gar-den, nor gard-ing.
Gauntlet gawnt-let, not gant-let.
Geography as spelled, not jography, or gehography.
Geometry as spelled, not jom-etry.
Haunt hawnt, not hant.
Height hite, not highth.
Heinous hay-nuss, not hee-nus.
Highland hi-land, not hee-land.
Horizon ho-ri-zn, not hor-i-zon.
Housewife pronounced in the ordinary way when it means the mistress of a house who is a good manager, but huz-wif, when it means a small case for needles.
Hymeneal hy-men-e-al, not hy-menal.
Instead in-sted, not instid.
Isolate i-so-late; not iz-o-late, nor is-olate.
Jalap jal-ap, not jolup.
January as spelled, not Jenuary nor Janewary.
Leave as spelled, not leaf.
Legend lej-end, not le-gend.
Lieutenant lef-ten-ant, not leu-ten-ant.
Many men-ney, not man-ny.
Marchioness mar-shun-ess, not as spelled.
Massacre mas-sa-ker, not mas-sa-cre.
Mattress as spelled, not mat-trass.
Matron ma-trun, not mat-ron.
Medicine med-e-cin, not med-cin.
Minute 1.   (sixty seconds), min-it.
2.   (small), mi-nute.
Miscellany mis-cel-lany, not mis-cellany.
Mischievous mis-chiv-us, not mis-cheev-us.
Ne'er for never, nare.
Neighbourhood nay-bur-hood, not nay-burwood.
Nephew nev-u, not nefu.
New nu, not noo.
Notable (worthy of notice), no-tu-bl.
Obilge as spelled, not obleege.
Oblique ob-leek, not o-blike.
Odorous o-der-us, not od-ur-us.
Of ov, except when compounded with the here, and where, which should be pronounced here-of, there-of, and where-of.
Off as spelt, not awf.
Organization or-gan-i-za-shun, not or-ga-ne-za-shun.
Ostrich os-tr'ch, not os-tridge.
Pageant paj-ent, not pa-jant.
Parent pare-ent, not par-ent.
Partisan par-te-zan, not par-te-zan, nor par—ti-zan.
Patent pa-tent, not pat-ent.
Physiognomy as fiz-i-ognomy, not phy-sionnomy.
Pincers pin-cerz, not pinch-erz.
Plaintiff as spelled, not plan-tiff.
Pour pore, not so as to rhyme with our.
Precedent (an example), pres-e-dent; pre-ce-dent (going before in point of time, previous, former), is the pronunciation of the adjective.
Prologue pro-log, not prol-og.
Quadrille ka-dril, not quod-ril.
Quay key, not as spelled.
Radish as spelled, not red-ish.
Raillery rail'-er-y, or ral-er y, not as spelled.
Rather rar-ther, not ray-ther.
Resort re-sort.
Resound re-zound.
Respite res-pit, not as spelled.
Rout (a party; and to rout), should be pronounced rowt.
Route (a road), root.
Saunter saun-ter, not sarn-ter or san-ter.
Sausage saw-sage not sos-sidge, nor sassage.
Schedule shed-ule, not shed-dle.
Seamstress is pronounced seem-stress, but semp-stress, as the word is now commonly spelt, is pronounced sem-stress.
Sewer soo-er or su-er, not shore, nor shure.
Shire as spelled, when uttered as a single word, but shortened into shir in composition.
Shone shon, not shun, nor as spelled.
Soldier sole-jer.
Solecism sol-e-cizm, not sole-cizm.
Soot as spelled, not sut.
Sovereign sov-er-in, not suv-er-in.
Specious spe-shus, not spesh-us.
Stomacher stum-a-cher.
Stone (weight), as spelled, not stun.
Synod sin-od, not sy-nod.
Tenure ten-ure, not te-nure.
Tenet ten-et, not te-net.
Than as spelled, not thun.
Tremor trem-ur, not tre-mor.
Twelfth should have the th sounded.
Umbrella as spelled, not um-ber-el-la.
Vase vaiz or varz, not vawze.
Was woz, not wuz.
Weary weer-i, not wary.
Were wer, not ware.
Wont wunt, not as spelled.
Wrath rawth, not rath: as an adjective it is spelled wroth, and pronounced with the vowel sound shorter, as wrath-ful, &c
Yacht yot, not yat.
Yeast as spelled, not yest.
Zenith zen-ith, not ze-nith.
Zodiac zo-de-ak.
Zoology should have both o's sounded,as zo-ol-o-gy, not zoo-lo-gy.



Note.—The tendency of all good elocutionists is to pronounce as nearly in accordance with the spelling as possible.

Pronounce:

ace not iss, as furnace, not furniss.
age not idge, as cabbage, courage, postage, village.
ain, ane not in, as certain, certane, not certin.
ate not it, as moderate, not moderit.
ect not ec, as aspect, not aspec; subject, not subjec.
ed not id, or ud, as wicked, not wickid, or wickud.
el not l, model, not modl; novel,not novl.
en not n, as sudden, not suddn.—Burden, burthen, garden, lengthen, seven, strengthen, often, and a few others,have the e silent.
ence not unce, as influence, not influ-unce.
es not is, as pleases, not pleasis.
ile should be pronounced il, as fertil, not fertile, in all words except chamomile (cam), exile, gentile, infantile, reconcile and senile, which should be pronounce ile.
in not n, as Latin, not Latn.
nd not n, as husband, not husban, thousand, not thousan.
ness not niss, as carefulness, not carefulniss.
ng not n, as singing, not singin; speaking, not speakin.
ngth not nth, as strength, not strenth.
son the o should be silent; as in treason; tre-zn, not tre-son.
tal not tle, as capital, not capitle; metal, not mettle; mortal, not mortle; periodical; not periodicle.
xt not x, as next, not nex.

Contents / Index


Publication of Banns of Marriage Commenced A.D.1210.


198.  Punctuation

Punctuation teaches the method of placing Points, in written or printed matter, in such a manner as to indicate the pauses which would be made by the author if he were communicating his thoughts orally instead of by written signs.

Contents / Index


Silk First Brought From India A.D. 274.


199.  Writing and Printing

are substitutes for oral communication; and correct punctuation is essential to convey the meaning intended, and to give due force to such passages as the author may wish to impress upon the mind of the person to whom they are being communicated.

Contents / Index


Wines were First Made in Britain A.D. 276.


200.  The Points are as follows:

comma ,
semi-colon ;
colon :
Period, or Full Point .
Apostrophe '
Hyphen -
Note of Interrogation ?
Note of Exclamation !
Parenthesis ( )
Asterisk, or Star *


As these are all the points required in simple epistolary composition, we will confine our explanations to the rules which should govern the use of them.

Contents / Index



201.  The Other Points

however, are:

the paragraph
the section §
the dagger †
the double dagger ‡
the parallel ||
the bracket [ ]


and some others.

These, however, are quite unnecessary, except for elaborate works, in which they are chiefly used for notes or marginal references. The rule — is sometimes used as a substitute for the bracket or parenthesis.

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202.   Pauses

The comma , denotes the shortest pause
the semi-colon ; a little longer pause than the comma
the colon : a little longer pause than the semicolon
The period . or full point, the longest pause.

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203.  The Relative Duration

of these pauses is described as:

Comma while you count One
Semicolon while you count Two
Colon while you count Three
Period while you count Four


This, however, is not an infallible rule, because the duration of the pauses should be regulated by the degree of rapidity with which the matter is being read. In slow reading the duration of the pauses should be increased.

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204.  The Other Points

are rather indications of expression, and of meaning and connection, than of pauses, and therefore we will notice them separately.

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205.  Misplacing

of even so slight a point, or pause, as the comma, will often alter the meaning of a sentence. The contract made for lighting the town of Liverpool, during the year 1819, was thrown void by the misplacing of a comma in the advertisements, thus:
"The lamps at present are about 4,050, and have in general two spouts each, composed of not less than twenty threads of cotton."
The contractor would have proceeded to furnish each lamp with the said twenty threads, but this being but half the usual quantity, the commissioners discovered that the difference arose from the comma following instead of preceding the word each. The parties agreed to annul the contract, and a new one was ordered.

Contents / Index



206.  Without Punctuation

The Following Sentence shows how difficult it is to read without the aid of the points used as pauses:
Death waits not for storm nor sunshine within a dwelling in one of the upper streets respectable in appearance and furnished with such conveniences as distinguish the habitations of those who rank among the higher clashes of society a man of middle age lay on his last bed momently awaiting the final summons all that the most skillful medical attendance all that love warm as the glow that even an angel's bosom could do had been done by day and night for many long weeks had ministering spirits such as a devoted wife and loving children are done all within their power to ward off the blow but there he lay his raven hair smoothed off from his noble brow his dark eyes lighted with unnatural brightness and contrasting strongly with the pallid hue which marked him as an expectant of the dread messenger.

Contents / Index


Coals First Brought to London A.D. 1357.


207.  With Punctuation

The same sentence, properly pointed, and with capital letters placed; after full-points, according to the adopted rule, may be easily read and understood:
Death waits not for storm nor sunshine. Within a dwelling in one of the upper streets, respectable in appearance, and furnished with such conveniences as distinguish the habitations of those who rank among the higher classes of society, a man of middle age lay on his last bed, momently awaiting the final summons. All that the most skilful medical attendance—all that love, warm as the glow that fires an angel's bosom, could do, had been done; by day and night, for many long weeks, had ministering spirits, such as a devoted wife; and loving children are, done all within their power to ward off the blow. But there he lay, his raven hair smoothed off from his noble brow, his dark eyes lighted with unnatural brightness, and contrasting strongly with the pallid hue which marked him as an expectant of the dread messenger.

Contents / Index



208.  The Apostrophe '

is used to indicate the combining of two words in one,—as John's book, instead of John, his book; or to show the omission of parts of words, as Glo'ster, for Gloucester—tho' for though. These abbreviations should be avoided as much as possible. Cobbett says the apostrophe "ought to be called the mark of laziness and vulgarity." The first use, however, of which we gave an example, is a necessary and proper one.

