21 FEBRUARY 1903, Page 16

[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."

StR,—The practice referred to by Mr. Murray in the Spectator of February 14th of manufacturing verbs out of adjectives, &c., is a very common one in childhood. Only yesterday when my little girls were playing with a toy hospital one of them said to the other: "This child seems to be suffering from 'cute neuralgia in the eyelashes; bettn't we give it a dose of cough lozenges ? " Again, in speaking of two china dogs, she said: " Castor' and Pollux ' look languid this morning ; bettn't they have a bath " Her sister observed to me just now : " What a noise you did make tintacking with that hammer ! " " Had not we better," or " they had better," sounds very awkward and cumbersome compared to the brief and convenient " bettn't."—I am, Sir, &c., MARY BURFORD.