Part 4

This week we have had prepared for the members of the C. Y. P. R. U., by a lady who has made a special study of queer inmates of the animal world, an article on "Sponges." It is beautifully illustrated with engravings and diagrams, and tells the story of these common but curious objects that puzzled the world so long as to whether they were really living creatures or simply plants. Then when this subject has been investigated, there is a capital article for boys and girls, by Mr. Hugh Craig, who throws a fresh light on what we fancy they think they know a great deal about already, that is "How to Play." "Aunt Marjorie" also reads us a dear little lecture on how to behave ourselves in public places, which some old people, as well as young people, might pay attention to with a good result.

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YOUNG PEOPLE'S COT.

Contributions received for Young People's Cot in Holy Innocent's Ward, St. Mary's Free Hospital for Children, 407 West Thirty-fourth Street, New York:

Susie Morrill, Hiawatha, Kansas, $3; Addie C. Webb, Culleoka, Tenn., 8c.; Maud's gift (in memoriam), Bluehill, Me., $2.10; Walter Gray, Monmouth, Ill., 50c.; Fannie and Emma Pearson, Springfield, Ill., 50c.; Harry W. B., Savannah, Ga., 25c.; Carl and Harry Hutchins, Keene, N. H., $2; Ruby Wickersham, Alleghany City, 25c.; Leonard C. Richardson, Lincolnton, N. C., 25c.; Herby, Jenny, and Mary C. Willis, Brooklyn, 75c.; total, $9.68. Amount previously acknowledged, $191.71; grand total, $201.39.

E. AUGUSTA FANSHAWE, Treasurer, 43 New St. _December_ 15.

Received books from M. D. L. for Holy Innocent's Ward, St. Mary's Hospital.

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Although I am not a little girl, I once was, and feel just like little girls do about letters going into the scrap-basket. I want to write a letter to all the little girl or boy readers of YOUNG PEOPLE who contribute to or take any interest in our Cot. Don't forget what we are working for, nor be discouraged. Those who live in the country, or are there in the summer, have, I am sure, climbed a mountain. Well, when you first started, and looked at the top, how high it seemed! and, oh! so far off; you wondered if you ever would get there. A little way up you saw a large oak-tree, and you made for that, and some way further was a clump of elms. A little effort brought you there, and as you looked back, you saw you had accomplished something, and the top was not quite so far away, and so on to the end of your journey. At the top you gave a loud hurrah, waving your hat, and felt well repaid. We are climbing a very high mountain. Three thousand dollars is a real mountain for small hands and feet to climb: but we don't intend to get discouraged. We won't look up at the top all the time, only keep it in mind. We are not very far off now from the oak-tree, and when there, we can look back and see "something accomplished, something done," and then keep on until we reach the elms; and then some little way further will be a short level place in the mountain, with a little stream and trees, and when we shall reach this and look back we will find we have gone one-third of our journey, and feel quite fresh for another start. Who will write me, through the Post-office Box, the names of these three fresh starting-places? Only remember we are not _there_ yet, but are going to travel on steadily, and get there _sure_. Our Treasurer wants to send more names to the YOUNG PEOPLE. I will look for an answer to my questions, and hope soon to send you some account of the little people in our ward. So good-by.

AUNT EDNA. NEW YORK, 1881.

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HIAWATHA, KANSAS.

This is the first year I have taken YOUNG PEOPLE, and I like it very much. Jimmy Brown is too funny for anything. All of us like "The Cruise of the 'Ghost,'" the best.

There are three of us children. I am the oldest, and our ages are six, nine, and ten. My sister and I each have a pony, and we have fine horse-back rides over the prairies. My little brother is just learning to ride. My sister is very fond of pets, and has four cats, and says she is going to have a hospital for sick animals when she grows up. We send three dollars for the Young People's Cot--one dollar for each of us.

SUSIE MORRILL.

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SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

I am a little boy seven years old. My uncle has brought me HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE for a long time. I like the stories and letters so much! I send you twenty-five cents I earned myself for the Young People's Cot.

HARRY W. B.

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BLUEHILL, MAINE.

_Miss E. A. Fanshawe_:

Inclosed please find a Post-office order for $2.10 for Young People's Cot, St. Mary's Hospital for Children, and accept it as Maud's gift (in memoriam). My little sister was an invalid for several years before she died, and I send this money belonging to her because I know if she had lived she would have been glad to have aided in the work; and I send it too in the hope that it may do some little one good, and it may perhaps help some one afflicted as she was. She enjoyed reading HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, and always read the letters in the Post-office Box first.

ALICE A. HOLT.

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SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

We want to send some money to the Cot. We each send twenty-five cents. At first we wanted to buy a book, but afterward thought we had better send it to the Cot now, and wait to buy the book. Emma was sick for six weeks, and she knows what it is to suffer. We will send some more as soon as we can save some. We take HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, and like it very much.

FANNIE and EMMA PEARSON (aged 9 and 7 years).

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PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS.

A great many puzzlers entered into competition for _The History of a Mountain_, by Elisee Reclus, offered in No. 105 as a prize for the best puzzle which should be sent in before December 7, 1881. After careful consideration, the book has been awarded to Miss Ethel J. Stokes, of Richmond, Virginia, for her arithmetical puzzles, which follow this announcement:

No. 1.

ADDITION.

1. Add a poet to a hint, and make to blind.

2. Add an exploit to a personal pronoun, and make a plume.

3. Add a covering for the head, a vowel, and a part of the body, and make a monk of the Order of St. Francis.

4. Add a man's name to a tree, and make islands.

5. Add a grain to congealed water, and make an ornament to a window.

SUBTRACTION.