Contents / Index



209.  The Hyphen -

or conjoiner, is used to unite words which, though they are separate and distinct, have so close a connection as almost to become one word, as water-rat, wind-mill, &c. It is also used in writing and printing, at the end of a line, to show where a word is divided and continued in the next line. Look down the ends of the lines in this column [in the original printed text], and you will notice the hyphen in several places.

Contents / Index



210.  The Note of Interrogation ?

indicates that the sentence to which it is put asks a question; as, "What is the meaning of that assertion? What am I to do?"

Contents / Index



211.  The Note of Exclamation !

or of admiration, indicates surprise, pleasure, or sorrow; as "Oh! Ah! Goodness! Beautiful! I am astonished! Woe is me!"

Sometimes, when an expression of strong surprise or pleasure is intended, two notes of this character are employed, thus!!

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212.  The Parenthesis ( )

is used to prevent confusion by the introduction to a sentence of a passage not necessary to the sense thereof. "I am going to meet Mr. Smith (though I am not an admirer of him) on Wednesday next." It is better, however, as a rule, not to employ parenthetical sentences.

Contents / Index



213.  The Asterisk *

or star, may be employed to refer from the text to a note of explanation at the foot of a column, or at the end of a letter. [***] Three stars are sometimes used to call particular attention to a paragraph.

Contents / Index


Paper Made of Cotton Rags A.D. 1000.


214.  Hints upon Spelling

The following rules will be found of great assistance in writing, because they relate to a class of words about the spelling of which doubt and hesitation are frequently felt:

  1. All words of one syllable ending in l, with a single vowel before it, have double l at the close; as, mill, sell.

  1. All words of one syllable ending in l, with a double vowel before it, have one l only at the close: as, mail, sail.

  1. Words of one syllable ending in l, when compounded, retain but one l each; as, fulfil, skilful.

  1. Words of more than one syllable ending in l have one l only at the close; as, delightful, faithful; except befall, downfall, recall, unwell, &c.

  1. All derivatives from words ending in l have one l only; as, equality, from equal; fulness, from full; except they end in er or ly; as, mill, miller; full, fully.

  1. All participles in ing from verbs ending in e lose the e final; as have, having; amuse, amusing; unless they come from verbs ending in double e, and then they retain, both; as, see, seeing; agree, agreeing.

  1. All adverbs in ly and nouns in ment retain the e final of the primitives; as, brave, bravely; refine, refinement; except acknowledgment, judgment, &c.

  1. All derivatives from words ending in er retain the e before the r; as, refer, reference; except hindrance, from hinder; remembrance from remember; disastrous from disaster; monstrous from monster; wondrous from wonder; cumbrous from cumber, &c.

  1. Compound words, if both end not in i, retain their primitive parts entire; as, millstone, changeable, graceless; except always, also, deplorable, although, almost, admirable, &c.

  1. All words of one syllable ending in a consonant, with a single vowel before it, double that consonant in derivatives; as, sin, sinner; ship, shipping; big, bigger; glad, gladder, &c.

  1. Words of one syllable ending in a consonant, with a double vowel before it, do not double the consonant in derivatives: as, sleep, sleepy; troop, troopers.

  1. All words of more than one syllable ending in a single consonant, preceded by a single vowel, and accented on the last syllable, double that consonant in derivatives; as, commit, committee; compel, compelled; appal, appalling; distil, distiller.

  1. Nouns of one syllable ending in y preceded by a consonant, change y into ies in the plural; and verbs ending in y, preceded by a consonant, change y into ies in the third person singular of the present tense, and into ied in the past tense and past participle, as, fly, flies; I apply, he applies; we reply, we replied, or have replied. If the y be preceded by a vowel, this rule is not applicable; as key, keys; I play, he plays; we have enjoyed ourselves.

  1. Compound words whose primitives end in y change y into i; as, beauty, Beautiful; lovely, loveliness.

Contents / Index



215.  H or no H? That is the Question.

Few things point so directly to the want of cultivation as the misuse of the letter H by persons in conversation. We hesitate to assert that this common defect in speaking indicates the absence of education—for, to our surprise, we have heard even educated persons frequently commit this common, and vulgar error. Now, for the purpose of assisting those who desire to improve their mode of speaking, we intend to tell a little story about our next door neighbour, Mrs. Alexander Hitching,—or, as she frequently styled herself, with an air of conscious dignity, Mrs. Halexander 'Itching. Her husband was a post-captain of some distinction, seldom at home, and therefore Mrs. A. H. (or, as she rendered it, Mrs. H. I.) felt it incumbent upon herself to represent her own dignity, and the dignity of her husband also. Well, this Mrs. Hitching was a next-door neighbour of ours—a most agreeable lady in many respects, middle aged, good looking, uncommonly fond of talking, of active, almost of fussy habits, very good tempered and good natured, but with a most unpleasant habit of misusing the letter H to such a degree that our sensitive nerves have often been shocked when in her society. But we must beg the reader, if Mrs. H. should be an acquaintance of his, not to breathe a word of our having written this account of her—or there would be no limit to her "hindignation." And, as her family is very numerous, it will be necessary to keep the matter as quiet as can be, for it will scarcely be possible to mention the subject anywhere, without "'orrifying" some of her relations, and instigating them to make Mrs. H. become our "henemy," instead of remaining, as we wish her to do, our intimate friend.

One morning, Mrs. H. called upon me, and asked me to take a walk, saying that it was her hobject to look out for an 'ouse, as her lease had nearly terminated; and as she had often heard her dear 'Itching say that he would like to settle in the neighbourhood of 'Ampstead 'Eath, she should like me to assist her by my judgment in the choice of a residence. "I shall he most happy to accompany you," I said.

"I knew you would," said she; "and I am sure a hour or two in your society will give me pleasure. It's so long since we've 'ad a gossip. Besides which, I want a change of hair."

I glanced at her peruke, and for a moment laboured under the idea that she intended to call at her hairdresser's; but I soon recollected.

"I suppose we had better take the homnibus," she remarked, "and we can get out at the foot of the 'ill."

I assented, and in a few minutes we were in the street, in the line of the omnibus, and one of those vehicles soon appearing—

"Will you 'ail it?" inquired she.

So I hailed it at once, and we got in. Now Mrs. H. was so fond of talking that the presence of strangers never restrained her—a fact which I have often had occasion to regret. She was no sooner within the omnibus than she began remarking upon hinconveaience of such vehicles, because of their smallness, and the hinsolence of many of the conductors. She thought that the proprietors ought only to 'ire men upon whose civility they could depend. Then she launched out into larger topics—said she thought that the Hemperor of Haustria—(here I endeavoured to interrupt her by asking whether she had any idea of the part of Hampstead she would like; but she would complete her remarks by saying) —must be as 'appy as the days are long, now that the Hempress had presented him with a hare to the throne! (Some of the passengers smiled, and turning round, looked out of the windows.)

I much wished for our arrival at the spot where we should alight, for she commenced a story about an 'andsome young nephew of hers, who was a distinguished hofficer of the harmy. This was suggested to her, no doubt, by the presence in the omnibus of a fine-looking young fellow with a moustache. She said that at present her nephew was stationed in hireland; but he expected soon to be hordered to South Hafrica.

The gentleman with the moustache seemed much amused, and smilingly asked her whether her nephew was at all hambitious? I saw that he (the gentleman with the moustache) was jesting, and I would have given anything to have been released from the unpleasant predicament I was in. But what was more annoyance when Mrs. H. proceeded to say to this youth, whose face was radiant with humour, that it was the 'ight of her nephew's hambition to serve his country in the hour of need; and then she proceeded to ask her fellow-traveller his opinion, of the hupshot of the war—remarking that she 'oped it would soon be hover!

At this moment I felt so nervous that I pulled out my handkerchief, and endeavoured to create a diversion by making a loud nasal noise, and remarking that I thought the wind very cold, when an accident happened which took us all by surprise: one of the large wheels of the minibus dropped off, and all the passeigers were jostled down into a corner but, fortunately without serious injury. Mrs. H., however, happening to be under three or four persons, raised a loud cry for "'elp! 'elp!" She was speedily got out, when she assured us that she was not 'urt; but she was in such a state of hagitation that she wished to be taken to a chemist's shop, to get some haromatic vinegar, or some Hoe de Cologne! The chemist was exceedingly polite to her, for which she said she could never express her hobligations—an assertion which seemed to me to be literally true. It was some time before she resumed her accustomed freedom of conversation; but as we ascended the hill she explained to me that she should like to take the house as tenant from 'ear to 'ear!—but she thought landlords would hobject to such an agreement, as when they got a good tenant they liked to 'old 'im as long as they could. She expressed an opinion that 'Amstead must be very 'ealthy, because it was so 'igh hup.

We soon reached the summit of the hill, and turned through a lane which led towards the Heath, and in which villas and cottages were smiling on each side. "Now, there's a helegant little place!" she exclaimed, "just suited to my hideas—about height rooms and a horiel hover the hentrance." But it was not to let—so we passed on.

Presently, she saw something likely to suit her, and as there was a bill in the window, "To be let—Enquire Within," she gave a loud rat-a-tat-tat at the door.

The servant opened it.

"I see this 'ouse is to let."

"Yes, ma'am, it is; will you walk in?"

"'Ow many rooms are there?"

"Eleven, ma'am; but if you will step in, mistress will speak to you."

A very graceful lady made her appearance at the parlour door, and invited us to step in. I felt exceedingly nervous, for I at once perceived that the lady of the house spoke with that accuracy and taste which is one of the best indications of refinement.

"The house is to let—and a very pleasant residence we have found it."

"'Ave you hoccupied it long?"

"Our family has resided here for more than nine years."

"Then, I suppose, your lease 'as run hout!"

