AN ORPHLING.
Mr. Kullchaw. "Good gracious, children, you must not think of bringing such a forlorn-looking cur as that in the house!"
Fanny. "Oh, but, Papa dear, when he is washed and mended, I think he'll look real nice, and we can exhibit him at the Dog Show."
New Hartford, Connecticut.
Last summer our big cat caught a rat. It was one of the largest rats I ever saw. The cat did not eat it, but left it on the lawn dead. The next day we noticed the rat did not look nearly as large, and upon going to it, we saw that it was half buried, and was being slowly pulled down by something. On looking closely, we discovered several large black beetles, spotted with yellow, working under the rat; and in thirty-six hours from the time it was left there, they buried it all out of sight except a little bit of its tail.
Can any one tell me why the beetles did this?
Hallie A. S.
The beetles which buried the rat belonged to the family of carrion beetles known as Silphidæ. They live in the ground, and have feet fitted for digging. They eat all kinds of filth and dead animals, and on this account are sometimes called scavengers. Those whose work relieved your lawn of the dead rat belonged to the branch of the Silphidæ family called burying or sexton beetles. The instinct of these bugs is very remarkable. They scent a dead mouse or any small animal from afar, and at once proceed to secure the prize. If the ground where it lies is rocky, and too hard for their little feet to work in, an army of them fasten on the body, and drag it to a softer place. Then they work underneath, as you saw them do, until they sink their prey, and can cover it away from the air and sun, which would soon dry it, and make it unfit for their food. The sexton beetles lay their eggs in the little dead body they have buried, so that when the tiny grubs are hatched, their food is all ready for them. The common carrion beetles have strong teeth, and can eat almost any animal substance, no matter if it is very hard and dry, but the sexton beetles can only eat very soft things, and their little grubs would die had not Nature, who cares for the least of her children, endowed them with this wonderful instinct to provide suitable food and protection for their young.
Dover, New Hampshire.
I have had my first volume of Young People bound, and it makes a very nice book. On page 496 of that volume is a picture of the Indians killing Major Waldron here in Dover. I live just across the river from where his house was, and I can see the place from my windows. We do not have any Indians here now, but I saw some once in a show, and they were savage-looking fellows.
Burton T. S.
Raton, New Mexico.
We live in the Raton Mountains. We call our home Glenwood. It is a beautiful place, especially in the summer. It is situated at the mouth of two cañons. We have a great many beautiful wild flowers and ferns here, and we press a great many for winter decoration.
We have two pet calves. Their names are Rose and Graceful. They are very gentle. Rose always comes to the door to wait for her milk, and if she does not get enough, she will go around to another door, and wait until she gets more. We have only to take a pan in our hands, and she will trot after us all over the place.
I think Young People is delightful, and it is very pleasant to think that from the Atlantic to the Pacific thousands of little readers are delighted with the same stories, and welcome the coming of this little paper with the same eagerness.
Ella G. R.
Near Richmond, Virginia.
About a week ago my papa came home in the evening and told us that a nice horse had fallen and broken her leg on the Reservoir Drive, and that the owner would have to shoot her. The next morning we saw the poor horse limping up the road on three legs, and the rain was pouring down. We all felt so very sorry, and papa had her brought into our stable and fed. When he looked at her leg, he thought it could be cured. He went to see the owner, who said papa might cure her if he cared to take the trouble. Papa has put her leg in splints, and bound it up with oakum and strong bandages, and it is doing nicely. It will have to be kept in splints for four weeks. I will write and tell Young People when our horse is well. We are going to call her Experiment. I am seven years old.
Bessie K. N.
Albany, New York.
Dear Young People,—I write to tell you about my home. It is situated on the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad, thirty miles from Saratoga; the name of it is Comstock's. It was founded by my great-grandfather in 1849.
There used to be a great many Indians around here, and a number of arrow-heads have been found in a muck bed at the end of our meadow. A woman living on the mountain, about a mile from us, found an arrow-head firmly stuck in a piece of fire-wood which her husband had cut. Near by there is a cave dug in the solid rock, most likely the work of Indians. Near it there is a hole in the solid rock, about two feet deep and nine inches across, where they used to pound corn. Up a creek not far from our house a cannon full of gold coin (so tradition says) was sunk by Burgoyne's army when they went from Skenesboro' (now Whitehall) to Fort Edward, and almost every summer people come to drag for it. Once they hooked on to something very heavy, which, as they had but one horse, they could not pull up. Many people thought it was the cannon. There was a battle fought at Port Ann, four miles south of Comstock's, in the French and Indian war, and even now people sometimes find old coins there under the stones.
George C. B.
Glen Haven, Wisconsin.
