Blackheath.
_The Letter "h" in "humble."_--I was always taught in my childhood to sink
the _h_ in this word, and was confirmed in this habit by the usage of all
the well-educated people that I met in those days, as also by the authority
of every pronouncing dictionary in the English language: and to this day
hear many people quite as well educated, and of as high station in all but
literary society, as Mr. Dickens, use the same pronunciation; but this
eminent writer has thought fit of late to proscribe this practice as far as
in him lies, by making it the Shibboleth of two of the meanest and vilest
characters in his works. I should like to know whether the aspiration of
this letter is due to Mr. D.'s London birth and residence, or whether it
has become of late the general usage of good society. If the latter, it is
clear that a new edition of _Walker_ is required for the benefit of such as
have no wish to be confounded with the "Heeps."
Your late Numbers have given some curious instances of Cockney and other
rhymes. I am sorry to see that the offensive _r_ not only appears to be
gaining ground in poetry, but also in the mouths of many whose station and
education might have been supposed to preserve them from this vulgarism. If
the masters of our great schools took as much pains with their pupils'
pronunciation of English, as with that of Latin and Greek, we should hear
less of this.