"No! we have it for five years longer: but my brother, who is a clergyman, has been appointed to a living in Yorkshire, and for his sake, and for the pleasure of his society, we desire to remove."

"Well—there's nothing like keeping families together for the sake of 'appiness. Now there's my poor dear 'Itching" [There she paused, as if somewhat affected, and some young ladies who were in the room drew their heads together, and appeared to consult about their needlework; but I saw, by dimples upon their cheeks, which they could not conceal, that they were smiling], "'e's 'itherto been hat 'ome so seldom, that I've 'ardly hever known what 'appiness his."

I somewhat abruptly broke in upon the conversation, by suggesting that she had better look through the house, and inquire the conditions of tenancy. We consequently went through the various rooms, and in every one of them she had "an hobjection to this," or "a 'atred for that," or would give "an 'int which might be useful" to the lady when she removed. The young ladies were heard tittering very much whenever Mrs. H. broke out, in a loud voice, with her imperfect elocution, and I felt so much annoyed, that I determined to cure her of her defective speaking.

In the evening, after returning home, we were sitting by the fire, feeling comfortable and chatty, when I proposed to Mrs. Hitching the following enigma from the pen of the late Henry Mayhew:
The Vide Vorld you may search, and my fellow not find;
I dwells in a Wacuum, deficient in Vind;
In the Wisage I'm seen—in the Woice I am heard,
And yet I'm inwisible, gives went to no Vurd.
I'm not much of a Vag, for I'm vanting in Vit;
But distinguished in Werse for the Wollums I've writ.
I'm the head of all Willains, yet far from the Vurst—
I'm the foremost in Wice, though in Wirtue the first.
I'm not used to Veapons, and ne'er goes to Vor;
Though in Walour inwincible—in Wictory sure;
The first of all Wiands and Wictuals is mine—
Rich in Wen'son and Weal, but deficient in Vine.
To Wanity given, I in Welwets abound;
But in Voman, in Vife, and in Vidow ain't found:
Yet conspicuous in Wirgins, and I'll tell you, between us,
To persons of taste I'm a bit of a Wenus;
Yet none take me for Veal—or for Voe in its stead,
For I ranks not among the sweet Voo'd, Vun, and Ved!
Before the recital of the enigma was half completed, Mrs. Hitching laughed heartily—she saw, of course, the meaning of it—that it was a play upon the Cockney error of using the V instead of the W, and the latter instead of the V. Several times, as I proceeded, she exclaimed "Hexcellent! hexcellent!" and when I had finished, she remarked that is was very "hingenious," and enough to "hopen the heyes" of the Cockneys to their stupid and vulgar manner of speaking.

A more difficult and delicate task lay before me. I told her that as she was so much pleased with the first enigma, I would submit another by the same author. I felt very nervous, but determined to proceed:
I dwells in the Herth, and I breathes in the Hair;
If you searches the Hocean, you'll find that I'm there.
The first of all Hangels, in Holympus am Hi,
Yet I'm banished from 'Eaven, expelled from on 'Igh.
But though on this Horb I am destined to grovel,
I'm ne'er seen in an 'Ouse, in an 'Ut, nor an 'Ovel;
Not an 'Oss nor an 'Unter e'er bears me, alas!
But often I'm found on the top of a Hass.
I resides in a Hattic, and loves not to roam,
And yet I'm invariably absent from 'Ome.
Though 'ushed in the 'Urricane, of the Hatmosphere part,
I enters no 'Ed, I creeps into no 'Art.
Only look, and you'll see in the Heye I appear,
Only 'ark, and you'll 'ear me just breathe in the Hear;
Though in sex not an 'E, I am (strange paradox!)
Not a bit of an 'Eifer, but partly a Hox.
Of Heternity Hi'm the beginning! And, mark,
Though I goes not with Noah, I am first in the Hark.
I'm never in 'Ealth—have with Fysic no power;
I dies in a Month, but comes back In a Hour!
In re-citing the above I strongly emphasized the misplaced h's. After a brief pause, Mrs. Hitchings exclaimed, "Very good; very clever." I then determined to complete my task by repeating the following enigma upon the same letter written by Miss Catherine Fanshawe and often erroneously attributed to Byron:
'Twas whispered in heaven, 'twas muttered in hell,
And echo caught faintly the sound as it fell;
On the confines of earth 'twas permitted to rest,
And the depths of the ocean its presence confessed.
'Twill be found in the sphere when 'tis riven asunder,
Be seen in the lightning, and heard in the thunder.
'Twas allotted to man with his earliest breath,
Attends at his birth, and awaits him in death;
It presides o'er his happiness, honour, and health,
Is the prop of his house, and the end of his wealth.
In the heaps of the miser 'tis hoarded with care,
But is sure to be lost on his prodigal heir.
It begins every hope, every wish it must bound,
With the husbandman toils, with the monarch is crowned.
Without it the soldier and seaman may roam,
But woe to the wretch who expels it from home.
In the whispers of conscience its voice will be found,
Nor e'en in the whirlwind of passion be drowned.
'Twill not soften the heart, and though deaf to the ear,
'Twill make it acutely and instantly hear.
But in shade let it rest, like a delicate flower—
Oh, breathe on it softly—it dies in an hour.
She was much pleased, but seemed thoughtful, and once or twice in conversation checked herself, and corrected herself in the pronunciation of words that were difficult to her.

A few days afterwards., I called upon her, and upon being introduced to the parlour to wait for her appearance, I saw lying upon her table the following:
Memorandum on the Use of the Letter H.

Pronounce Herb 'Erb
Pronounce Heir 'Eir
Pronounce Honesty 'Onesty
Pronounce Honour Onour
Pronounce Hospital Ospital
Pronounce Hostler 'Ostler
Pronounce Hour 'Our
Pronounce Humour 'Umour
Pronounce Humble 'Umble
Pronounce Humility 'Umility


In all other cases the H is to be sounded when it begins a word.

Mem.—Be careful to sound the H slightly in such words as where, when, what, why—don't say were, wen, wat, wy.
I am happy to say that it is now a pleasure to hear Mrs. Hitching's conversation. I only hope that others may improve as she has done.

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Glass Manufacturing in England A.D. 1457.


216.  Conversation

There are many talkers, but few who know how to converse agreeably. Speak distinctly, neither too rapidly nor too slowly. Accommodate the pitch of your voice to the hearing of the person with whom you are conversing. Never speak with your mouth full. Tell your jokes, and laugh afterwards. Dispense with superfluous words—such as, "Well, I should think," etc.

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Tabacco Brought to England from Virginia A.D. 1588.


217.  The Woman who wishes her conversation to be agreeable

will avoid conceit or affectation, and laughter which is not natural and spontaneous, Her language will be easy and unstudied, marked by a graceful carelessness, which, at the same time, never oversteps the limits of propriety. Her lips will readily yield to a pleasant smile; she will not love to hear herself talk; her tones will bear the impress of sincerity, and her eyes kindle with animation as she speaks. The art of pleasing is, in truth, the very soul of good breeding; for the precise object of the latter is to render us agreeable to all with whom we associate—to make us, at the same time, esteemed and loved.

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Telescopes Invented in Germany A.D. 1590.


218.  Rudeness

We need scarcely advert to the rudeness of interrupting any one who is speaking, or to the impropriety of pushing, to its full extent, a discussion which has become unpleasant.

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219.  Pedantry

Some Men have a Mania for Greek and Latin quotations: this is peculiarly to be avoided. It is like pulling up the stones from a tomb wherewith to kill the living. Nothing is more wearisome than pedantry.

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220.  Proportion

If you feel your Intellectual Superiority to any one with whom you are conversing, do not seek to bear him down: it would be an inglorious triumph, and a breach of good manners. Beware, too, of speaking lightly of subjects which bear a sacred character.

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221.  Writing and Talking

It is a Common Idea that the art of writing and the art of conversation are one; this is a great mistake. A man of genius may be a very dull talker.

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222.  Interesting Conversation

The two grand modes of making your conversation interesting, are to enliven it by recitals calculated to affect and impress your hearers, and to intersperse it with anecdotes and smart things. Count Antoine Rivarol, who lived from 1757 to 1801, was a master in the latter mode.

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223.  Composition

If you would write to any purpose, you must be perfectly free from without, in the first place, and yet more free from within. Give yourself the natural rein; think on no pattern, no patron, no paper, no press, no public; think on nothing, but follow your own impulses. Give yourself as you are, what you are, and how you see it. Everyman sees with his own eyes, or does not see at all. This is incontrovertibly true. Bring out what you have. If you have nothing, be an honest beggar rather than a respectable thief. Great care and attention should be devoted to epistolary correspondence, as nothing exhibits want of taste and judgment so much as a slovenly letter. Since the establishment of the penny postage it is recognised as a rule that all letters should be prepaid; indeed, many persons make a point of never taking in an unpaid letter. The following hints may be worthy of attention:

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224.  Stamps

Always put a Stamp on your envelope, at the top, in the right-hand corner.

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225.  Direction

Let the Direction be written very plain; this will save the postman trouble, and facilitate business by preventing mistakes.

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226.  Postal District

If the Address be in London add the letters of the postal district in which it happens to be, for this also saves trouble in the General Post Office. Thus in writing to the publishers of "Enquire Within," whose house of business is in the East Central (E.C.) postal district, address your letter to Messrs. Houlston and Sons, Paternoster Square, London, E.C.

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227.  Heading

At the head of your Letter, in the right-hand corner, put your address in full, with the day of the month underneath; do not omit this, though you may be writing to your most intimate friend for the third or even the fourth time in the course of a day.

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228.  Subject

What you have to say in your Letter, say as plainly as possible, as if you were speaking; this is the best rule. Do not revert three or four times to one circumstance, but finish as you go on.