I am a little girl eleven years old, and a subscriber to this delightful little paper ever since it was published. I do not know how I would get along without it. I have a little niece with blue eyes. She is seventeen months old. When she comes to our house, she says "Dood-day" to everybody. She always wants to see the pictures in Young People, but she is too little to read. This is my fourth letter to Our Post-office Box. All the others must have gone to the "waste-basket." I do hope this will not go there too.
Amy L. O.
Lisbon, Iowa.
After teasing mamma a long time, she has consented to let me write again to Our Post-office Box. She thinks it may be a case of PXP=P (see Young People No. 73), for this is my third letter, and I haven't seen any in print yet. I am almost nine years old. I am very much interested in Toby Tyler. I hope he will get home all right, and that his uncle will give him all he can eat. I read Young People out loud to mamma and grandma. I have a little sister Georgie.
Pet W.
Near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I wrote a long time ago to Our Post-office Box, but my letter wasn't printed; but mamma always says, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." If we lived in some distant place I could write a more interesting letter, although our hills are never without interest.
Three of us children can read "Toby Tyler," and when we saw the picture of him running away with his monkey, we all gave a shout. We hope Mr. Otis will keep on writing about Toby Tyler until he gets to be a man, so we will know all about him. I am glad he got away, because he is not a bad boy; but he might grow up to be one if he staid with the circus.
Mary P.
I will exchange some madrone berries, a piece of manzanita wood and bark, and a few sugar-pine nuts, for ocean curiosities.
The manzanita is a shrub. It sometimes grows to the height of ten or twelve feet, but is generally about five feet high. It has small pink and white blossoms, and the berries, when ripe, are very sweet, like sugar. The bark is very thin, and is red. The wood is red when dry.
The madrone is a tree. It has small white blossoms, and in the autumn it has bright red berries. It is an evergreen.
Elva C. Wheeler,
Grant's Pass, Jackson Co., Oregon.
I am a little Dutch girl, and an orphan. I live with my grandmother, who is very kind to me. I am a cousin to the little Lockman girls, who wrote to Young People from Muskoka, and who lost their brother last winter. They are here on a visit. They were very glad to come, after living there in the backwoods so long.
I am making a silk quilt, and I would like to exchange pieces with any of the little girls who take Young People.
Annie Shupe,
Mohawk, Brant Co., Ontario, Canada.
We wish to tell the readers of Young People about a pet we have in our house, and they must guess what it is. Our pet is quite large. It has four legs, but it can not walk. It affords us a great deal of pleasure, and occupies a great deal of our time, although it sometimes gets badly out of order—so bad that we have to send for a man, who only attends to such patients as our pet, to come and put it right again.
Please, Mr. Editor, don't tell any one, but our pet is our _i_n_.
We will exchange a stone from Iowa, for one from any other State.
Iris and Myrtle Brockway,
Concord, Hancock Co., Iowa.
Some time ago I received a letter containing four stamps from a boy who wished gold ore in return. I have lost his address, and wish he would be so kind as to send it to me again.
Dwight Marfield,
Circleville, Pickaway Co., Ohio.
So many boys and girls are in trouble on account of losing addresses that we would advise them to procure a small blank-book, and write down names, addresses, and what has been sent by that particular correspondent. This entry should be made as soon as the letter is received. When it is answered, make a little mark against it with a blue pencil, which will show you that it has been duly noticed. A little care of this kind will save you a great deal of trouble, and assist you in forming methodical habits, which will be of service to you when you are men and women, and have more important business to attend to. Here is a letter from another correspondent whose affairs are evidently in confusion:
All children who have written or sent boxes to me, and have received no answer, will please write again.
Dellie Porter, Russellville, Logan Co., Ky.
Memphis, Tennessee.
I regret to say that sickness has caused me to delay answering many postals for the exchange of curiosities. I am now sending off what I have, and as I will go to Hot Springs again this summer, I will get what I can for my new friends.
W. H. Howland.
As my supply of amethyst is exhausted, I can not make any more exchanges. I have received a little box of stamps, which I will return if the sender will forward me his or her address.
Harlow C. Clarke, Hastings, Minn.
The following exchanges are offered by correspondents:
Florida moss and Indiana postmarks, for foreign coins or Indian arrow-heads.
Charlie Beemer,
P. O. Box 395, Muncie, Delaware Co., Ind.
Twenty-five postmarks, for three foreign stamps.
Frank F. Butzon,
Watseka, Iroquois Co., Ill.
Five postmarks for every foreign stamp, European excepted.
H. D. Bates,
Care of R. B. Bates, Racine, Wis.
An ounce of soil from Indiana, for the same from any other State.
Harry D. Baugh,
718 Walnut Street, Evansville, Ind.
Seven New England postmarks (no duplicates), for 2½ p. claret and 4 p. blue Dominica stamps, of the issue of 1880.
