In the evening, after returning home, we were sitting by the fire, and felt comfortable and chatty, when I proposed to Mrs.

Hitching the following Enigma, the author of which had favoured me with a copy of it: -

The Vide Vorld you may search, and my fellow not find; I dwells in Wacuum, deficient in wind; In the Wisage I'm seen - in the Woice

I am heard, And yet I am 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 Vurs - I'm foremost in Wice, tho' 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 Wenison 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 it 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'm 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. Tho' '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 hark, 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 'Effer, but partly a Hox. Of Heternity Hi 'm the beginning! And mark, Though I goes not with Noar, I'm first in the Hark. I'm never in 'Ealth - have with Fysic no power; [ dies in a month but comes back in a

Hour !

I noticed during the progress of this enigma, in reciting which I ventured to emphasize the misplaced h's as much as possible, that occasional blushes and smiles passed over Mrs. Hitching's fact After it was finished there was a pause of some minutes. At last she said "Very good, very clever. ' She carefully avoided using any word in which the h, hard or soft, was required. i saw slie was timid, and I then dete-mined to complete the task 1 had lie-gun, by repeating the following enigma by Byron, upon the same letter: -

"T was whispered in heaven, it was muttered in hell, And echo caught faintly the sound as it fell: 0n the confines of earth 't was permitted to rest, And the depths of the ocean its presence confessed. 'T will be found in the sphere when 't is 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. 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. 'T will not soften the heart, and tho 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 conver sation checked herself, and corrected her pronunciation of words that were difficult to her.

A few days afterwards I called upon her, and upon being introduced to the parlourr to wait for her appearance, saw lying upon her table the following MEMORANDUM UPON THE USE OF THE LETTER H.

Pronounce - Herb,

" Heir,

" Honesty,

" Honour,

" Hospital,

" Hostler,

" Hour,

" "Humour,

" Humble,

" Humility,

'Erb.

'Eir.

'Onesty.

'Onour.

'Ospital.

'Ostler.

'Our.

'Umour.

'Umble.

'Umility.

In all other cases 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.