Part 4

I will exchange some pretty shells, stones, advertising cards, unpressed sea-moss, or a small piece of petrified wood, for fossils, minerals, stalactites, stalagmites, foreign stamps, old coins, or flint. Please write before sending.

I hope my letter is not too long.

ALIDA LEWIS, 726 O St., Sacramento, Cal.

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ILCHESTER, MARYLAND.

I am going to Europe in April, in the great steamer _City of Rome_, and mamma says I may have HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE sent over to me. It would be too much for me to give it up, as my brother Tom and I read it, and it gives us so much pleasure. I have been to Europe before. We staid two years, but now I am ten, and I will enjoy it much more. Tom is eight years old, and we are reading _Young Folks Abroad_, so we can know about London and Paris and the other cities. We have read Abbott's Histories, and the death of Charles I. and Marie Antoinette almost made me cry. Would you like me to write you what I see when I am across the great "ditch"? We expect to be in Germany this summer, and in the winter in Nice, but I don't want to leave you behind.

KATIE R.

You will enjoy yourself very much more if you study and read before going to the Old World, in order to understand what you see. Write to the Postmistress, and describe some of your adventures, and tell her what pleases you most in London and Paris and in other places where you may stop awhile.

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BEAUCLERC, FLORIDA.

I saw in No. 111 a picture of seven oranges on one branch. We had two bunches on this place with twelve on, and one with sixteen. They were just as close together as could be. Some of them were flattened, they pressed each other so hard. We had a curiosity of an orange--a large one with a smaller one growing out of it. It did look too funny, but it dropped from the tree before ripening.

I would like to exchange nice fresh moss, with blossom on, for unused postage stamps, foreign and domestic--no revenue. Do not send less than five at once; and no two alike. I will send the moss according to the value of the stamps. Cancelled ones will not be accepted.

It will not be necessary to write beforehand, as I will send the moss without fail to any one sending the stamps. I would like to exchange with foreign correspondents, and this offer will remain open four months for that reason.

Can you tell me which is the best stamp album, or, rather, where to get a good one?

F. C. SAWYER.

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BRIDGEPORT, KANSAS.

We moved to Kansas from Indiana more than a year since, and witnessed our first large prairie fire on the afternoon and evening of February 9. We first noticed the reflection on the sky in the southeast on the night of the 8th, and by the afternoon of the next day the fire had come so near that we began to make preparations to protect our property by burning a "fire guard" around the house, etc. After that we had leisure to watch the progress of the fire, and as it grew dark the grandeur of the sight increased. We mounted a hill which commanded a view for miles in every direction, and turn in whatever direction we would there was fire. It looked like a grand torch-light procession of men in single file marching and countermarching, forming circles, squares, and all conceivable shapes, ever widening their circuit, until there were miles on miles of lines of flame. The wind freshened about 9 P.M., and then the sight was grand beyond my powers to describe. No doubt much damage to property was done. Many families in this vicinity have related to us damage inflicted by former prairie fires.

MRS. E.

P.S.--We walk three miles to Sunday-school.

We never hear of people who walk miles to day or Sunday school without feeling ashamed of ourselves, because, sometimes we think it hard to have to walk a few blocks on some such errand. A prairie fire must be a magnificent sight.

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I want to tell you about my Polly. We bought him in New Orleans, and not knowing his birthday, we set it at the 1st of May. At first he would not talk at all; he was very cross, and would not let us touch him. One night my sister began to play on the piano and sing; Polly began to sing also, in a little low voice. Papa threw a newspaper at him, and said, "You old humbug, you could sing all the time."

I will tell you some of the things he says. Of course he can say, "Polly wants a cracker," and "Pretty Poll." He can say "Hurrah, Polly!" My name is Estelle, and when I come into the dining-room in the morning he will say "Stella" just as plain. There was a crowd of children standing at our gate one day, and they said, "Polly, can we come in?" and he said, "Come along."

Our Polly's name is Jack, but we never call him that. He had a fight with a dog once. The dog was coming up to him, and he just put up his wings and flew screaming to the dog. The dog did not stop to fight, but ran for his life.