John R. Blake,
26 West Nineteenth Street, New York City.
Stamps from England, France, Greece, Denmark, and the Netherlands, for Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Turkish, or South American stamps. Almanacs over one hundred years old, for ocean curiosities or rare stamps.
John L. Benitz,
Uniontown, Fayette Co., Penn.
Coins, boxwood, and shells, for coins and curiosities.
Herbert Carr,
P. O. Box 1112, Brockton, Mass.
Pieces of Hell Gate rock blown up by General Newton's little girl, two years of age, shells from Fire Island, and postmarks, for Indian curiosities, specimens of wood, and minerals.
Maud M. Chambers, Astoria, L. I., N. Y.
Minerals, for minerals, ocean curiosities, or Indian relics.
James D. Keyes,
926 Ninth Street, Des Moines, Iowa.
Zinc or iron ore, some other minerals, or some South American postage stamps, for curiosities, especially from the ocean.
R. B. Kipp,
13 Grant Street, Newark, N. J.
Minerals, coins, stamps, postmarks, and curiosities.
Irvin P. Knipe & Bro., P. O. Box 219,
Morristown, Montgomery Co., Penn.
A collection of three hundred stamps from more than fifty different countries, for a good velocipede. Each stamp is on the centre of a white card.
John Lawrence,
40 Washington Square, New York City.
A stone from New York State, for one from any other State except Ohio and Pennsylvania.
C. N. Lord, Smithville, Jefferson County, N. Y.
Foreign stamps and coins, for United States Department and Central and South American stamps.
John W. Lennox,
275 Navy Street, Brooklyn, N. Y.
An old issue three-cent stamp for a common fifteen-cent. Eight United States stamps and two foreign, for seven War Department stamps.
J. H. Monroe,
P. O. Box 208, Guilford, New Haven Co., Conn.
Five postmarks, for one foreign stamp. Three postmarks, for one United States stamp, old issue. Two United States internal revenue stamps, for one foreign stamp. A one-cent War Department stamp, for any other official stamp.
Luther and Frank Mohr,
Mohrsville, Berks Co., Penn.
Crystals, and hot-house flower cuttings, for sea-shells.
Schele De Vere McConnell,
Center, Cherokee Co., Ala.
Four different postmarks, for one foreign stamp.
Samuel K. Smith,
Mohrsville, Berks Co., Penn.
Four postmarks for each, foreign stamp. Only present issues desired.
J. W. Siddall, Jun.,
213 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, Penn.
Postmarks, for stamps.
G. R. Siddall,
3958 Myrtle Street, Philadelphia, Penn.
Five foreign stamps, for one United States Department stamp. Fifty foreign stamps, for a two-dollar or five-dollar State Department. One hundred foreign stamps, for a ten-dollar or twenty-dollar State Department.
Charlie E. Sturgiss,
Marietta, Ohio.
Butterflies.
Charlotte Wood,
Care of J. J. Wood & Co., Columbus, Ohio.
Zinc ore, for foreign postage stamps.
Mary White,
132 East Forty-fifth Street, New York City.
One French or English stamp, for every ten common United States stamps.
Julie Wickham,
338 Lexington Avenue, New York City.
A few War and Treasury Department stamps, for stamps from China, Spain, Egypt, and the Argentine Republic.
Willie Walker,
1011 M Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C.
[For other exchanges, see third page of cover.]
Robert C. K.—Your specimen is a piece of bark of the white birch.
Evelyn A. and Elisabeth De Yonge.—Your pretty wiggles had so very far to travel—one all the way from Oregon, and the other across the sea from Holland—that they arrived too late for insertion. A very graceful lily introducing the wiggle, drawn by Theodora B, a little invalid girl of ten years, was also too late in making its appearance.
Newton C.—Directions for the care of rabbits have already been given in Young People, in the Post-office Box of Nos. 25, 31, and 54.
Alice M. and A. L. D.—Roller skates may be bought or ordered at any hardware store, or at any place where common skates are sold. The price varies according to the finish of the skate, but none of them are expensive. They can only be used on a smooth surface like city pavements, or a well-made floor.
Lise B.—There is no prettier way of celebrating the festival of May-day than the old-fashioned English custom of raising a May-pole covered with wreaths of flowers and green sprays, and choosing a Queen for the day. In ancient times every village in England observed the May-day pageant. A sort of bower or arbor was built on the green where the May-pole was raised, covered all over with flowers, and there the young girl who had been chosen Queen sat in great state, a wreath of flowers for a crown, and looked on while her subjects danced and played. It must have been rather tiresome to sit there and do nothing but look on, while the others were enjoying themselves with pleasant games, but it was thought to be a great honor to be chosen Queen, even for a day, especially as it was always the prettiest girl in the village who was selected.
