DEAR SUN SPOTS: I found a cane in the Walmart parking lot around Dec. 8. I picked it up and have it here at my home. Please call me if it belongs to you. You may contact me at 783-2324 and I’ll be happy to arrange to return it to you.

— No name, no town

ANSWER: It’s great that you thought to contact Sun Spots about this found item. Over the years, Sun Spots has reconnected many things to their owners!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Where can I purchase a violin for a 4-5 year-old child? I can be contacted at 795-6460.

— Sheila, Lewiston

ANSWER: The folks at Main Street Music at 134 Main St. in Auburn (376-3376) and Frost Gully Violins in Brunswick (373-1842) will be able to help you make the perfect purchase for your budding violinist. Two of my family members play and it’s such a joy to listen to their beautiful music. A violin, or any musical instrument, has the ability to completely change a child’s life. It’s a wonderful investment.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’d like to find a past obituary in the Sun Journal. How do I go about doing that?

— Joseph, no town

ANSWER: Go to the web site, https://stage.sunjournal.com/obituaries/ and you will be able to do a search. You should be able to also simply put the person’s name and town in Google search to obtain the information you’re looking for.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have always loved the quote attributed to Louisa May Alcott, “She is too fond of books and it has addled her brain.” For Christmas I got a locket with the inscribed quote, “She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain.” I want to know which is the true, original quote. — Karen, no town

ANSWER: The second quote you refer to is the correct quote. It comes from Alcott’s 1873 novel, “Work: A Story of Experience” and is said about the main character in the story, Christie, in the second chapter by the character Mrs. Horatio Stuart.

This line written by the well-loved author has been misquoted for years, perhaps because the word “addled” does sound more humorous and interesting. The incorrect quote has been seen on sweatshirts, reading blogs, and even in newspapers.

In a later book of Alcott’s titled, “Jo’s Boys, and How They Turned Out,” which was an 1886 sequel to “Little Men,” Alcott wrote, “If you shake your head in that violent way, you’ll addle what brains you have got; and I’d take care of ’em, if I were you. So you can see that “addled” was part of her vocabulary. For all of you who love Louisa, do your best to set the record straight!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: We were guests at a new friend’s house over the holidays and were served an English trifle dessert containing fruit cocktail. We’re wondering why this mixed fruit from a can is referred to as “cocktail.”

ANSWER: Fruit cocktail, made with small pieces of mixed fruit, was originally thought up as an “appetizer” to be enjoyed before an entrée. The idea is similar to shrimp cocktail. William Vere Cruess of the University of California, Berkeley, and Herbert Gray of the Barron-Gray Packing Company of San Jose, California, have been credited with its invention.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com

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