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229.  Signature

Let your signature be written as plainly as possible (many mistakes will be avoided, especially in writing to strangers), and without any flourishes, as these do not add in any way to the harmony of your letter. We have seen signatures that have been almost impossible to decipher, being a mere mass of strokes, without any form to indicate letters. This is done chiefly by the ignorant, and would lead one to suppose that they were ashamed of signing what they had written.

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230.  Crossing the Page

Do not cross your letters: surely paper is cheap enough now to admit of using an extra half-sheet, in case of necessity.

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231.  Return Envelope

If you write to a stranger for information, or on your own business, be sure to send a stamped envelope with your address plainly written; this will not fail to procure you an answer.

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232.  Good Materials

If you are not a good writer it is advisable to use the best ink, paper, and pens. For although they may not alter the character of your handwriting, yet they will assist to make your writing look better.

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233.  Clean and Neat

The paper on which you write should be clean, and neatly folded.

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234.  Stains

There should not be stains on the envelope; if otherwise, it is only an indication of your own slovenliness.

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235.  Individual Respect

Care must be taken in giving titled persons, to whom you write, their proper designations.

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236.  Addresses of Letters.

As this branch of epistolary correspondence is one of the most important, we subjoin a few additional hints which letter writers generally would do well to attend to.

  1. When writing several letters, place each in its envelope, and address it as soon as it is written. Otherwise awkward mistakes may occur, your correspondents receiving letters not intended for them. If there be a town of the same name as that to which you are writing existing in another county, specify the county which you mean or, the address. Thus, Richmond, Yorkshire.

  1. When the person to whom you are writing is visiting or residing at the house of another person, it is considered vulgar to put "at Mr. So-and-So's," but simply "Mr. So-and-So's," at being understood.

  1. It is more respectful to write the word "Esquire" in full. The —— substituted for initials is vulgar, and pardonable only in extreme cases; if the Christian name or initials of your correspondent do not occur to you at the moment, endeavour to ascertain them by inquiry.

  1. When addressing a gentleman with the prefix "Mr.," the Christian name or initials should always follow, being more polite, as well as avoiding confusion where persons of the same surname may reside in one house.

  1. In addressing a letter to two or more unmarried ladies, write "The Misses Johnson," and not "The Miss Johnsons;" and, lastly, always write an address clearly and legibly, so that it may not be delayed in delivery, nor be missent.


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237.   Addresses of Persons of Rank and Distinction1

238.  The Royal Family.

Superscription.—To the Queen's (King's) Most Excellent Majesty.

Commencement.—Most Gracious Sovereign; May it please your Majesty.

Conclusion.—I remain, with the profoundest veneration, Your Majesty's most faithful subject and dutiful servant.

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239.  Princes of the Blood Royal

  1. The Sons and Daughters, Brothers and Sisters, Uncles and Aunts of the Sovereign.—Sup.—To His (Her) Royal Highness the Prince of Wales (Princess Beatrice).
Comm.—Your Royal Highness.

Con.—I remain, with the greatest respect (I have the honour to be), your Royal Highness's most obedient servant.

  1. Other branches of the Royal Family.—Sup.—To His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge.
Comm.—Your Royal Highness.

Con.—I remain, with the greatest respect, your Royal Highness's most humble and obedient servant.

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240.  Nobility and Gentry.

  1. Duke or Duchess.—Sup.—To His Grace the Duke (Her Grace the Duchess) of Northumberland.
Comm.—My Lord Duke (Madam).

Con.—I have the honour to be, My Lord Duke (Madam), Your Grace's most devoted and obedient servant.

  1. Marquis or Marchioness.—Sup.—To the Most Honourable the Marquis (Marchioness) of Salisbury.
Comm.—My Lord Marquis (Madam).

Con.—I have the honour to be, My Lord Marquis, Your Lordship's (Madam, Your Ladyship's) most obedient and most humble servant.

  1. Earl or Countess.—Sup.—To the Right Honourable the Earl (Countess) of Aberdeen.
Comm.—My Lord (Madam).

Con.—I have the honour to be, My Lord, Your Lordship's (Madam, Your Ladyship's) most obedient and very, humble servant.

  1. Viscount or Viscountess.—Sup.—To the Right Honourable Lord Viscount (Lady Viscountess) Gough.
Comm. and Con. same as Earl's.

  1. Baron or Baroness.—Sup.—To the Right Honourable Lord (Lady) Rowton.
Comm. and Con. same as Earl's.

  1. Younger Sons of Earls, and all the Sons of Viscounts and Barons.—Sup.—To the Honourable Arthur Hamilton Gordon.
Comm.—Honoured Sir.

Con.—I have the honour to be, Honoured Sir, Your most obedient and very humble servant.

  1. Baronet and His Wife.—Sup.—To Sir Stafford Northcote, Bart. (Lady Northcote).
Comm.—Sir (Madam). Con.—I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most humble and obedient (Madam, Your Ladyship's most obedient and very humble) servant.

  1. Knight and his Wife.—Sup.—To Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott (Lady Truscott).
Comm. and Con. as preceding.

  1. Esquire.—This title is now accorded to every man of position and respectability, but persons entitled to superior consideration are distinguished by "&c., &c., &c.," added to their superscription.
The wives of Gentlemen, when several of the same name are married, are distinguished by the Christian name of their husbands, as Mrs. John Harvey, Mrs. William Temple.

  1. Privy Councillors.—These have the title of Right Honourable, which is prefixed to their name thus:
Sup.—To the Right Honourable William Ewart Gladstone, M. P.

Comm.—Sir.

Con.—I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient very humble servant.




Footnote 1:  Adapted from the "Dictionary of Daily Wants," published by Houlston and Sons, Paternoster Square, E.C., in one volume, half bound, at 7s. 6d., or in three separate volumes, cloth, each 2s. 6d.
return to footnote mark

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241.  The Clergy

  1. Archbishop.—Sup.—To His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Comm.—Your Grace.

Con.—I remain, Your Grace's most devoted obedient servant.

  1. Bishop.—Sup.—To the Right Reverend the Bishop of Winchester.
Comm.—Right Reverend Sir.

Con.—I remain, Right Reverend Sir, Your most obedient humble servant.

  1. Doctor of Divinity.—Sup.—To the Reverend James William Vivian, D.D., or, To the Reverend Dr. Vivian.
Comm.—Reverend Sir.

Con.—I have the honour to be, Reverend Sir, Your most obedient servant.

  1. Dean.—Sup.—To the Very Reverend The Dean of St. Paul's; or, To the Very Reverend Richard William Church, M.A., D.C.L., D.D., Dean of St. Paul's.
Comm.—Mr. Dean; or, Reverend Sir.

Con.—I have the honour to be, Mr. Dean (or Reverend Sir), Your most obedient servant.

  1. Archdeacon.—Sup.—To the Venerable Archdeacon Hessey, D.C.L.
Comm.—Reverend Sir.

Con.—I have the honour to remain, Reverend Sir, Your most obedient servant.

  1. Clergymen.—Sup.—To the Reverend Thomas Dale.
Com. and Con. same as the preceding.

  1. Clergymen with Titles.—When a Bishop or other Clergyman possesses the title of Right Honourable or Honourable, it is prefixed to his Clerical title, but Baronets and Knights have their clerical title placed first, as in the following examples:
Sup.—To the Right Honourable and Rigt Reverend the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Sup.—To the Honourable and Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Norwich.

Sup.—To the Right Honourable and Reverend Lord Wriothesley Russell, M.A.

Sup.—To the Honourable and Reverend Baptist Wriothesley Noel, M.A.

Sup.—To the Reverend Sir Henry R. Dukinfield, Bart, M.A.

No clerical dignity confers a title or rank on the wife of the dignitary, who is simply addressed Mistress, unless possessing a title in her own right, or through her husband, independently of his clerical rank.

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242.  Judges &c.

  1. Lord Chancellor. —Sup.—To the Right Honourable Roundell Palmer, Lord Selborne, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain.

  1. Master of the Rolls.—Sup.—To the Right Honourable the Master of the Rolls.

  1. Chief Justice.—Sup.—To the Right Honourable the Lord Chief Justice; or, the Right Honourable Lord Coleridge, Lord Chief Justice of England.
The Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas is addressed in the same form, and are all styled My Lord.

  1. Lords Justices of Appeal.—The Lords Justices of Appeal are Knights, and should be addressed thus:
Sup.—To the Right Honourable Sir W. Milbourne James, Knt.

  1. Judge of County Courts.—Sup.—To His Honour John James Jeffreys, Judge of County Courts.

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A Dirty Grate Makes Dinner Late.


243.  Officers of the Navy and Army.

  1. Naval Officers.—Admirals have the rank of their flag added to their own name and title thus:
Sup.—To the Honourable Sir Richard Saunders Dundas, Admiral of the White.

If untitled, they are simply styled Sir.

Commodores are addressed in the same way as admirals.

Captains are addressed either to "Captain William Smith, R.N.;" or if on service, "To William Smith, Esquire, Commander of H.M.S.—"

Lieutenants are addressed in the same way.

  1. Military Officers.—All officers in the army above Lieutenants, Cornets, and Ensigns, have their military rank prefixed to their name and title.
Sup.—To General Sir Frederick Roberts.

Subalterns are addressed as Esquire, with the regiment to which they belong, if on service.

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244.  Municipal Officers.

  1. Lord Mayor.—Sup.—To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor (The Lady Mayoress) of London, York, Dublin; The Lord Provost (The Lady Provost) of Edinburgh.
Comm.—My Lord (Madam).

Con.—I have the honour to be, my Lord, Your Lordship's (Madam, Your Ladyship's) most obedient humble servant.

  1. The Mayors of all Corporations, with the Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Recorder of London, are styled Right Worshipful; and the Aldermen and Recorder of other Corporations, as well as Justices of the Peace, Worshipful.

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245.  Ambassadors

Ambassadors have Excellency prefixed to the other titles, and their accredited rank added.

Sup.—To His Excellency Count Karolyi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from H.I.M. (His Imperial Majesty) The Emperor of Austria.

