to us, and in a moment or two the paper is laid aside with a smile on our lips-the news that blighted many lives forgotten! But if it comes within the charmed circle, how different our feelings!

On the other hand, how very little we know of the inner or deeper life of even those in our own little world. Romances, stranger than fiction, happen under our very eyes, and we do not see them. With hearts that are breaking men and women can go through the duties of every-day life, wearing calm and even smiling faces. He knew human nature well who wrote

What is there to tell us that such smiles are only on the surface? Nothing. So, is it not possible that the very advertisement that appealed to our feelings in the day's paper may have been inserted by some one living under the same roof with us!

We find some of the pseudonyms used by the advertisers are very transparent disguises, for instance, "Bocaj" (advertisements No. 355 and 363), read backwards, is simply Jacob. What an insight we get here into the writer's character. No one possessing a sly, crafty nature would have dictated an alias so apparent.

Many others are of the same transparent nature. In some cases numbers have been substituted for the letters of the alphabet, and are easily deciphered. Take, for example, advertisement No. 1561, which reads, “Z. Y. R. Let me send corre

spondence with rector of college; it will explain how things stand. I go abroad next month."

In some advertisements the alphabet is slightly altered. Instead of reading the letter B as printed, read C. Thus, "head" would read "if be." An advertisement of this description is found on June 23rd, 1864 (No. 1387)—"Alexander Rochfort reported dead. I saw you yesterday. Moate vainly searched ten years." The same rule applies to advertisement No. 1454, the meaning of which is, "Bone to first joint taken out yesterday-chloroform-régimes alone prevented me fulfilling my promise to you-Myosotis-May 3rd.”

In advertisements No. 1701 and 1705 the alphabet is again altered, and this time more ingeniously. Instead of the letter written supply the second following. Thus we read in the first, "Umbrella. Dear Fanny, meet your distracted friend beneath the willow by the lake. Row under the stars. Common sea-breezes. Feather-weight. Yours, Bicycle." The advertisement preceding it is most intricate, and reads, "Wrote you to-day. Will the letter ever reach. Love beyond telling, purely and true. Inraptured (sic) with love, darling. No sleep that night." The spelling of this is so incorrect that it was most probably inserted by an illiterate individual. Advertisements No. 1247, 1248, 1249, 1250 are all from the same source, and the writers have very cleverly transposed the whole alphabet. My readers will find that they have begun their alphabet at the letter L. Thus L reads

A; M, B; N, C, and so on through the twenty-six letters. For example, we read in advertisement No. 1247, "On Tuesday I sent letter to Byrne for you. May I speak fully on all matters at the interview? It may do good. Trust to my love. I am miserable. When may I go to Canterbury, if only to look at you?"

In advertisements No. 1650, 1651, 1660, 1666, 1670, 1680, 1681, 1696, 1697, 1698, 1702, and 1703 we go back to the simpler style of disguise, namely, that of reading the letter that follows the one written. Advertisement No. 1650 consequently reads, "O. Y. is ill. Do not like to leave yet. How long notice would you want? Very kind thoughts." Frankenstein, in advertisements 1734, 1735, 1739, and 1747, has chosen a disguise so clever and deep that I do not think his communications would be easily detected; and for those of my readers who possess only a small amount of patience and a large. amount of curiosity, I give the translation of the first of them.

"Three, four, five, six, yes to all, be cautious. anywhere even in German in case of seizure or stoppage, omit signature W for the present, twig for safety any letter to me, safe here, trust me, I will never give you up, never darling, put plenty of love in your letters."

No. 1764 and 1765 are very much of the same description-clever, deep, and remarkable for the same want of method in transposing the alphabet,. and when read are worthy of the cunning nature.

that devised such a disguise. As the translation is a very tedious business and would require a large amount of patience and perseverance I give them both No. 1764--"Very vexed at angry part of your letter. Why not take interest in your appearance ? Heiress be damned. Have more trust. Shall always remain as usual yours only. V." No. 1765-"On prowl and near game. Party scrofulous but got the brass. Parker!! Family very soft and come from Leeds. Make inquiries. Trust is broken reed ready wanted to swagger withal (sic). Help Jones usually. V."

Advertisement No. 1731 is equally mysterious and clever; the alphabet commences at the letter N as in advertisement No. 1247, but is rendered more obscure by the use of capital letters, and after having deciphered the letters the sentence has to be divided into words; my readers will then find it reads thus: "You only till death letter for you Sunday night."

I think after all the examples I have given that no one will have much difficulty in deciphering for themselves advertisements No. 1762 and 1767 in which "Nellie" addressed herself to "Darling Alf." Any construction might be put on her simple message, but "I will be at the Great Western Hotel at six on Wednesday" gives one the idea of a runaway match, and this idea seems to be confirmed in the second advertisement, No. 1767, in which she says, "Everything sacred as the grave" (query, did she not mean silent?), and asks for £5 to defray expenses.

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 one 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.

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