Polly is very tame now, and will get on my hand and talk to me.

That is all I have to say about Polly at present.

E. M.

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PALMYRA, MISSOURI.

As I like so much to read the letters from the little girls in YOUNG PEOPLE, I thought I would write one. I have been sick, and not able to walk for a year, but my pa, who is a doctor, thinks by the time the leaves and flowers come out I will be able to go out too. I study at home, so that I may keep up with my class at school; and that keeps me so busy that the time does not seem long. I always look forward to Thursday, which brings YOUNG PEOPLE, as we live in the country, and think more of getting the papers than the little girls in the city. We have had lots of ice and sleet, and it makes me wish, when I see my little brother on his sled going down the hill, that I could go too; but maybe I will be able to when another winter comes. We have a good many pets, but the best one is our dog. To close, I will tell the readers what my ma tells me, always to sew the paper before reading it. I am eleven years old.

ELLEN MCC.

The "time of the singing of birds," as the Bible says, is coming nearer every day, and we hope little Ellen will be able to walk out-doors and enjoy the spring, with its many delights.

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The letters from East Northport, Long Island, which came in a bundle the other day, were all so very good that the Postmistress could not make up her mind to publish any of them, when there was not room for every one of the bright little missives. She hopes to hear from the school again.

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C. Y. P. R. U.

Do mothers ever peep into the Post-office Box? The Postmistress feels sure they do, and so she tells this little story as much for them as for their children. Perhaps some loving mother will gather her boys closer to her and pet them more tenderly when she reads about this dear little fellow, who was taken from a charitable institution to be "bound out" to a farmer in New Jersey. The agent noticed that the boy kept placing his right hand inside of his jacket on the left side, and occasionally would peep within with a tender look. At last he said,

"What have you got in there, my little friend?"

"Oh, nothing, sir," he replied, "only a bit of my mother's dress, which I've sewed in my coat; it was the dress she had on when she died, and now it kind o' comforts me to touch it."

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I am glad to print this composition of a school-girl of thirteen, first, because it does her credit, and next, because it may give some people an idea which will be useful, especially if they have careless children or servants to vex them:

THE "POUND" AS A MEANS OF EDUCATION.--Neatness and order are two of the most praiseworthy and necessary habits to be formed. Without them we can not be good-natured or happy; for if we are continually fretting and fuming about something that we are "sure we put on the table yesterday, and now it has disappeared, and who has taken it?" etc., etc., we can not be as contented and pleasant as though each thing were in its proper place, and we could go right there and get it without any trouble.

Our mother had discovered this. Her family was growing up with disorderly habits, which grew worse every day, and she now determined to put a stop to it. A school in the neighborhood had had a great deal of trouble on account of the disorder in which the recitation-rooms were left by the pupils after dismissal in the afternoon.

Since the lady principal has had a "pound"--which, I can assure you, was filled to overflowing each day--the pupils recognized the fact that it was, to use their own words, a "cure."

So, one Saturday morning, mother decided to set up a "pound" in our last summer's picnicking basket. At breakfast she declared to father that her patience with us had "given out," and that she resorted to this as the last hope of reforming her careless young people.

Accordingly, after father had gone down town, mother told us to ransack every nook and cranny in the house, and gather together all our things that were not in their proper places.

Jack's umbrella, which had evidently seen better days, was soon hauled from the depths of the wood-box, where "it just fell in--hadn't time to pull out--sorry," as he explained. The remains of a pair of Harry's arctics and my skates, besides countless numbers of mufflers, fur gloves with no mates, torn books, jackknives, marbles, and--what do you think?--Bridget's switch, that, "begorra, she'd missed sence the new gurrul came." That finished the wood-box, which we left for Harry's closet.

Dozens and dozens of half-worn shoes, foot-balls, several packs of cards, and last year's school-books in fragments, with several of his new neck-ties, and his best white kids, all "sort of thrown together, you know," with a quart or so of Excelsior taffy, which we had manufactured on Halloween. As one would imagine, it took an hour or two to dig through this mixture; but as "perseverance will conquer," it was accomplished by dinner-time.

