Part 3

"I am very glad to hear that, my boy; but don't think any more about it just now," was the response, and filling his pipe, wreaths of smoke began to play about the old man's head.

"It is a great pity that a lad of your talent should waste any time, Felix, and if you are willing, I think your father will let me give you drawing lessons."

Felix could hardly believe his ears.

"To be sure, you will have to apply yourself more diligently, be prompt and industrious, or all the lessons in the world won't make a man of you."

"I'll try," said Felix, though a mist was in his eyes.

"That's right," said the Professor, and then he opened some great volumes full of pictures, and the boy gazed in delighted wonder at a world more beautiful than his dreams. Not an allusion did the Professor make again to anything that had happened during the day.

When evening was over, and he courteously bade him good-night, Felix was dazed, and went home with light steps to his little bed.

As soon as Turk woke him next morning he sprang up with alacrity, and would have been off with the dawn to water his rose-bush, but his father detained him.

"Felix," said he, somewhat sternly, "the master says there's good stuff in you if you'll use it. Come here and eat your breakfast before you go, and let me hear what you have to say for yourself."

"I'll try," was the sum and substance of Felix's talk over his brown bread and milk.

* * * * *

Ten years after this there was a great celebration in the town, for the cathedral was finished. Cannon thundered, bells pealed, and a grand "Te Deum" was chanted to the rolling rhythm of the magnificent organ.

A group of visitors standing near a certain pillar of great beauty were applauding it, while they complimented a young architect and sculptor, whose work it was. His head was modestly bent as he received the commendation, but in a moment he raised it, and turning to a very old man in a professor's gown, whose hair was white with the snows of many winters, he took him by the hand and presented him to the visitors.

"Gentlemen, this is the person you must thank for the pillar. Whatever beauty it possesses, whatever expression it is of truth and religion, is due to my master, whose kindness rescued me from idleness, whose skill directed my youthful efforts."

SLUMBER SONG.

Sleep, little daughter! Ay, chill is the weather, But we in our cottage Are cheerful together. Father is sailing Across the wild water; Father in heaven Smiles down on my daughter!

Sleep, little daughter! The wind is abating; Father is sailing, And mother is waiting. Soon he will come, In the soft sunny weather; Father in heaven Will bring us together.

A STEAM CHAIR.

BY JIMMY BROWN.

I don't like Mr. Travers as much as I did. Of course I know he's a very nice man, and he's going to be my brother when he marries Sue, and he used to bring me candy sometimes, but he isn't what he used to be.

One time--that was last summer--he was always dreadfully anxious to hear from the Post-office, and whenever he came to see Sue, and he and she and I would be sitting on the front piazza, he would say, "Jimmy, I think there must be a letter for me; I'll give you ten cents if you'll go down to the Post-office"; and then Sue would say, "Don't run, Jimmy; you'll get heart-disease if you do"; and I'd walk 'way down to the Post-office, which is pretty near half a mile from our house. But now he doesn't seem to care anything about his letters; and he and Sue sit in the back parlor, and mother says I mustn't go in and disturb them; and I don't get any more ten cents.

I've learned that it won't do to fix your affections on human beings, for even the best of men won't keep on giving you ten cents forever. And it wasn't fair for Mr. Travers to get angry with me the other night, when it was all an accident--at least 'most all of it; and I don't think it's manly for a man to stand by and see a sister shake a fellow that isn't half her size, and especially when he never supposed that anything was going to happen to her even if it did break.

When Aunt Eliza came to our house the last time, she brought a steam chair; that's what she called it, though there wasn't any steam about it. She brought it from Europe with her, and it was the queerest sort of chair, that would all fold up, and had a kind of footstool to it, so that you put your legs out and just lie down in it. Well, one day it got broken. The back of the seat fell down, and shut Aunt Eliza up in the chair so she couldn't get out, and didn't she just howl till somebody came and helped her! She was so angry that she said she never wanted to see that chair again, "And you may have it if you want it Jimmy for you are a good boy sometimes when you want to be."

So I took the chair and mended it. The folks laughed at me, and said I couldn't mend it to save my life; but I got some nails and some mucilage, and mended it elegantly. Then mother let me get some varnish, and I varnished the chair, and when it was done it looked so nice that Sue said we'd keep it in the back parlor. Now I'm never allowed to sit in the back parlor, so what good would my chair do me? But Sue said, "Stuff and nonsense that boy's indulged now till he can't rest." So they put my chair in the back parlor, just as if I'd been mending it on purpose for Mr. Travers. I didn't say anything more about it; but after it was in the back parlor I took out one or two screws that I thought were not needed to hold it together, and used them for a boat that I was making.

