To tlie Editor of ' The Observer.'

Oxford Observer, Volume 1, Issue XXX, 8 February 1890, Page 4

To tlie Editor of ' The Observer.'

Sin. — In your issue of the 18th ult., I perceive a letter signed " Micawber." The pompous verbosity and polysyllabic style m which his first few remarks are couched, induced me to think that the letter emanated from some very high dignitary m the Education Department ; but, on further perusal, I was constrained to modify this opinion, and content myself with the consolation that /• Mi-

cawber " can be no other than some schoolmaster who won his spims-the right to wear the academic cap and bells and mount the three mystic brass letters, viz., the third, first, and fourth of the Roman Alphabet. I find, however, that I have still mounted him too high m the pigskin of social life, and have raised his choler (is my orthography correct, Mr Editor, or should I have spel ed it collar, as m horse-collar or dog-collar ?) by my allusion to fiithy lucre, which is evidently a sore subject with him. Indeed, the further I progress m replying to his letter the lower he sinks m my estimation, as I ihink it doubtful that he could be so conservant with the inner life of ''Salus populi lex suprema ' had he not been unfortunately permitted by misplaced hospitality and friendship, to acquire the information which he does not hesitate to publish to the world. Then his aliusion to diet are, to say the least, m bad and vulgar taste. Life is full of vicissitudes ; for ex- ; ample, one man by dint of patience may catch a big eel ; another, by reason of impatience and turbulent spirit, may lose a good billet. Either will influence the diet -the former pleasantly, the latter far otherwise, the probability being that both the quantity and quality of the diet will be injuriously affected, not to speak of the temper and' digestion. "Micawber's" versatility now breaks out m a fresh place, and he interlards his opinion about the intellect with some very literal translations of a few Latin proverbs which he has evidently copied from some cheap vocabulary, and are unworthy of further notice ; but, with regard to the intellect, I may remind him that " the " is the definite article, which, when placed before a noun, denotes some particular thing, and, m order to give examples which will be familiar to the bucolic Sixth Standard, let us say the professor, the bullock-puncher, the bush-whacker, &o. ; but, as "Micawber" seems to prefer the word " intellect" for his illustration, let us by all means say " Mioawber's " intellect, which he can amuse himself by improving, while, like his prototype, he is " waiting for something to turn up." 13ut I can go no fuither, for my paper curls up at the edges m protest, my pen has made a dead stand and spurts the ink into my face m rebellion at the unpleasant task I have set it, while the blotting paper (not to be pressed into such a service) has fluttered into a corner where it blushes with honest indignation. Under the pressure, therefore of the generalstrike, I am compelled to take leave of " Mieawber," begging him to remember that Nemo me impune lacessit.