Sup.—To His Excellency The Right Honourable Earl of Dufferin, K.P., G.C.M.G., K.C.B., Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Sublime Ottoman Porte.

Comm.—My Lord.

Con.—I have the honour to be, My Lord, Your Excellency's Most humble obedient servant.

The wives of Ambassadors have also Excellency added to their other titles.

Envoys and Chargés d'Affaires are generally styled Excellency, but by courtesy only.

Consuls have only their accredited rank added to their names or titles, if they have any.

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246.   Addresses of Petitions

  1. Queen in Council.—All applications to the Queen in Council, the Houses of Lords and Commons, &c., are by Petition, as follows, varying only the title:
To the Queen's most Excellent Majesty in Council, The humble Petition of M.N., &c., showeth That your Petitioner.... Wherefore Your Petitioner humbly prays that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to.... And Your Petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

  1. Lords and Commons.—To the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal (To the Honourable the Commons) of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled.
The humble Petitioner &c. And your Petitioner [or Petitioners] will ever pray, &c.

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247.  To those who Write for the Press

It would be a great service to editors and printers if all who write for the press would observe the following rules. They are reasonable, and correspondents will regard them as such:

  1. write with black ink, on white paper, wide ruled.

  1. Make the pages or folios small, one-fourth of a foolscap sheet is large enough.

  1. Leave the second page of each leaf blank; or, in other words, write on one side of the paper only.

  1. Give to the written page an ample margin all round; or fold down the left hand side to the extent of one-fourth the width of the entire paper so as to leave a broad margin on the left side of the paper.

  1. Number the pages; in the order of their succession.

  1. Write in a plain, bold, legible hand, without regard to beauty of appearance.

  1. Use no abbreviations which are not to appear in print.


  1. Punctuate the manuscript as it should be printed.

  1. For italics underscore one line; for small capitals, two; capitals, three.

  1. Never interline without the caret (^) to show its place.

  1. Take special pains with every letter in proper names.

  1. Review every word, to be sure that none is illegible.

  1. Put directions to the printer at the head of the first page.

  1. Never write a private letter to the editor on the printer's copy, but always on a separate sheet.

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248.  Hints to those who have Pianofortes

  1. Damp is very injurious to a pianoforte; it ought therefore to be placed in a dry place, and not exposed to draughts.

  1. Keep your piano free from dust, and do not allow needles, pins, or bread to be placed upon it, especially if the key-board is exposed, as such articles are apt to get inside and produce a jarring or whizzing sound.

  1. Do not load the top of a piano with books, music, &c., as the tone is thereby deadened, and the disagreeable noise alluded to in the last paragraph is often produced likewise.

  1. Have your piano tuned about every two months; whether it is used or not, the strain is always upon it, and if it is not kept up to concert pitch it will not stand in tune when required, which it will do if it be attended to regularly.

  1. An upright instrument sounds better if placed about two inches from the wall.

  1. When not in use keep the piano locked.

  1. To make the polish look nice, rub it with an old silk handkerchief, being careful first of all to dust off any small particles, which otherwise are apt to scratch the surface.

  1. Should any of the notes keep down when struck, it is a sure sign that there is damp somewhere, which has caused the small note upon which the key works to swell.

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249.  Gardening Operations for the Year


250.  January.—Flowers of the Month.

Christmas Rose, Crocus, Winter Aconite, Alyssum, Primrose, Snowdrop.

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251.  Gardening Operations

In-door preparations for future operations must be made, as in this month there are only five hours a day available for out-door work, unless the season be unusually mild. Mat over tulip beds, begin to force roses. Place pots over seakale and surround them with manure, litter, dried leaves, &c. Plant dried roots of border flowers in mild weather. Take strawberries in pots into the greenhouse. Take cuttings of chrysanthemums and strike them under glass. Prune and plant gooseberry, currant, fruit, and deciduous trees and shrubs. Cucumbers and melons to be sown in the hot-bed. Apply manures to the soil.

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252.  February.—Flowers of the Month.

Snowdrop, Violet, Alyssum, Primrose.

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253.  Gardening Operations

Transplant pinks, carnations, sweet-williams, candy-tuft, campanulas, &c. Sow sweet and garden peas and lettuces, for succession of crops, covering the ground with straw, &c. Sow also Savoys, leeks, and cabbages. Prune and nail fruit trees, and towards the end of the month plant stocks for next year's grafting; also cuttings of poplar, elder, willow trees, for ornamental shrubbery. Sow fruit and forest tree seeds.

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254.  March.—Flowers of the Month

Primrose, Narcissus, Hyacinth, Wallflower, Hepatica, Daisy, Polyanthus.

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255.  Gardening Operations

Seeds of "spring flowers" to be sown. Border flowers to be planted out. Tender annuals to be potted out under glasses. Mushroom beds to be made. Sow artichokes, Windsor beans, and cauliflowers for autumn; lettuces and peas for succession of crops, onions, parsley, radishes, Savoys, asparagus, red and white cabbages, and beet; turnips, early brocoli, parsnips and carrots. Plant slips and parted roots of perennial herbs. Graft trees and protect early blossoms. Force rose-tree cuttings under glasses.

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256.  April.—Flowers of the Month.

Cowslip, Anemone, Ranunculus, Tulip, Polyanthus, Auricula, Narcissus, Jonquil, Wallflower, Lilac, Laburnum.

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257.  Gardening Operations

Sow for succession peas, beans, and carrots; parsnips, celery, and seakale. Sow more seeds of "spring flowers." Plant evergreens, dahlias, chrysanthemums, and the like, also potatoes, slips of thyme, parted roots, lettuces, cauliflowers, cabbages, onions. Lay down turf, remove caterpillars. Sow and graft camelias, and propagate and graft fruit and rose trees by all the various means in use. Sow cucumbers and vegetable marrows for planting out. This is the most important month in the year for gardeners.

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258.  May.—Flowers of the Month

Hawthorn, Gentianella, Anemone, Ranunculus, Columbine, Honeysuckle, Laburnum, Wistaria.

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259.  Gardening Operations

Plant out your seedling flowers as they are ready, and sow again for succession larkspur, mignonette, and other spring flowers. Pot out tender annuals. Remove auriculas to a north-east aspect. Take up bulbous roots as the leaves decay. Sow kidney beans, broccoli for spring use, cape for autumn, cauliflowers for December; Indian corn, cress, onions to plant out as bulbs next year, radishes, aromatic herbs, turnips, cabbages, savoys, lettuces, &c. Plant celery, lettuces, and annuals; thin spring crops; stick peas, &c. Earth up potatoes, &c. Moisten mushroom beds.

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260.  June.—Flowers of the Month

Water-lily, Honeysuckle, Sweet-william, Pinks, Syringa, Rhododendron, Delphinium, Stock.

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261.  Gardening Operations

Sow giant stocks to flower next spring. Take slips of myrtles to strike, pipings of pinks, and make layers of carnation. Put down layers and take cuttings of roses and evergreens. Plant annuals in borders, and place auriculas in pots in shady places. Sow kidney beans, pumpkins, cucumbers for pickling, and (late in the month) endive and lettuces. Plant out cucumbers, marrows, leeks, celery, broccoli, cauliflowers, savoys, and seedlings, and plants propagated by slips. Earth up potatoes, &c. Cut herbs for drying when in flower.

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262.  July.—Flowers of the Month

Rose, Carnation, Picotee, Asters, Balsams.

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263.  Gardening Operations

Part auricula and polyanthus roots. Take up summer bulbs as they go out of flower, and plant saffron crocus and autumn bulbs. Gather seeds. Clip evergreen borders and edges, strike myrtle slips under glasses. Net fruit trees. Finish budding by the end of the month. Head down espaliers. Sow early dwarf cabbages to plant out in October for spring; also endive, onions, kidney beans for late crop, and turnips. Plant celery, endive, lettuces, cabbages, leeks, strawberries, and cauliflowers. Tie up lettuces. Earth celery. Take up onions, &c., for drying.

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264.  August.—Flowers of the Month

Geranium, Verbena, Calceolaria, Hollyhock.

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265.  Gardening Operations

Sow annuals to bloom indoors in winter, and pot all young stocks raised in the greenhouse. Sow early red cabbages, cauliflowers for spring and summer use, cos and cabbage lettuce for winter crop. Plant out winter crops. Dry herbs and mushroom spawn. Plant out strawberry roots, and net currant trees, to preserve the fruit through the winter.

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266.  September.—Flowers of the Month

Clematis, or Traveller's Joy, Jasmine, Passion Flower, Arbutus.

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267.  Gardening Operations

Plant crocuses, scaly bulbs, and evergreen shrubs. Propagate by layers and cuttings of all herbaceous plants, currant, gooseberry, and other fruit trees. Plant out seedling pinks. Sow onions for spring plantation, carrots, spinach, and Spanish radishes in warm spots. Earth up celery. House potatoes and edible bulbs. Gather pickling cucumbers. Make tulip and mushroom beds.

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268.  October.—Flowers of the Month

Asters, Indian Pink, Chrysanthemum, Stock.

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269.   Gardening Operations

Sow fruit stones for stocks for future grafting, also larkspurs and the hardier annuals to stand the winter, and hyacinths and smooth bulbs in pots and glasses. Plant young trees, cuttings of jasmine, honeysuckle, and evergreens. Sow mignonette for pots in winter. Plant cabbages, &c., for spring. Cut down asparagus, separate roots of daisies, irises, &c. Trench, drain, and manure.

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270.  November.—Flowers of the Month

Laurestinus, Michaelmas Daisy, Chrysanthemum.

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271.  Gardening Operations

Sow sweet peas and garden peas for early flowers and crops. Take up dahlia roots. Complete beds for asparagus and artichokes. Plant dried roots of border flowers, daisies, &c. Take potted mignonette indoors. Make new plantations of strawberries, though it is better to do this in October. Sow peas, leeks, beans, and radishes. Plant rhubarb in rows. Prune hardy trees, and plant stocks of fruit trees. Store carrots, &c. Shelter from frost where it may be required. Plant shrubs for forcing. Continue to trench and manure vacant ground.

