Harper's Young People, April 13, 1880 Part 7

ETHEL M. L. (6 years).

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

I am nine years old. I found the answer to the Geographical Double Acrostic in No. 18. "Sadie," the little girl who made it, is three years older than I am, but I have studied geography the last two years, and I think I can find out any geographical puzzle she can make. Ask her to try again, please.

MAUD T. K.

MUNICH, GERMANY.

I am a little girl six years old, and my name is Meta, but my sisters call me Peter. My thirteen dolls have all funny names. My rubber boy doll is Moses in the Bulrushes. My big rubber doll is Pharaoh's Daughter. I live in Germany, and am learning German. I hope next year to go back to America, and I shall be glad to see all my friends again. I have two gold-fishes, and I feed them with fish food. Papa bought me a microscope to look at bugs with. I am tired, so I will stop.

META F.

SALEM, Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, _March 25, 1880_.

I wrote you last November, and told you I was lame, and confined to the house. I am in the house still, but better. I have a gentleman friend who comes to see me every other day, and last week he brought me a plant which he got in the woods, called hepatica, and it is now on my window, in bloom. It is sometimes called liverwort. [Hepatica is a Latin word, and signifies pertaining to the liver.] The willow "p.u.s.s.ies" have been out here two weeks. As I can not go out and enjoy sports like other boys, I amuse myself by reading, and I enjoy HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE and WEEKLY very much. I fare pretty well for a sick boy, for I take five different periodicals.

HORACE F. H.

ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

I thought some of the young readers might like to hear about our alligator. It is about nine inches long, from its tail to its nose. It came from Florida last month. We keep it in a tub. It would not eat much, but we feed it by tapping it on the nose, and putting a small piece of meat on its tongue with a stick.

J. O. U., JUN.

You would better give your alligator a piece of board to crawl up on, for it will die if compelled to remain constantly in the water.

MELROSE, Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.

I found a caterpillar when I was going to school one morning last fall. When I came back, I brought it home with me. I put it under a gla.s.s globe, and fed it with milkweed leaves for about a week, and then it changed into a large brown b.u.t.terfly, with black and white spots on its wings. We put it on a piece of Brazilian wood, such as naturalists use, which a lady gave me. The time to find the caterpillars is in July and August. I am trying to keep a cabinet. I found willow "p.u.s.s.ies" last January. I put the twigs in a vase of water, and now they have leaves on them about an inch long.

ARTHUR L. H.

Your caterpillar must have pa.s.sed some time in the chrysalis state before it became a b.u.t.terfly. It is very interesting to watch the process of transformation from a caterpillar to a chrysalis, and nothing is prettier than the b.u.t.terfly or moth creeping out of its cell, and expanding its wings for the first time.

CHESTER, NEW JERSEY.

I like YOUNG PEOPLE very much. Although I am only eight years old, I can read it all except the hard names you call some of the animals and plants. But papa explains them to me. I have a Maltese kitty. A short time ago we moved, and I was afraid I would lose it. A lady told me to take it to the new house, and rub b.u.t.ter on its paws. I did so, and kitty spent hours licking off the b.u.t.ter.

It kept it busy until it became used to its new home, and contented to stay.

MAMIE B. L.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, _March 22, 1880_.

We are four children, two boys and two girls, living in rather a lonely place, and YOUNG PEOPLE gives us a great deal of pleasure.

In warm weather we hunt wild flowers and go fishing. There is a brook near here, where I have caught a good many nice pickerel. My sister has found trailing arbutus buds, which have blossomed in the house.

B. M.

NEW HAVEN, VERMONT.

I shall be eight years old next August. I have a cat named Pet. I have a little saw-horse and a little saw, and I saw kindling wood for Grandpa Kent.

KENT K.

DEER RIVER, NEW YORK.

I have four brothers, and we have lots of fun. We have three lambs, seven rabbits, a pair of peac.o.c.ks, and guinea-hens, geese, doves, ducks, and eleven little pigs. My brother Bert is eleven years old, and I am nine.

DE VERE V.

C. V. Hess, No. 440 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, writes that L. H. N., of Lockport, Illinois, can obtain collections of minerals by addressing him as above.

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

I take your paper, and n.o.body is more happy than I when papa brings it home. Just as soon as my sister comes back, we are going to get up a sewing society. Do you think it is a good idea?

"BLUE LIGHT."

If you intend to devote your time to making clothes for poor little girls like Biddy O'Dolan, your sewing society is an excellent idea, and we hope you will carry it out. If you stop to look about you, there are many poor children within your reach whose lives you can make brighter and more comfortable. You can not realize the good you can do until you begin, and see the effects of your work.

MILLIE B. S.--The fact that you take YOUNG PEOPLE through a news agent makes no difference whatever. "Wiggles," puzzles, and other favors from our young readers all receive the same attention, and are equally welcome.