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We come across a somewhat curious case in advertisements No. 694, 702, 708, 710, 713, and 715: a young lady, evidently in love, and separated from the object of her affections, wrote to the "Agony Column" under the name of "Puisque" (No. 694); she received no answer, so advertised again twice (No. 702 and 708), and was evidently under a strong impression that her lover was suffering from illness. After a few days an answer appeared, headed "Puisque" (710), but the writer desired her to advertise again, addressing her correspondent by his own initials. We find in advertisement No. 713 that the lady suspected the fraud, and then her genuine lover advertised (715) to tell her that the former one (710) had not been inserted by him. There is little doubt that some interested in keeping them apart had detected the advertisement, and under the common impression that "all is fair in love and war" had laid aside all scruples-if he or she ever possessed any-to serve his or her own ends. This is not the only case of mistaken identity; we find in advertisement No. 1065 that the writer was in doubt as to whether the one he was answering was intended for him or not.

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After a very careful investigation I think the romantic pair who advertised for some time under the disguise of "Does he repent" (advertisements No. 923, 924, 925, and 926) were either found out or afraid of detection, as they altered their names twice; the first time to "Rose" and "Weed," and

again to "Blue bell" and "Lochinvar" (advertisements No. 962 and 963). "Constantia" also appears to have had a part in this plot (advertisement No. 969); probably she played the part of “gobetween." Advertisements No. 1181, 1183, and one or two others are quite legible when read backwards. After the number of sentimental advertisements, which certainly form the greater number in the Agony Column, it is rather a relief to find a few ludicrous specimens, such as "Jolly to Rummy' (advertisement No. 1166); "Portmanteau to Pack" (advertisement No. 1180); "Little Silly" (advertisement No. 1216); "He has sneezed, etc." (No. 1258); and a splendid antidote to all sentimentality is expressed in the sarcasm of advertisement No. 1237: "Fred. All right. I sympathize with your pain, but why not seek consolation where you cannot find it, and in a way that pains me? Write as usual. Trust Ever."

Amongst the number of advertisements that I have passed over in silence there are many, I have little doubt, that might be classed under the head of stratagems, that is to say, they are inserted with a view of deceiving those to whom they are addressed. For instance, how often do we read nowadays: "John Smith will hear something to his advantage if he applies in person to Tom Jones, Brown Street." But in all probability the same said John Smith will find that if he gratifies his curiosity by visiting Mr. Jones at the place named, in the hope of finding a fortune has been left to

him, he will find it would have been decidedly more to his advantage had he suppressed his curiosity and remained at home.

Nor is a hoax by any means an uncommon thing in the "Agony Column." There is a story-American, of course-of a man whose wife deserted him; but instead of running after her and begging her to come back, he published in the leading daily paper that he had drawn fifty thousand dollars in the lottery; and the story goes that she returned immediately. Needless to state that the prize in the lottery only existed in the ingenious man's imagination.

Lastly, I must draw the attention of my readers to the two most remarkable series of advertisements, in my opinion, that have appeared during the present century, though I feel sure that all who honour my pages with a careful perusal will not fail to notice them without any remark of mine.

The first series are those signed with the initials E. W., then E. J. W., and latterly with the writer's full address-E. J. Wilson, Ennis, Ireland. His advertisements are headed by such a variety of names that, at first sight, we are apt to be misled, and do not think of connecting the writer of " Rouge et Noir" with that of "Indigo Blue" or "To the Equator." Nevertheless they are all from the same source, as well as those headed "The Writer of the Anonymous Letter," "Battledore and Shuttlecock," "Flybynight," "Egypte," " Anchor," "Circumspice,"

"Au Simulacre," "Decimals to Cheops," "To Contre Coup," "Tribe," "Two Hundred Pounds Reward," "Nicht eine Million," "Nicht Zwei Millonen," "Double Fin," "Leb! Wohl," "Poverty and Honour," "Spurs and Skirts," "A La Croix Rouge," "To the Counterfeit," "Alpha the First," "To St. James," "The Key," "The Pillar," " Honest Alexis," "Hide and Seek," "To a Christian,” “X Cheops X," "X Tribe X," "X Blue Eyes X," "X Gamins X," "My dearest Alice," etc., some of which are signed "Cygne," others "Egypte," and the rest with the initials of name in full. His first advertisement (No. 245) appeared in 1851, and from that date they appeared continually during a period of six years. They ceased for a time, but commenced again in the year 1857. He seems to have been an unfortunate man, and evidently lost not only his fortune, but his daughter Alice, and his numerous appeals in the "Agony Column" are a curious mixture of business complications and entreaties for his lost child's return. That his child was not lost by accident, but stolen by some one of evil intent, cannot fail to be apparent to even the most careless of my readers. cannot help feeling an amount of sympathy with this unfortunate writer as we read advertisements No. 995, 1001, and 1034, in which we learn what a large share of anxiety and suffering fell to his lot. The last of his advertisements appeared in 1870 (No. 1753), but unfortunately we cannot learn from its contents whether or not the tide of misfortune had turned for him at last.

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The other remarkable series of advertisements towhich I alluded are those signed "J. de W." There is little doubt that mankind inherited a large amount of curiosity from our mother Eve; therefore advertisements, written in the ordinary intelligent manner, though they may be full of interest. and amusement, do not strike us as forcibly as those couched in an unintelligible style like the ones to which I am now referring, and simply from the fact that we are unable to read them. For five years "J. de W.'s" advertisements appeared on or about the first of every month, commencing March 1st, 1850; and, as we follow them, we can conjure up for ourselves the stirring history and. romance of a lifetime. It is somewhat difficult to determine whether or not the advertisements, written in the same type and signed "A. B. C.," are answers to the others. It is quite possible that "J. de W." might be able to receive letters without interference, but had no means of sending them without detection, and was therefore reduced to the medium of the Times. It seems quite impossible that any man, though possessed of unbounded faith and perseverance, would have struggled against fate so long. Would he not have given up in despair years before he did? So I think we may conclude that the messages signed "J. de W." and "A. B. C." are answers one to the other.

I have been able to show so many different ways in which our simple alphabet can be changed to form a language that will defy a large majority of

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