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272.  December.—Flowers of the Month

Cyclamen and Winter Aconite Holly berries are now available for floral decoration.

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273.  Gardening Operations

Continue in open weather to prepare vacant ground for spring, and to protect plants from frost. Cover bulbous roots with matting. Dress flower borders. Prepare forcing ground for cucumbers, and force asparagus and seakale. Plant gooseberry, currant, apple, and pear trees. Roll grass-plats if the season be mild and not too wet. Prepare poles, stakes, pea-sticks, &c., for spring.

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274.  Kitchen Garden

This is one of the most important parts of general domestic economy, whenever the situation of a house and the size of the garden will permit the members of a family to avail themselves of the advantages it offers. It is, indeed, much to be regretted that small plots of ground, in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis more especially, are too often converted into flower gardens and shrubberies, or used as mere play-grounds for children, when they might more usefully be employed in raising vegetables for the family. With a little care and attention, a kitchen garden, though small, might be rendered not only useful, but, in fact, as ornamental as a modern grass lawn; and the same expense incurred to make the ground a laboratory of sweets, might suffice to render it agreeable to the palate as well as to the olfactory nerves, and that even without offending the most delicate optics. It is only in accordance with our plan to give the hint and to put before the reader such novel points as may facilitate the proposed arrangement.

It is one objection to the formation of a kitchen garden in front of the dwelling, or in sight of the drawing-room and parlour, that its very nature makes it rather an eyesore than otherwise at all seasons. This, however, may be readily got over by a little attention to neatness and good order, for the vegetables themselves, if properly attended to, may be made really ornamental; but then, in cutting the plants for use, the business must be done neatly—all useless leaves cleared from the ground, the roots no longer wanted taken up, and the ravages of insects guarded against by sedulous extirpation. It will also be found a great improvement, where space will admit of it, to surround the larger plots of ground, in which the vegetables are grown, with flower borders stocked with herbaceous plants and others, such as annuals and bulbs in due order of succession, or with neat espaliers, with fruit trees, or even gooseberry and currant bushes, trained along them, instead of being suffered to grow in a state of ragged wildness, as is too often the case.

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A Waiting Appetite Kindles Many a Spite.


275.  Artificial Mushroom Beds

Mushrooms may be grown in pots, boxes, or hampers. Each box may be about three feet long, one and a half broad, and seven inches in depth. Let each box be half filled with manure in the form of fresh horse-dung from the stables, the fresher the better, but if wet, it should be allowed to dry for three or four days before it is put into the boxes. When the manure has been placed in the box it should be well beaten down. After the second or third day, if the manure has begun to generate heat, break each brick of mushroom spawn (which may be obtained from any seedsman) into pieces about three inches square, then lay the pieces about four inches apart upon the surface of the manure in the box; here they are to lie for six days, when it will probably be found that the side of the spawn next to the manure has begun to run in the manure below; then add one and a half inch more of fresh manure on the top of the spawn in the box, and beat it down as formerly. In the course of a fortnight, when you find that the spawn has run through the manure, the box will be ready to receive the mould on the top; this mould must be two and a half inches deep, well beaten down, and the surface made quite even.

In the space of five or six weeks the mushrooms will begin to come up; if the mould then seems dry, give it a gentle watering with lukewarm water. The box will continue to produce from six weeks to two months, if duly attended to by giving a little water when dry, for the mushrooms need neither light nor free air. If cut as button mushrooms each box will yield from twenty-four to forty-eight pints, according to the season and other circumstances. They may be kept in dry dark cellars, or any other places where the frost will not reach them. By preparing in succession of boxes, mushrooms may be had all the year through.—They may be grown without the manure, and be of a finer flavour. Take a little straw, and lay it carefully in the bottom of the mushroom box, about an inch thick, or rather more. Then take some of the spawn bricks and break them down—each brick into about ten pieces, and lay the fragments on the straw, as close to each other as they will lie. Cover them up with mould three and a half inches deep, and well pressed down. When the surface appears dry give a little tepid water, as directed for the mode of raising them described above, but this method needs about double the quantity of water that the former does, owing to having no moisture in the bottom, while the other has the manure. The mushrooms will begin to start in a month or five weeks, sometimes sooner, sometimes later, according to the heat of the place where the boxes are situated.

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Some Hours We Should Find for the Pleasures of the Mind.


276.  Dwarf Plants

The following method of producing miniature trees is taken from an article on this subject in Gardening Illustrated.
"Take an orange, and having cut a hole in the peel about the size of a shilling, take out the juice and pulp. Fill the skin thus emptied with some cocoa-nut fibre, fine moss, and charcoal, just stiffened with a little loam, and then put an acorn or a date stone, or the seed or kernel of any tree that it is proposed to obtain in a dwarfed form in this mixture, just about the centre of the hollow orange peel. Place the orange peel in a tumbler or vase in a window, and occasionally moisten the contents with a little water through the hole in the peel, and sprinkle the surface apparent through the hole with some fine woodashes. In due time the tree will push up its stem through the compost and the roots will push through the orange peel. The roots must then be cut off flush with the peel, and this process must be repeated at frequent intervals for about two years and a half. The stem of the tree will attain the height of four or five inches and then assume a stunted gnarled appearance, giving it the appearance of an old tree. When the ends of the roots are cut for the last time, the orange peel, which, curiously enough, does not rot, must be painted black and varnished."
The writer of the article saw this process carried out by a Chinaman that he had in his service, and the trees thrived and presented a healthy appearance for eight years, when the Chinaman left his employ and took the trees with him. He tried the plan which has been described but failed, but he was successful with an acorn and a datestone which were planted each in a thumb-pot in a mixture of peat and loam. The dwarfing was effected by turning the plants out of the pots at intervals of six weeks and pinching off the ends of the roots that showed themselves behind the compost. This shows that the production of dwarf plants is chiefly due to a constant and systematic checking of the root growth.

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277.  To Clear Rose Trees from Blight

Mix equal quantities of Sulphur and tobacco dust, and strew the mixture over the trees of a morning when the dew is on them. The insects will disappear in a few days. The trees should then be syringed with a decoction of elder leaves.

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278.  To prevent Mildew on all sorts of Trees

The best preventive against mildew is to keep the plant subject to it occasionally syringed with a decoction of elder leaves, which will prevent the fungus growing on them.

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279.  Your Friend the Toad

Toads are among the best friends the gardener has; for they live almost exclusively on the most destructive kinds of vermin. Unsightly, therefore, though they may be, they should on all accounts be encouraged; they should never be touched nor molested in any way; on the contrary, places of shelter should be made for them, to which they may retire from the burning heat of the sun. If you have none in your garden, it will be quite worth your while to search for them in your walks, and bring them home, taking care to handle them tenderly, for although they have neither the will nor the power to injure you, a very little rough treatment will injure them; no cucumber or melon frame should be without one or two.

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280.  Slugs and Snails

Slugs and snails are great enemies to every kind of garden plant, whether flower or vegetable; they wander in the night to feed, and return at daylight to their haunts. In order to catch them lay cabbage leaves about the ground, especially on the beds which they frequent. Every morning examine these leaves, and you will find a great many taking refuge beneath, and these may be killed by sprinkling them with a little lime or salt. These minerals are very annoying to snails and slugs; a pinch of salt kills them, and they will not touch fresh lime. It is a common practice to sprinkle lime over young crops, and along the edges of beds, about rows of peas and beans, lettuces and other vegetables; but when it has been on the ground some days, or has been moistened by rain, it loses its strength.

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Let the Ticking Clock Guide the Boiling Crock.


281.  Traps for Snails

Snails are particularly fond of bran; if a little is spread on the ground, and covered over with a few cabbage-leaves or tiles, they will congregate under them in great numbers, and by examining them every morning, and destroying them, their numbers will be materially decreased.

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282.  Grubs

Grubs on orchard trees, and gooseberry and currant bushes, will sometimes be sufficiently numerous to spoil a crop; but if a bonfire be made with dry sticks and weeds on the windward side of the orchard, so that the smoke may blow among the trees, you will destroy thousands; for the grubs have such an objection to smoke, that very little of it makes them roll themselves up and fall off: they must be swept up afterwards and destroyed.

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283.  Caterpillars and Aphides

A garden syringe or engine, with a cap on the pipe full of very minute holes, will wash away these disagreeable visitors very quickly. You must bring the pipe close to the plant, and pump hard, so as to have considerable force on, and the plant, however badly infested, will soon be cleared, without receiving any injury. Afterwards rake the earth under the trees, and kill the insects that have been dislodged, or many will recover and climb up the stems of the plants. Aphides may also be cleared by means of tobacco smoke, but after this has been applied the plant should be well syringed.

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284.  Butterflies and Moths

Butterflies and moths however pretty, are the worst enemies one can have in a garden; a single insect of this kind may deposit eggs enough to overrun a tree with caterpillars, therefore they should be destroyed at any cost of trouble.

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285.  Birds

To prevent destruction of fruit buds by birds.—Just before the buds are ready to burst, and again when they have begun to expand, give them a plentiful dusting with chimney soot. The soot is unpalatable to the birds, and they will attack no bush that is thus sprinkled. It in no way injures the nascent blossom or leaf, and is washed off in due course of time by the rain.

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286.  Wasps

Wasps destroy a good deal of fruit, but every pair of wasps killed in spring saves the trouble and annoyance of a swarm in autumn.