1. Subtract to perform duties from cautious, and leave a color.

2. Subtract a contest between two states from a timid person, and leave a fish.

3. Subtract to petition from a useful article, and leave a wager.

4. Subtract the first boat ever launched from an emporium, and leave the past participle of meet.

5. Subtract a name for rail-bird from an island in the Arabian Sea, and leave a small bed.

MULTIPLICATION.

1. Multiply an abbreviation by two, and make a near relation.

2. Multiply an adverb by two, and make a doubtful expression.

DIVISION.

1. Divide a farewell by two, and obtain a French pronoun.

2. Divide a monotonous sound by two, and obtain an insect.

3. Divide a table relish by two, and obtain a Chinese name.

4. Divide the rustling of silken robes by two, and obtain three-fourths of a preposition and a vowel.

ETHEL J. STOKES.

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No. 2.

CHARADE.

My first is an action common to all, 'Tis done by the great, and done by the small.

My second a measure will proclaim Known by the world, if not to fame.

My third is a weed that grows in the marsh; It's sometimes smooth, and sometimes harsh.

But what is my whole, I hear you cry, The name of a hero, is my reply.

CENT A. PIECE.

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No. 3.

ENIGMA.

My first in youth, not in age, you will find. My second in gather, but not in bind. My third is in world; though not in sphere. My fourth is in danger, and also in fear. My fifth is in grass, but not in fern. My sixth is in scorch, but not in burn. My seventh is in wind, but not in blow. My eighth is in learn, but not in know. I spread my roots o'er time's great well. Among gods, among giants, among demons fell. Mysterious Hinndall 'neath my branches sings Of the terrible woe Skuld the mist-robed brings. The tree of the world am I. Can you my name descry?

NITA.

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No. 4.

DIAMOND.

1. A letter. 2. A bar. 3. Relating to a celebrated ancient city. 4. Existing in name. 5. A fop. 6. A negative. 7. A letter.

BOB.

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ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN No. 111.

No. 1.

S P O R T T U B E R A R E N A R E S T S T R E S S

No. 2.

Eugene.

No. 3.

M H O P S H U R R A S I N M O R N I N G S I N E W P R I N T N E W A N T W G

No. 4.

Tortoise

Irma's Puzzle--Splinter.

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Correct answers to puzzles have been received from Ella Chirney, Elbert E. Hurd, Belle Smith, Grace Fletcher, Arthur P. Grimshaw.

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[_For Exchanges, see 2d and 3d pages of cover._]

ENIGMA.

Read forward, I'm a color Of rather sombre hue; At least I'm not as brilliant As scarlet, pink, or blue.

Read backward, I am sometimes used As synonym for poet; Now tell me, puzzle-loving girls, Do any of you know it?

AN EVENING WITH CHARLEY SPARKS.

BY FRANK BELLEW.

The other evening I went to call on my friend Browser. Browser is one of those people who, somehow or another, makes his house exceedingly attractive to young folks. He does not say much nor do much, but seems to enjoy their society in a quiet, comfortable kind of way. Perhaps the attraction to them is that he lets them do as they like. If a lamp shade is broken, or something spilled on the carpet, or a hole burned in the table-cloth, he does not care; he has it repaired, and there's an end on't. The young people run all over the house, capturing materials from the bedrooms to make tableaux, invading the kitchen, pestering the cook, and taking possession of the cold meats in the larder to make little suppers. Even when little Robby Rounder brought some Indian arrows, and fired them into his parlor door, he did not even so much as scold him, but only laughed, and said that if the red men could be made to suffer as much as his doors from the effects of Robby's arrows, they would soon be put an end to. I don't think there is another such house in New York. He holds the opinion that the house was made for his comfort and pleasure, and that he will not make himself a slave to his house.

Well, when I called there the other evening I met a whole bevy of youngsters, including Browser's only daughter, and with them was Charley Sparks, with, as usual, a whole museum of tricks and contraptions. As I entered he was attempting to imitate the song of the canary--at least he said so. I never should have guessed it myself. The sound was more like the song of a conscience-stricken bull-frog than anything else. But he explained that he was only a beginner, and that it required much practice to master the higher branches of this art. When, however, he tried his hand at the pig and the horse, nothing could have been more perfect. There was an oily depth of expression about the grunt which was absolutely perfect. After the pig, he took a little instrument from his mouth (see Fig. 1), and showed it to us. It was simply a piece of the leaf of the leek, from which he had scraped away a semicircle of the soft part, leaving the thin membrane which covers one side intact. This he held against the roof of his mouth with his tongue, and by blowing in the proper way, produced all kinds of sounds. Practice is of course required, but with one of these little things I have heard an expert imitate most exquisitely every bird of the woods.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," said Charley Sparks, "I will give you an imitation of Mr. Punch, of the great English _Punch and Judy_ troupe," and he produced from his pocket a little instrument like this (see Fig. 2). It was made of two pieces of pine-wood, with a piece of tape stretched between them, the whole being bound together with thread wound round and round. This he placed in the back part of the mouth, near the opening of the throat, at a very great risk of choking himself, and forthwith issued from his mouth the funny "Root-a-toot-a-too" of Mr. Punch.

He gave us several of the most stirring passages from the tragedy of _Punch and Judy_, rendering the death-scene of Jack Ketch with such effect as to bring tears (of laughter) to the eyes of every one of the audience.

THE DANCING LESSON.

Keep time, little folks-- One, two, three; Turn about, twist about, Whirligee!

Right foot, left foot, Carefully now; Turn about, twist about-- Make your bow.

Hark to the music, Look at me; Left foot, right foot-- One, two, three;

Turn about, twist about, You see how; Keep time, little folks-- Make your bow.

End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Young People, January 3 1882, by Various