That night Mr. Travers came as usual, and after he had talked to mother awhile about the weather, and he and father had agreed that it was a shame that other folks hadn't given more money to the Michigan sufferers, and that they weren't quite sure that the sufferers were a worthy object, and that a good deal of harm was done by giving away money to all sorts of people, Sue said:

"Perhaps we had better go into the back parlor; it is cooler there, and we won't disturb father, who wants to think about something."

So she and Mr. Travers went into the back parlor, and shut the door, and talked very loud at first about a whole lot of things, and then quieted down, as they always did.

I was in the front parlor, reading _Robinson Crusoe_, and wishing I could go and do likewise--like Crusoe, I mean; for I wouldn't go and sit quietly in a back parlor with a girl, like Mr. Travers, not if you were to pay me for it. I can't see what some fellows see in Sue. I'm sure if Mr. Martin or Mr. Travers had her pull their hair once the way she pulls mine sometimes, they wouldn't trust themselves alone with her very soon.

All at once we heard a dreadful crash in the back parlor, and Mr. Travers said Good something very loud, and Sue shrieked as if she had a needle run into her. Father and mother and I and the cook and the chambermaid all rushed to see what was the matter.

The chair that I had mended, and that Sue had taken away from me, had broken down while Mr. Travers was sitting in it, and it had shut up like a jackknife, and caught him so he couldn't get out. It had caught Sue too, who must have run to help him, or she never would have been in that fix, with Mr. Travers holding her by the wrist, and her arm wedged in so she couldn't pull it away.

Father managed to get them loose, and then Sue caught me and shook me till I could hear my teeth rattle, and then she ran up stairs and locked herself up; and Mr. Travers never offered to help me, but only said, "I'll settle with you some day, young man," and then he went home. But father sat down on the sofa and laughed, and said to mother:

"I guess Sue would have done better if she'd have let the boy keep his chair."

I'm very sorry, of course, that an accident happened to the chair, but I've got it up in my room now, and I've mended it again, and it's the best chair you ever sat in.

"TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH."

See our Harry, Rosie, Lil-- Restless darlings, never still; In and out all day they run, Little people, full of fun-- Rosie, Lil, and Harry.

"Here's a lovely pan!" they cry; Mary, maid, has set it by. "Let us all, while no one looks, Play at being real cooks-- Lillie, Rosie, Harry.

"Tie on aprons, big and brown; Careful, lift the old pot down; Now we'll nicely fill it up; Stir it, girls, and take a sup-- Harry, Lil, and Rosie.

"Not quite nice--pour pepper hot, Oil, and treacle in the pot; Salt and coffee; apples too-- Pop this one into the stew"-- Rosie, Lil, and Harry.

In goes all, from peas to paint-- Well may Mary all but faint. Well may she declare, quite wroth, "Many cooks do spoil the broth"-- Harry, Rosie, Lillie.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross To see a young woman upon a white horse; Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes. She will have music wherever she goes.

TROY, KANSAS.

I am eight years of age. I can write, but not plain enough for "tired eyes." I can set up type, and print in a small printing-press, so I will print this letter. I have no pets, as we stay in one place but a short time. I had a pretty kitty when we were at home. One day mamma put some paper shoes on her feet, and it was too funny to see how she acted. She shook one foot and then another, until she got them off.

I have a sister named Bessie, nearly four years old, and every day we take a long walk.

I go to school now, and read in the Fourth Reader, and study arithmetic, spelling, geography, and writing.

I have taken HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE for over a year. I like everything in it, but Jimmy Brown's are the funniest stories.

I see a great many interesting things, going from place to place, but my letter is already too long, so I will close.

J. B.

* * * * *

The little Glastenbury girl who does not like cats has stirred up quite a number of defenders for the household pet. We would like her to write again, and let us know whether she has been converted by the friends of puss.

GLENWOOD, IOWA.

I want to say a word to the girl who don't like cats. I have two beauties--Skip, who is so black that mother calls him Prince of Goree, and Bronk, a lovely blue Maltese. They have so many cute little ways, and afford so much pleasure to us all, that I know that little girl who "hated cats" would like these Western kitties.

Now let me tell how much I like the little paper. I have read every number that has been published so far. Even father listened to "Toby Tyler," and wondered why Mr. Otis had to kill Mr. Stubbs, though he said he supposed Uncle Daniel would not know what to do with a monkey, and it was lucky he was killed. Jimmy Brown affords us great amusement. I wonder who the real Jimmy is! YOUNG PEOPLE reaches us on Saturday, and that is a happy day for

CADDIE KING.