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287.  Cure for Sting of Wasp or Bee

A little ammonia applied to the puncture will speedily relieve the pain, and so will the juice of an onion obtained by cutting an onion in half and rubbing the cut part over the part affected. It is necessary, however, to be very careful in any attempt upon a wasp, for its sting, like that of the bee, causes much pain and frequently induces considerable swelling. In case of being stung, get the blue-bag from the laundry, and rub it well into the wound as soon as possible. Later in the season, it is customary to hang vessels of beer, or water and sugar, in the fruit-trees, to entice them to drown themselves. A wasp in a window may be killed almost instantaneously by the application of a little sweet oil on the tip of a feather.

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288.  To protect Dahlias from Earwigs

Dip a piece of wool or cotton in oil, and slightly tie it round the stalk, about a foot from the earth. The stakes which you will put into the ground to support your plants must also be surrounded by the oiled cotton or wool, or the insects will climb up them to the blossoms and tender tops of the stems. Insects may be prevented from climbing up stakes, trees, &c., by encircling them with a broad ring of tar, which may be renewed as often as may be necessary. Small pots inverted and placed on the top of stakes form a useful trap for slugs, snails, earwigs, &c., which crawl into them for shelter in the early morning, and may thus be caught and destroyed. When it is sought to take earwigs by this means, the bottom of each pot should be filled with a wisp of hay or dried grass, or a little cotton wool.

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289.  To free Plants from Leaf-Lice

The following is recommended as a cheap and easy mode of getting rid of this pest:—Mix one ounce of flowers of sulphur with one bushel of sawdust; scatter this over the plants infected with these insects: they will soon be freed, though a second application may possibly be necessary.

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290.  A Moral

I had a little spot of ground,
Where blade nor blossom grew,
Though the bright sunshine all around
Life-giving radiance threw.
I mourned to see a spot so bare
Of leaves of healthful green,
And thought of bowers, and blossoms fair,
I frequently had seen.

Some seeds of various kinds lay by—
I knew not what they were—
But, rudely turning o'er the soil,
I strewed them thickly there;
And day by day I watched them spring
From out the fertile earth,
And hoped for many a lovely thing
Of beauty and of worth.

But as I marked their leaves unfold
As weeds before my view,
And saw how stubbornly and bold
The thorns and nettles grew—
I sighed to think that I had done,
Unwittingly, a thing
That, where a beauteous bower should thrive,
But worthless weeds did spring.

And thus I mused; the things we do,
With little heed or ken,
May prove of worthless growth, and strew
With thorns the paths of men;
For little deeds, like little seeds,
May flowers prove, or noxious weeds!

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291.  Taking a House

Before taking a house, be careful to calculate that the rent is not too high in proportion to your means; for remember that the rent is a claim that must be paid with but little delay, and that the landlord has greater power over your property than any other creditor. It is difficult to assign any fixed proportion between income and rental to suit all cases, but a reasonable basis for the settlement of this point may be found in the assertion that while not less than one-tenth of a man's entire income need be set apart for rent, not more than a sixth, or at the very utmost a fifth should be devoted to this purpose, and this amount ought to include parochial rates and taxes.

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292.  Having determined the Amount of Rent

Having determined the amount of rent which you can afford to pay, be careful to select the best and most convenient house which can be obtained for that sum. And in making that selection let the following matters be carefully considered:

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293.  First—Carefully regard the Healthfulness of the Situation

Find out the nature of the sub-soil on which the house stands—for example, a gravel or chalk subsoil is better than a subsoil of clay, because the former admits of a speedy escape of the surplus water in time of heavy and continuous rain, while the latter does not. Avoid the neighbourhood of graveyards, and of factories giving forth unhealthy vapours. Avoid low and damp districts, the course of canals, and localities of reservoirs of water, gas works, &c. Make inquiries as to the drainage of the neighbourhood, and inspect the drainage and water supply of the premises. A house standing on an incline is likely to be better drained than one standing upon the summit of a hill, or on a level below a hill. Endeavour to obtain a position where the direct sunlight falls upon the house, for this is absolutely essential to health; and give preference to a house the openings of which are sheltered from the north and east winds.

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294.  Second—Consider the Distance of the House

Consider the distance of the house from your place of occupation: and also its relation to provision markets, and shops in the neighbourhood.

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295.  Examine the House in Detail

Having considered these material and leading features, examine the house in detail, carefully looking into its state of repair; notice the windows that are broken; whether the chimneys smoke; whether they have been recently swept; whether the paper on the walls is damaged, especially in the lower parts, and the corners, by the skirtings; whether the locks, bolts, handles of doors, and window fastenings are in proper condition; make a list of the fixtures; ascertain whether all rates and taxes have been paid by the previous tenant, and whether the person from whom you take the house is the original landlord, or his agent or tenant. And do not commit yourself by the signing of any agreement until you are satisfied upon all these points, and see that all has been done which the landlord may have undertaken to do, before you take possession of the house.

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A Blunt Knife Shows a Dull Wife.


296.  If you are about to Furnish a House

If you are about to furnish a house, buy merely enough to get along with at first, and add other things by degrees. It is only by experience that you can tell what will be the wants of your family. If you spend all your money, you will find you have purchased many things you do not actually want, and have no means left to get many things which you do want. If you have enough, and more than enough, to get everything suitable to your situation, do not think you must spend all, you may be able to lay out in furniture, merely because you happen to have it. Begin humbly. As riches increase, it is easy and pleasant to increase in comforts; but it is always painful and inconvenient to decrease. Neatness, tastefulness, and good sense may be shown in the management of a small household, and the arrangement of a little furniture, as well as upon a larger scale. The consideration which many purchase by living beyond their income, and, of course, living upon others, is not worth the trouble it costs. It does not, in fact, procure a man valuable friends, or extensive influence.

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297.  Carpets

In buying carpets, as in everything else, those of the best quality are cheapest in the end. As it is extremely desirable that they should look as clean as possible, avoid buying carpeting that has any white in it. Even a very small portion of white interspersed through the pattern will in a short time give a dirty appearance to the whole.

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298.  A Carpet in which all the Colours are Light

A carpet in which all the colours are light never has a clean, bright effect, from the want of dark tints to contrast and set off the light ones.

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299.  For a Similar Reason

carpets whose colours are all of what artists call middle tint (neither dark nor light), cannot fail to look dull and dingy, even when quite new.

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300.  For a Carpet to be really Beautiful

and in good taste, there should be, as in a picture, a judicious disposal of light and shadow, with a gradation of very bright and of very dark tints; some almost white, and others almost or quite black.

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301.  The Best Carpets

The most truly chaste, rich, and elegant carpets are those which are of one colour only, the pattern, if pattern it may be called, being formed by a judicious arrangement of every variety of shade of this colour. For instance, a Brussels carpet entirely red; the pattern formed by shades or tints varying from the deepest crimson (almost a black), to the palest pink (almost a white). Also one of green only, shaded from the darkest bottle-green, in some parts of the pattern, to the lightest pea-green in others. Or one in which there is no colour but brown, in all its various gradations, some of the shades being nearly black, others of a light buff.

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302.  The Curtains, Sofas, &c.

The curtains, sofas, &c., must be of corresponding colours, that the effect of the whole may be satisfactory to the eye.

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303.  Colours of Carpets.

Carpets of many gaudy colours are much less in demand than formerly. Two or three colours only, with the dark and light shades of each, make a very handsome carpet.

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304.  Hearth-Rug

If you cannot obtain a Hearth-rug that exactly corresponds with the carpet, get one entirely different; for a decided contrast looks better than a bad match. The hearth-rug, however, should reflect the colour or colours of the carpet if possible.

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305.  Sheepskin Rugs

Large rugs of sheepskin, in white, crimson, or black, form comfortable and effective hearth-rugs for a drawing-room or dining-room. In the winter these may be removed and an ordinary woollen rug laid down as long as fires are kept up.

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A Bad Broom Leaves a Dirty Room.


306.  Wallpaper

In choosing paper for a room, avoid that which has a variety of colours, or a large showy figure, as no furniture can appear to advantage with such. Large figured papering makes a small room look smaller, but, on the contrary, a paper covered with a small pattern makes a room look larger, and a striped paper, the stripes running from ceiling to floor, makes a low room look higher.

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307.  Kitchen Floors

The best covering for a kitchen floor is a thick unfigured oil-cloth, of one colour. Linoleum or kamptulicon is warmer to the feet than the ordinary painted oilcloth.

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308.  Family Tool Chests

Much inconvenience and considerable expense might be saved if it were the general custom to keep in every house certain tools for the purpose of performing at home what are called small jobs, instead of being always obliged to send for a mechanic and pay him for executing little things that, in most cases, could be sufficiently well done by a man or boy belonging to the family, if the proper instruments were at hand.

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309.  The Cost

The cost of these articles is very trifling, and the advantages of having them always in the house are far beyond the expense.

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310.  Example Contents

For instance, there should be an axe, a hatchet, a saw (a large wood saw also, with a buck or stand, if wood is burned), a hammer, a tack-hammer, a mallet, three or four gimlets and bradawls of different sizes, two screw-drivers, a chisel, a small plane, one or two jack-knives, a pair of large scissors or shears, and a carpet fork or stretcher.

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311.  Nails

Also an assortment of nails of various sizes, from large spikes down to small tacks, not forgetting some large and small brass-headed nails.

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312.  Screws

An assortment of screws, likewise, will be found very convenient, and iron hooks of different sizes on which to hang things.

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313.  Container

The nails and screws should be kept in a wooden box, made with divisions to separate the various sorts and sizes, for it is very troublesome to have them mixed.

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314.  Maintain Supply

And let care be taken to keep up the supply, lest it should run out unexpectedly, and the deficiency cause delay and inconvenience at a time when some are wanted.

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315.  Tool Closet

It is well to have somewhere, in the lower part of the house, a roomy light closet, appropriated entirely to tools, and things of equal utility, for executing promptly such little repairs as may be required from time to time, without the delay or expense of procuring an artisan. This closet should have at least one large shelf, and that about three feet from the floor.

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316.  Drawer

Beneath this shelf may be a deep drawer, divided into two compartments. This drawer may contain cakes of glue, pieces of chalk, and balls of twine of different size and quality.

