MYRTLE (_Writing_).—If by writing you mean copying, you would certainly not earn a living by such means; and if, on the other hand, you mean literary work, you will need to obtain a better education than most girls have at your age of 16½. You can hardly be expected to earn a living without being taught any special kind of work. But many occupations can be learnt without great expense. You could learn, for instance, cookery or dairy-work at some of the County Council classes; or you could be trained as an elementary school teacher, after passing the Queen’s Scholarship Examination. The Post Office branch of the Civil Service is also worth considering, especially as you write a good clear hand, and are fond of any occupation that entails writing. In any case it would be worth while to try to pass the examination. Probably some Board School teacher in your neighbourhood would coach you for it out of school hours, if there is no institution in your neighbourhood that you could attend for the purpose. MISCELLANEOUS. SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER.—The passage to which you refer is easily explained (“Put Thou my tears into Thy bottle,” Psalm lvi. 8). The practice of preserving tears in bottles is of very ancient Eastern origin. It was done in Egypt as elsewhere, and it exists down to the present day in Persia. In that country it constitutes an important item of funeral ceremonials, when every mourner is presented with a sponge with which to mop the eyes and cheeks; and after the burial is over, these are taken by a priest, who squeezes the tears into a bottle. These sacred tears of mourners are supposed to possess healing properties, and to be more efficacious than any means of cure for several forms of Persian diseases. MINKA.—There have been such terrible and fatal accidents from using preparations of petroleum for the hair that it is illegal to employ it in this country. “Koko” is a patent, and of it we have had no personal experience. A. POODRIDGE.—As we have often told inquirers, “pouring oil on troubled waters” is not a quotation—it is an existing fact; and the use of oil for this purpose obtains at sea. Only a week or two ago oil was employed on the Channel to enable passengers to land. THRIFTLESS.—We think that the United Sisters Friendly Society would suit you. It was founded some years ago in order to enable women dependent on their earnings to make provision for sickness and old age, and to secure at death a sum of money for burial expenses. All women of good health and character between the ages of sixteen and forty-five are eligible for membership; also the Work and Leisure Court, No. 15. For both of these, address Miss Edith M. Maskell, 7c, Lower Belgrave Street, London, S.W. The names of the Trustees of these two Societies are a sufficient guarantee for their stability and honesty.