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MOLOKAI, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

I am a little boy ten years old, and have been a subscriber to YOUNG PEOPLE since the tenth number. I like the paper very much, and intend to take it always, as it is so interesting, especially the Post-office Box, where I read all the little folks' letters, and feel as if I were acquainted with them. The weather here is very pleasant, and there are lots of pheasants, quails, and many other kinds of birds here. I wish I were near New York, so that I could go and see the editor, or send some money for Young People's Cot. My father is a white man, and my mother Hawaiian. I have been to school three years. Good-by.

HENRY P.

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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

I have written to the Post-office Box a great many times, and have not yet seen one of my letters in print; but I do not think, like a great many others, that they have gone to the dreadful waste-basket. I have sent Wiggles too, but none have been published. At first I thought it was because I was not a subscriber, but pa has been taking YOUNG PEOPLE from a news' agent for a year and a half.

I am taking music lessons. I take YOUNG PEOPLE to school, and my teacher uses it in preference to a Reader. I have got two subscribers for you. I do not know whether they have subscribed yet or not. One boy's mother bought a number of papers from different publishers to make a selection, and chose YOUNG PEOPLE.

At our school there is to be a prize given, at the completion of the book, for the best drawing. Professor S., the gentleman who prepares our book in New York, visited all the schools in Pittsburgh for the purpose of examining the drawing-books. He visited our school last, and concluded that our drawing was the best and finest he had seen in any of the schools in Pittsburgh. I tried the leaf photograph, and succeeded.

FRANK B. H.

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WORTENDYKE, NEW JERSEY.

I think your paper is lovely. My aunt in Jersey City takes it for my sister as a birthday present. I have read so many interesting letters about pets that I thought I would write one about ours. We have a large Newfoundland dog, named Bingo, and every time I go out he runs and jumps on me. We have lots of fun with him, he is so gentle. Our cow, named Betsey, is real gentle, and when I go to the bars and call her, she comes running and jumping to me like a little kitten, and she plays with us real cunning. We raised her from a little calf. Her mother was killed on the railroad; her name was Daisy. We have two _cherry_-colored cats, Toby--not named after Toby Tyler--and Charlie. Every cold morning Toby climbs up on the grape arbor, and jumps from that to the front piazza, to my window, where he taps until I let him in, and when he gets in he cuddles down in bed and goes to sleep. These are all the pets we have. My brother had some pet rabbits, but he sold some, and the rest he let run around, and they got killed or lost. Our little baby sister is two months old. There are seven of us in our family, and all girls but one.

INA J. P.

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CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

My home is in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. In winter it is very cold here, and sometimes it is so cold that the thermometer is 20° below zero. I have a nice pony from Sable Island, near Nova Scotia. I have some postage stamps and postmarks which I would like to exchange with the readers of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE. My age is thirteen years and six months.

C. L. HAMMOND, P. O. Box 314.

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WOODSIDE (NEAR LINCOLNTON), NORTH CAROLINA.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,--You are all very often in my thoughts, and sometimes when any of those funny little mistakes are made in Sunday-school, I wish you could enjoy the fun. We are trying, as we can, to take the children into the Natural History Society. My sister and I thought, as they wanted so much to belong to it, that they could begin by making a collection of Indian curiosities. We told them that all who wished to belong to the Natural History Club might bring arrow-heads or any pretty stems with them when they came to sing on Saturday. They all came. One family of five little ones were very nervous, with their hands full of arrow-heads, but whimpered out that they wanted to sing, but didn't want Miss Ida to put them in a tub. I wish you could have seen their relief when they found they were not to have a bath. Then the carols began.

They all learn the tunes quickly, but Ellen Pete will sing, at the top of her voice, "Carol, _buzzards_, carol," instead of "brothers," as the words really are.

Since my last, I must acknowledge gifts from Mrs. N. B. Blunt, Lexington Avenue, N. Y.; Miss Lulu Mears, Danby, Vt.; Master Robert Cranson, St. Johns, Mich.; Miss Julia Slack, Bristol, Penn.

For these, and all your gifts, accept my sincere gratitude. Your friend,

MRS. RICHARDSON.

* * * * *

ST. JOHNS, MICHIGAN.

In No. 110 the Postmistress asks if any one has seen dandelions later than November 20. I send you a pressed dandelion picked by the road-side on December 10. They have been in bloom all the fall in the yard of our court-house, but they have now gone to seed. This is the more remarkable, as we have had quite deep snow and some very cold, blustery weather, though the ground is bare now, and the weather quite mild for this time of year.

My large shepherd dog is very fond of sugar and candy, and mamma once had a little dog that would eat almost anything, if a little molasses were poured on it. He would wag his tail and lick his chops when she took the plate to pour the syrup on.