But do not think this was the last of the wonders of neatness we routed out that day. Little Julie too was thoroughly "up" in the art of disorder. Even her tiny play-house was nothing short of a show. Why, Timothy Todkins, her paterfamilias, had lost both his legs and an eye, and the poor fellow's nose was in a shockingly damaged condition. And Mrs. Zenobia Franklin Todkins! Well, she was altogether unmentionable. To see mother's face when we piled all the things in a heap before her? She did not say a word, but just placed them in the basket, and put it on a shelf in the library closet.

I think that Harry did look a little bit glum while mother sat there; but don't tell me it was his conscience pricking him. More likely 'twas because he wouldn't be able to wear his white kids at Puss Pringle's party on Wednesday. Jack and I went out, but we met father in the hall, with little Julie hanging on his arm, and begging him to "det Dulie's Toddie for her; poor Toddie was pounded all up from Dulie." Mother showed to our astonished papa the contents of that pound, and after having a hearty roar over them, he closed operations by administering a sound scolding to us, of which this was the moral:

Little girls and little boys Should aspire to be neat, And not destroy their pretty toys, But them in order keep.

SUE BRADLEY.

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We would call the attention of the C. Y. P. R. U. this week to the interesting article by Miss Sarah Cooper entitled "Some Odd Relations of the Jelly-Fish," in which we learn more about the curious creatures that seem to us simply plants, but which that magical instrument the microscope shows to be living animals eating and drinking, and leading strange, mysterious lives way down in the depths of blue sea. You all know well the name of England's great Prime Minister, Mr. W. E. Gladstone, and you will be glad to read the little sketch of his noble and laborious life. The boys will not need to have their attention called to the story of "A Buffalo Hunt in South Africa," told by an adventurous English sportsman; nor will it be necessary to repeat the suggestion made by the author of "An Old-fashioned Amusement," that all our readers, young and old, spend an occasional leisure hour trying what they can do in the way of forming new and entertaining "Anagrams."

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Correct answers to puzzles have been received from Willard S. M., Philip Ruxton, Victor C. Thorne, Jesse Godine, Georgie Wardell, E. Cressingham, Louis and Frank Clark, Florence A. Nickerson, May Barklie, Bernard W. Spilman, Clara K., Ella Chirney, Kittie Lewis, Harper Richardson, "Mamma, Robbie, and Papa," J. Ames, Fannie D. Posey, Willie Layton, "Bob," Everett Fay, Edith M. Wetmore, Jerome Bouton, "Lodestar," Fred H. Lanneker, Ashley H. Thorndike, "Queen Bess," "Fill Buster," William A. Lewis, "King Charles," "Helen of Troy," "Francis," S. Whitlock, I. C. Tomes, Carrie D. B. Brisbin, Rosa M. Benedict, R. Louis Lloyd, and Ernest D. Elam.

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PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS.

No. 1.

NUMERICAL ENIGMA.

A proverb of Solomon. I am composed of 76 letters. My 13, 3, 49, 44 is an English watering-place. My 40, 50, 57, 30, 76 is an aromatic plant. My 41, 27, 48, 52, 19, 65 is part of the fire-place. My 34, 66, 38, 60, 74, 10, 35 is a season of rest. My 56, 62, 58, 67, 69, 8, 70 is uncurrent coin. My 6, 36, 59, 5, 55, 42, 63 is a shrub. My 26, 16, 9, 43, 68, 76, 28, 8, 72, 11 is a racket. My 71, 61, 25, 2, 52, 31, 37, 7, 51 is an author. My 47, 20, 30, 70, 3, 75, 18, 39, 30 is a school. My 24, 45, 1, 32, 54, 73, 17, 12, 29, 21 is a game. My 22, 8, 12, 53, 64, 46, 14 is a flowering herb. My 15, 69, 7, 33, 4, 23, 70, 71, 42 is wakefulness.

BUSY B.'s.

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No. 2.

TRANSFORMATION.