As we have no Kings or Queens in this country, you might modify the festival, and when your father takes you and the other little girls out for your May-day picnic, you can leave out the Queen. Some of the boys in your party can easily raise a May-pole in some green spot, and you can decorate it with wreaths and flowers, just as the boys and girls of England did in the olden time. It will be a very pretty sight, and you can have your picnic spread around it on the soft grass.
A very pretty effect is sometimes made by tying stout cords to the top of the pole before it is raised, and covering them with vines, wreaths, and flowers. Afterward these cords are stretched out on all sides, and securely fastened to pegs driven into the ground, thus forming a sort of bower.
If you are fond of archery, you can imitate another old English May-day custom by playing the game of Robin Hood. The game is too elaborate to be followed exactly, but you can have bows and arrows and targets, and by dividing into two parties you can have very pleasant sport in trying your skill. In England the best archer represented Robin Hood, and the second best Will Stukely, both renowned men in the old ballads for their skill in the use of the bow. Then there was Friar Tuck and Maid Marian, and other characters, about whom you have read in the Robin Hood legends, who took part in the game; but it would take too much space to describe them all here, and you can get along just as well without them.
All May-day sports of the olden time were celebrated out-of-doors, and all had the same general character. Grown people as well as the young joined in the merry-making, and the whole day was given up to rejoicing that the reign of winter was over, and the season of soft airs and beautiful flowers had come again.
We have received a large number of puzzles on topics suited to the Easter holiday, some of which were excellent, but they all, without exception, arrived too late for insertion at the proper season. We accordingly acknowledge them with thanks, and with regrets that we can not print them.
Z. G. S.—Your stamps of different colors are different issues, the rose being that of 1868, and the blue of some years previous. If your stamp-book is large, and allows spaces for these different issues, it is interesting to keep both.
E. M. W.—Try the recipe for mucilage given in the Post-office Box of Young People No. 68. Spread it first on your stamp, and allow it to dry; then wet it slightly, and paste the stamp in your book. The leaves wrinkle because you use too much paste, and wet the paper more than is necessary.
Murray R. U.—Any change you desire will be made, but you must send your old as well as your new address, and both must be very distinctly written.
Jessie A.—Read the answer to Adele M. in the Post-office Box of Harper's Young People No. 36, Vol. I.
Alice C.—The little foreign girl you inquire about would, we are sure, prefer leaves pressed and varnished, so as to preserve their color.
E. B. A.—Many thanks for your favor, but as it is not new, we can not print it.
May and June.—1 and 2, French Republic; 3, German; 4, Sandwich Islands; 5, German (Bavarian). These stamps are all very common, and can be bought in New York city for a few cents.
Ned Nemo.—The address of the editor of the little paper has been changed, and we do not know the new one.
Belle and Carrie N.—There are so many dialogues and charades that it is difficult to select for you. It would be good practice for you to follow the example of Ida B. D., whose letter you will find in the Post-office Box of No. 63; that is, choose some story you all like, and arrange your own dialogue. If you have any brothers who could take part, a very pretty play might be made of "Mildred's Bargain."
A Constant Reader, Tennessee.—1. Music copied by hand pays letter postage. 2. Interesting as a curiosity; we do not know its market value. 3. Yes, if genuine. 4. No.
Willie F. C., Annie L. W., and Others.—You will find by referring to The Life and Career of Major John André, by Winthrop Sargent (published by Ticknor & Fields, Boston), that on page 312 it is stated that on the day preceding André's capture "seven young men, including Paulding, had agreed to waylay the road in quest of spoil, three of whom—Isaac Van Wart, David Williams, and John Paulding—kept the ambush, while four watched from a hill-top lest the light-horse should come on them unawares." Then, if you turn to page 315, you will find that when André prayed them to lead him to an American post, they set forth toward their comrades on the hill, Paulding leading the horse on which the captive was mounted. As the parties drew together, the guide informed Yerks, the chief man of the remaining four, of their capture.
Correct answers to puzzles have been received from Claude S. Burr, Bessie Bolton, Maud M. Chambers, Clara E. Commons, J. I. Crane, R. O. Chester, Alice C. Hammond, Charles W. Hanner, L. A. Jones, Howard B. Lent, Beth D. L., "L. U. Stral," Percy McDermott, G. Massa, George M. McClure, Bessie H. Moore, C. H. Nichols, "Pepper," Torrance Parker, C. A. Q., Percy Ryan, Herbert M. Rogers, "Sir Finly," Gilbert P. Salters. John and Alice S., "Starry Flag," John W. Stout, W. I. Trotter, "Will a Mette."
PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS.
No. 1.
ENIGMA.
First in meat, not in bone.
Second in pebble, not in stone.
Third in meal, not in corn.
Fourth in stem, not in thorn.
Fifth in girl, not in boy.
Sixth in hoop, not in toy.
Seventh in paper, not in book.
Eighth in turn, not in crook.
Ninth in youth, not in change.
The whole a noted mountain range.
Eugene S.