I wish we could have some more of Ben Buttles's adventures. I think they were very surprising.

ROBERT E. C.

* * * * *

NEW YORK CITY.

It was my good fortune to spend a part of last summer at Newport. The house where I lived was just on the banks of Almy's Pond--a charming place, surrounded with lawns and flowers of all kinds. What pleasure it was to me to obtain the key of the boat! I would run to the landing, unfasten the boat, take my oars, and push off. I acquired great skill in rowing, and it made my arms strong. Once, in the middle of the pond, I tried to catch those big lazy gold-fish; but though lazy-looking, they were more clever than I, for they invariably avoided the net.

It was not so, however, with the turtles; of a more inquisitive mind, when they heard some noise they looked out of the water to see what all that noise was about, and their curiosity caused their capture, for I very seldom missed them. The result was that I had quite a respectable drove of them; but the day before my return to the city I gave them their freedom, with the exception of two beauties which I brought home with me.

If you wish to have the pleasures of society and of country life combined, go to spend the summer at Newport. There you will find fun.

GEORGEY C. B.

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WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

I want to tell you a droll cat story. Six weeks ago a family near us bought a place two miles out of the village, and moved there. Their pet cat, three years old, was placed in a basket, covered up, and carried to her new home, her owners hoping she would be delighted to walk in the woods and catch the squirrels. But when she jumped out of the basket she ran away; she liked the village company better. She wandered three weeks, hunting for her old home, where at last she arrived, half starved. We called her in and fed her, and she seemed very happy. We sent a postal to the family, and May came over, delighted to know puss was alive. She tied her in the basket again, and took her home. She seemed more contented, and they thought this time she would stay; but in three days back she came again. We sent word to them she was here, and they came for her; and in all four times she was carried home. The last time Mr. T. told her plainly that this would be the last time he should come for her. Now what do you think? she is round here again, and no one can catch her.

FRANKIE L. W.

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ROME, OHIO.

I want to tell you about my pet lamb. One day papa brought in a lamb which could not stand alone. He gave it to me. We kept it in the house until it could stand alone, and I named it Kate. I fed her, and she would follow me all around. I kept her in the orchard, and when I went to feed her, I would say, "Katie, Katie," and she would run to me and drink her milk. When I stopped feeding her, her wool was five inches long, and now it is nine and one-quarter inches long.

MARY B. R.

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ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA.

I have a nice doll house and five dolls. Josephine is the mamma. She has three children--Hattie, Fannie, and Clarence. I love my dolls very much.

I live on a sugar plantation, and love to go to the sugar-mill. There are two little squirrels that stay about the yard. They have a nest in the back yard, and are right tame. I watch them playing, and think they are very pretty.

We have two little kittens, John and Ambrose. They are the sweetest little kittens that I ever saw. They are named after two young gentlemen friends of the family. They play and sleep all day, and are very lazy. Their old mother went away and left them. They used to have fits quite often, but whenever they had them I would pour cold water over them, and now they are perfectly cured.

ELLA B.

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FORT GRATIOT, MICHIGAN.

I am nine years old. I have a little brother four years old. His name is Weymouth. I love him very much. He always wants to play church, and be the minister. When I had company, and we danced "Sally Waters," Weymouth said he would not dance, for ministers did not dance. This summer mamma took Weymouth and me to Aylmer, Canada. We had a nice time, and I saw "Don W." and his sister there at the picnic he spoke of in his letter to the Post-office Box.

We have a bird, and I have several dolls, and one pretty paper doll mamma made for me.

I think I am the only one in this place who takes the YOUNG PEOPLE, and I am going to try and get more to take it. I like it so very much. My auntie in Montana sent it this year to me.

LIZZIE M. K.

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BIRDSBOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

I am a little girl six years old. I go to school, and like my teacher. Her name is Miss N. D. I like to hear my papa read the letters in HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE to me. I have a sister Olivia, who is ten years old. She gets HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE every Saturday, and likes the stories very well. I have a pet cat named Flora, and a rooster named Dick. He is very tame, and comes running to me when I call him.

HATTIE H.

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BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

We have three little kittens just three weeks old, and they are real sweet. My aunt Helen wanted to take them up stairs, but as soon as she took hold of them the old mother cried, and would not have them out of her sight a moment. When the mother wants to go in the yard, she comes away up stairs to the third story and cries, and then when some of us come down, she goes and stands by the door until we open it. I have a sister Etha, and a brother Josie, and we all enjoy YOUNG PEOPLE very much. I can not think which of the stories I like the best, because I like them all so well.

LOTTIE L. S.

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HAVANA, CUBA.