1. I am a chest; behead me, and I am an animal. 2. I am a useful article to every one; behead me, and I have been used as a carpet. 3. I am a part of the body; behead me, and I am a conjunction. 4. I am without stiffness; behead me, and I am mischievous. 5. I am a housemaid's duty; behead me, and I am a mark of sorrow. 6. I am an ornamental article to put on the wall; behead me, and I am a nuisance. 7. I am a spice: behead me, and I am a passion. 8. I am a medicine; behead me, and I am a discomfort to every one. 9. I am an article of furniture; behead me, and you have no use for me; behead me again, and you can not live without me. 10. I am a stream; behead me, and I am a bird. 11. I am a spot liked by none; behead me, and I am a spot desired by all.

C. F. H.

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No. 3.

TWO EASY WORD SQUARES.

1.--1. Part of the body. 2. A space. 3. Close by. 4. To venture.

2.--1. What can not be done by the deaf. 2. Comfort. 3. A continent. 4. Behind.

ANNIE J. B.

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No. 4.

EASY ENIGMA.

My first is in silver, but not in gold. My second is in young, but not in old. My third is in whole, but not in half. My fourth is in cow, but not in calf. My fifth is in boy, but not in girl. My sixth is in hair, but not in curl. My seventh is in apple, but not in peach. My eighth is in land, but not in beach. My whole is made by every boy, But still it can't be called a toy.

ALICE C.

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No. 5.

TWO EASY DIAMONDS.

1.--1. A letter. 2. An animal. 3. Harsh. 4. An eatable. 5. A letter.

2.--1. An aspirate. 2. A taste. 3. Homes without hands. 4. An inclosure. 5. A sibilant.

JOHN S. P.

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ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN No. 121.

No. 1.

G S E E S C O L D G E O R G I A E L G I N D I N A

No. 2.

M A R S H A R E N A R E G A L S N A I L H A L L S

G I F T M E A L I D L E E L L A F L E E A L A S T E E L L A S T

F I V E I R O N V O I D E N D S

No. 3.

Adirondacks.

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

OLD FRUIT CANS.

A great many useful and ornamental articles can be made from old fruit cans with the exercise of a little ingenuity and patience. I have made glue-pots, water-bailers, bread-graters, etc., etc.

Fig. 1 represents a flower-pot holder made from an empty tomato can. The can is held over a fire until the soldering that fastens the opened or top end of the can melts, when it will be found that by giving the joint a sharp blow with a chisel or a table-knife it will drop off. After a little practice, all danger of unsoldering the side joint of the can is overcome. Strips of bark must now be cut about two inches in width, and the can dipped in hot asphalt. Apply the bark to the outside, filling the joints with moss, lichen, or other products of the woods. You will now have a pretty toy, which will hold a flower-pot; or, if you like, the earth itself may be put directly in the can. In the latter case you must, of course, punch holes in the bottom of your can, as in other flower-pots, so that there may be a circulation of air and water.

Fig. 2 is a fruit-can bird-house, with a roof of thatched straw. In this case the bark must be nailed on to the can, and the nails clinched on the inside, or it can be secured by means of fine wires. On the side of the can the tin is cut away in the form of a half-circle, this being bent down so as to form a standing-place in front of the entrance for the birds that are to occupy the house. Over the entrance, ornamentation in rustic-work is nailed on to the bark, as shown in the illustration.

The bark that covers the can is one inch less in height than the can, so as to allow the upper rim to remain bare. Into this circle of projecting tin holes are punched one inch apart all around the rim. These holes are made use of when stitching the straw roof to the rim of the can, as shown at A A. To give greater strength and stiffness to the roof, a second circle of stitches is taken at C C, and a third at D, and a fourth at B, to prevent the straws from spreading. The bird-house is now ready for fastening in position on the platform either with screws or nails.

Fig. 3 is a more complicated bird-house, and built to accommodate a large number of families. The manner in which it is constructed will be easily understood, however, from the foregoing description and a glance at the engraving.

The weather-vane (Fig. 4) may be made by flattening the side of one of the cans, when, if the figure of the fish is drawn with the point of a knife, any tinman will cut it out for a few cents.

End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Young People, March 14, 1882, by Various