Little Folks (December 1884) Part 22

LITERATURE.

A LOVER OF POETRY would like to know where the following line occurs, and by whom it was written:--

"The league long roller thund'ring on the reef."

RAGS AND TATTERS wishes to know where the following lines are taken from, and who is the author:--

"Till the day break and shadows flee away In that far future dawn that knows not death."

ETHEL writes, in answer to LITTLE MAID OF ARCADIE, that the quotation--

"Evil is wrought by want of thought, As well as want of heart"--

is from a poem by Thomas Hood, ent.i.tled "The Lady's Dream." Answers also received from several other readers.

WORK.

NELLY asks if any one could tell her how to make a pretty and simple lace collar.

COOKERY.

RUBY AND A STRAWBERRY are informed that full directions for making toffee appear on page 335 of this number.

GENERAL.

PANSY and M. E. would be glad if any one would tell her how to press flowers, as those she has done have gone brown.

GUMMY would be very pleased if any one could give him a few hints on satin-painting; has the satin to be prepared before it can be painted on? if so, how?

VERUS would like to know of a very simple way of making an aeolian harp, if any one could tell her.--[The method was described in the May, 1882, number of LITTLE FOLKS, Vol. XV., p. 319.--ED.]

THE SHAMROCK OF FREILING would be glad to know if any of the readers of LITTLE FOLKS could tell them how to bleach gra.s.s for making Markart bouquets.

DAFFODIL asks if any one will tell her how to paint on tiles with water-colours.

NATURAL HISTORY.

EDITH would like to know what is the best food for rabbits, and how often they ought to be fed. [They should be fed twice a day, every time clearing away everything and giving quite fresh food. The staple diet must be what is called "dry food," varied, such as dry crust of bread, bread soaked in milk and squeezed dry, barley meal mixed with a very little hot water, oatmeal same way, dry barley or oats. You need not use all, but vary now and then. Give beside every day a moderate quant.i.ty of fresh green leaves, kept first long enough to dry off all dew or rain, and begin slightly to wither.]

PARTHENOPE would be glad to know what would be the best food for a starling in the winter?--[A sort of stock food is made of the fine-ground oats called "fig-dust," made into a stiff dough with milk and water, adding every day a pinch of soaked currants or a little fine-shredded raw beef. Give a little fruit now and then, and a few odd worms, insects, or snails. A little sopped bread will be taken as a change, but there must be a little animal food.]

MARY BRAZIER asks what is the best food for a dormouse. She knows that a little Indian corn is often given.--[You should vary the diet with wheat, Indian corn, bits of bread-crust, bread-and-milk squeezed dry, with any kind of nut occasionally, and a few blades of gra.s.s or field weeds.]

ANSWERS TO OUR LITTLE FOLKS' OWN PUZZLES (_p. 317_).

POETICAL ACROSTIC.--CAMPBELL.

1. C hateaubriand. 2. A lfieri. 3. M ilton.

4. P etraria. 5. B yron. 6. E ulla.

7. L eopardi. 8. L amartine.

MISSING VOWEL PUZZLE.

"Break, break, break, On thy cold grey stones, O sea!

And I would that my tongue could utter The thoughts that arise in me."

DOUBLE GEOGRAPHICAL ACROSTIC.

ITALY--GARDA.

1. I ou G. 2. T arif A.

3. A nadi R. 4. L ichfiel D.

5. Y andill A.

MENTAL HISTORICAL SCENE.

Epaminondas, at the battle of Mantinea.

NUMERICAL ENIGMA.

"O what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!"

1. Lear. 2. Train. 3. Drain. 4. Weep. 5. Character.

6. Brew. 7. Goad. 8. What. 9. Wife. 10. Drove. 11. Wander.

12. Save. 13. Stew. 14. Sleep. 15. It.

FOUR PICTORIAL PROVERBS.

1. "All are not thieves that dogs bark at."

2. "A rolling stone gathers no moss."

3. "Count not your chickens before they are hatched."

4. "When the cat is away the mice do play."