OUR BABY BOY.
Oh, he's so sweet,
The darling thing!
On his small feet
We kisses fling.
He plays, he crows,
Can laugh and sing,
And thinks he knows
'Most everything.
He goes to bed
So sweet at night;
You'll hear his tread
Soon as 'tis light.
He plays, you know.
The whole day through,
And he can blow
His trumpet new.
All places round,
No sweeter toy
Than this is found—
Our baby boy.
Daisy M. (aged 9.)
Davenport, Iowa.
Bayfield, Wisconsin.
I am thirteen years old, and have a little adopted sister, whose name is Elsie, and whom I love just as much as if she were my own sister. She is seven years old. I wish the readers of Young People could see my canary-bird. His name is Jim. I often let him out of his cage, and sometimes he comes hopping up to me, and then he will chirp until I give him a piece of apple or orange.
I am very fond of reading. I have just finished a book called Zigzag Journeys in Europe, and I enjoyed it very much. Our house is a square from Lake Superior. We can stand at any window and look right out on the lake. Bayfield is a great summer resort for invalids and pleasure-seekers. Very nearly all the large steamboats come here. From Bayfield we can also see five of the Apostle Islands.
Susie P.
Would it not be nice if we could have all the cunning and beautiful pets our little friends write about arranged together in a great exhibition? As this is impossible, we must try to see each of them from the pretty pen pictures their little owners send.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
I am nine years old. Last Easter mamma gave me Harper's Young People as a present. I am delighted with it, and reading those letters written by the young folks has put me in the notion of telling you something of myself. I go to school in West Philadelphia. Mamma thought the ride out there would be good for my health. I am obliged to start at eight o'clock, and I get home at two. I eat my dinner, learn my lessons, and then I am ready for play, which I enjoy greatly. I have neither brother nor sister, but I have several little friends. I have two velocipedes. Mamma gave me one when I was only four years old; it has three wheels; I call it my little clipper. The other has four wheels; I call it my propeller. I have a set of garden tools. I tell you I play hard until tea-time; then I get ready for tea. By eight o'clock I am quite ready for bed, as I have to get up at six. Sometimes I take a little ride before breakfast on my velocipede, or play with my pet cat, which I call Charlie, after papa. Mamma says she intends to turn over a new leaf, and have me black my own boots in the morning, and promises if I do it for two weeks she will make me a present of a nice blacking-box like papa's.
G. W. H.
St. Louis, Missouri.
I am seven years old. I have a little brother five and a dear little sister two years old. I go to school, and my brother goes to the kindergarten. I will tell you how my little sister said her prayers last night. She said, "God bless mamma and papa, and our dear, dear kittie cat. Amen." We thought it was so cute. I envy the little boys who live in the country. I have never been out of the city, but hope to go for all the summer. This is the first letter I have ever written.
Lucas N.
New York City.
I want to tell you of my pets. I have a little pug dog; his name is Punch. I have such fun with him, he is so playful. Then I have two canary-birds, and their names are Sweet and Top-knot. And I have a little kitten; her name is Betty; mamma named her.
I take music lessons, and go to school, and also attend a riding school twice a week. I like Harper's Young People very much. I think "Toby Tyler," "The Little Dolls' Dressmaker," and "Mr. Stubbs's Brother" are tiptop. Good-night.
Bertha E. F.
The Postmistress has pleasure in inviting the attention of boys to the following request:
The boys at this place having organized a social club, desire to have their secretary open a correspondence with the secretaries of other and similar clubs of boys. Persons interested will please address for further information,
W. T. Franklin,
82 East Jersey St., Elizabeth, N. J.
Mott Haven, New York.
I am a little girl nine years old. I have five dollies; their names are Katie, Jessie, Jemima, Daisy, and Ella. I have had Jemima eight years. I have a bedstead, and a carriage in which, on fine days, I take them out riding. I also have a trunk, and lots of other things. I have never been to school, and only began to write one year ago last February, and I hope you will be able to read this letter.
Aggie L. S. S.
I suppose Jemima is the favorite of the five dollies, as you have had her almost all your life. You write very well indeed.
Southampton, England.
Our grandma sends us Harper's Young People, which we find very interesting. We are Americans. We came here partly for our education, but mostly for our health. I am almost fourteen. I thought I would write to the Post-office Box, and tell you what I have seen. We have been to Netley Abbey, which is a very ancient ruin; it is over eleven centuries old. We have visited Netley Hospital. While we were there we saw a number of soldiers come in from the Zulu war. The hospital is a very fine building. We have also been to Romsey Abbey, and we saw there a plait of hair which is supposed to be a thousand years old. We have been to Winchester Cathedral, and saw many ancient tombs. We went to the New Forest, and saw the place where William Rufus was killed.
F. B. M.
You have a very pleasant opportunity to study English history, and you must write to the Post-office Box again, and tell us more about the places you visit.
I read the letters in the Post-office Box every week. I study geography, spelling, arithmetic, writing, and Latin. I have gone to school here for almost ten months. I have had a nice black and white rabbit for almost a year. I will try to get some wild ones this spring, and tame them. Some of us boys take our dinners out in the woods on Saturdays, and have a splendid time. In cold weather we build a fire.
I will give a book entitled Tel Tyler at School, 750 mixed foreign stamps, several foreign postal cards, a piece of petrified honey-comb, two shells from St. Augustine, Florida, and a pebble from Amsterdam, New York, for sixty stamps from Alsace-Lorraine, Angola, Antigua, Azores, Bolivia, Bermuda, British Honduras, Ceylon, Chili, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ionian Isles, Labuan, Lagos, Liberia, Malta, Nevis, Nicaragua, Orange States, Paraguay, Persia, Salvador, San Marino, Shanghai, St. Lucia, Trinidad, and Virgin Isles. Stamps must be in good condition.
Charles L. Hollingshead,
Care Rev. R. K. Todd, Woodstock, Ill.