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317.  Shelves

There may be shelves at the sides of the closet for glue-pots, paste-pots and brushes, pots for black, white, green, and red paint, cans of oil and varnish, paint-brushes, &c.

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318.  Hanging Tools

Against the wall, above the large shelf, let the tools be suspended, or laid across nails or hooks of proper size to support them.

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319.  More Effective.

This is much better than keeping them in a box, where they may be injured by rubbing against each other, and the hand may be hurt in feeling among them to find the thing that is wanted.

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320.  Visible

But when hung up against the back wall of the closet, of course each tool can be seen at a glance.

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321.  Organization

There is an excellent and simple contrivance for designating the exact places allotted to all these articles in a very complete tool closet.

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322.  Outlined Tools

On the closet wall, directly under the large nails that support the tools, is drawn with a small brush dipped in black paint or ink, a representation in outline of the tool or instrument belonging to that particular place.

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A Husband's Wrath Spoils the Best Broth.


323.  Examples of Outlining

For instance, under each saw is sketched the outline of that saw, under each gimlet a sketch of that gimlet, under the screw-drivers are slight drawings of screw-drivers.

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324.  Place Shown

So that when any tool that has been taken away for use is brought back to the closet, the exact spot to which it belongs can be found in a moment; and the confusion which is occasioned in putting tools away in a box and looking for them again when they are wanted, is thus prevented.

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325.  Wrapping Paper

Wrapping paper may be piled on the floor under the large shelf. It can be bought at a low price by the ream, at the large paper warehouses; and every house should keep a supply of it in several varieties. For instance, coarse brown paper for common purposes, which is strong, thick, and in large sheets, is useful for packing heavy articles; and equally so for keeping silks, ribbons, blondes, &c., as it preserves their colours.

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326.  Printed Papers

Printed papers are unfit for wrapping anything, as the printing ink rubs off on the articles enclosed in them, and also soils the gloves of the person that carries the parcel.

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327.  Waste Newspapers

Waste newspapers had best be used for lighting fires and singeing poultry. If you have accumulated more than you can use, your butcher or grocer will generally buy them of you if they are clean.

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328.  Waste Paper

Waste paper that has been written on, cut into slips, and creased and folded, makes very good allumettes or lamp-lighters. These matters may appear of trifling importance, but order and regularity are necessary to happiness.

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329.  Beds for the Poor.

Beech-tree leaves are recommended for filling the beds of poor persons. They should be gathered on a dry day in the autumn, and perfectly dried. It is said that the smell of them is pleasant and that they will not harbour vermin. They are also very springy.

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330.  To Preserve Tables

A piece of oilcloth (about twenty inches long) is a useful appendage to a common sitting-room. Kept in the closet, it can be available at any time, in order to place upon it jars, lamps, &c., whose contents are likely to soil your table during the process of emptying or filling them. A wing and duster are harmonious accompaniments to the oilcloth.

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331.  Protecting Gilt Frames

Gilt frames may be protected from flies and dust by pinning tarlatan over them. Tarlatan fit for the purpose may be purchased at the draper's. It is an excellent material for keeping dust from books, vases, wool work, and every description of household ornament.

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332.   Damp Walls

The following method is recommended to prevent the effect of damp walls on paper in rooms:—Line the damp part of the wall with sheet lead, rolled very thin, and fastened up with small copper nails. It may be immediately covered with paper. The lead is not to be thicker than that which is used to line tea-chests.

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333.  Another Method

Another mode of preventing the ill effects of damp in walls on wall-paper, is to cover the damp part with a varnish formed of naphtha and shellac, in the proportion of 1/4 lb. of the latter to a quart of the former. The smell of the mixture is unpleasant, but it wears off in a short time, and the wall is covered with a hard coating utterly impervious to damp, and to which the wall paper can be attached in the usual way.

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334.  No Wet Scouring In Winter

Bedrooms should not be scoured in the winter time, as colds and sickness may be produced thereby. Dry scouring upon the French plan, which consists of scrubbing the floors with dry brushes, may be resorted to, and will be found more effective than can at first be imagined. If a bedroom is wet scoured, a dry day should be chosen—the windows should be opened, the linen removed, and a fire should be lit when the operation is finished.

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A Wife's Art is Displayed in a Table Well Laid.


335.   To Get Rid of a Bad Smell in a Room Newly Painted.

Place a vessel full of lighted charcoal in the middle of the room, and throw on it two or three handfuls of juniper berries, shut the windows, the chimney, and the door close; twenty-four hours afterwards, the room may be opened, when it will be found that the sickly, unwholesome smell will be entirely gone. The smoke of the juniper berry possesses this advantage, that should anything be left in the room, such as; tapestry, &c., none of it will be spoiled.

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336.  Smell of Paint

To get rid of the smell of oil paint, let a pailful of water stand in the room newly painted.

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337.  Airing a Larder

If a larder, by its position, will not admit of opposite windows, a current of air should be admitted by means of a flue from the outside.

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338.  Keeping a Door Open

To keep a door open, place a brick covered neatly with a piece of carpeting against it, when opened sufficiently.

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339.  To Ascertain whether a Bed be Aired

Introduce a drinking glass between the sheets for a minute or two, just when the warming-pan is taken out; if the bed be dry, there will only be a slight cloudy appearance on the glass, but if not, the damp of the bed will collect in and on the glass and assume the form of drops—a warning of danger.

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340.  To prevent the Smoking of a Lamp

Soak the wick in strong vinegar, and dry it well before you use it; the flame will then burn clear and bright.

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341.  Encrusted Tea-Kettles

Water of every kind, except rain water, will speedily cover the inside of a tea-kettle with an unpleasant crust; this may easily be guarded against by placing a clean oyster-shell or a piece of stone or marble in the tea-kettle. The shell or stone will always keep the interior of the kettle in good order, by attracting the particles of earth or of stone.

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342.  To Soften Hard Water

To soften hard water. or purify river water, simply boil it, and then leave it exposed to the atmosphere.

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343.  Cabbage Water

Cabbage water should be thrown away immediately it is done with, and the vessel rinsed with clean water, or it will cause unpleasant smells.

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344.  Disinfectants

A little charcoal mixed with clear water thrown into a sink will disinfect and deodorize it. Chloride of lime and carbolic acid considerably diluted, if applied in a liquid form, are good disinfectants, and carbolic powder—a pink powder with a smell resembling tar, and sold at about 2d. per lb.—is both useful and effective. The air of a bedroom may be pleasantly sweetened by throwing some ground coffee on a fire shovel previously heated.

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345.  Chimney Smoking

Where a chimney smokes only when a fire is first lighted, it may be guarded against by allowing the fire to kindle gradually, or by heating the chimney by burning straw or paper in the grate previous to laying in the fire.

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346.  Ground Glass

The frosted appearance of ground glass may be very nearly imitated by gently dabbing the glass over with a paint brush dipped in white paint or any other oil colour. The paint should be thin, and but very little colour taken up at one time on the end of the bristles. When applied with a light and even touch the resemblance is considerable.

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347.  Oiling Clocks

Family clocks ought only to be oiled with the very purest oil, purified by a quart of lime water to a gallon of oil, in which it has been well shaken, and suffered to stand for three or four days, when it may be drawn off.

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348.  Neat Mode of Soldering

Cut out a piece of tinfoil the size of the surfaces to be soldered. Then dip a feather in a solution of sal ammoniac, and wet over the surfaces of the metal, then place them in their proper position with the tinfoil between. Put the metals thus arranged on a piece of iron hot enough to melt the foil. When cold the surfaces will be found firmly soldered together.

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Who Never Tries Cannot Win the Prize.


349.  Maps and Charts

Maps, charts, or engravings may be effectually varnished by brushing a very delicate coating of gutta-percha solution over their surface. It is perfectly transparent, and is said to improve the appearance of pictures. By coating both sides of important documents they can be kept waterproof and preserved perfectly.

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350.  Temperature of Furniture

Furniture made in the winter, and brought from a cold warehouse into a warm apartment, is very liable to crack.

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351.  Paper Fire-Screens

Paper fire-screens should be sized and coated with transparent varnish, otherwise they will soon become soiled and discoloured.

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352.  Pastilles for Burning

Cascarilla bark, eight drachms; gum benzoin, four drachms; yellow sanders, two drachms; styrax, two drachms; olibanum, two drachms; charcoal, six ounces; nitre, one drachm and a half; mucilage of tragacanth, sufficient quantity. Reduce the substances to a powder, and form into a paste with the mucilage, and divide into small cones; then put them into an oven, used quite dry.

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353.  Breaking Glass

Easy method of breaking glass to any required Figure.—Make a small notch by means of a file on the edge of a piece of glass, then make the end of a tobacco-pipe, or of a rod of iron of the same size, red hot in the fire, apply the hot iron to the notch, and draw it slowly along the surface of the glass in any direction you please: a crack will follow the direction of the iron.

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354.  Bottling and Fining

Corks should be sound, clean, and sweet. Beer and porter should be allowed to stand in the bottles a day or two before being corked. If for speedy use, wiring is not necessary. Laying the bottles on their sides will assist the ripening for use. Those that are to be kept should be wired, and put to stand upright in sawdust. Wines should be bottled in spring. If not fine enough, draw off a jugful and dissolve isinglass in it, in the proportion of half an ounce to ten gallons, and then pour back through the bung-hole. Let it stand a few weeks. Tap the cask above the lees. When the isinglass is put into the cask, stir it round with a stick, taking great care not to touch the lees at the bottom. For white wine only, mix with the isinglass a quarter of a pint of milk to each gallon of wine, some whites of eggs, beaten with some of the wine. One white of an egg to four gallons makes a good fining.

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355.  To Sweeten Casks

Mix half a pint of vitriol with a quart of water, pour it into the barrel, and roll it about; next day add one pound of chalk, and roll again. Bung down for three or four days, then rinse well with hot water.