BOOKS RECEIVED.
Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag, Vol. IV. (My Girls, etc.), published by Messrs. Roberts Brothers, Boston, is the fourth book in this deservedly popular series of short stories by Miss Louisa M. Alcott. The tales are full of freshness, humor, and wholesome thought, with inimitable touches of playful fancy and tenderness such as have established Miss Alcott's loving rule over the hearts of her readers. Boys as well as girls will find plenty to enjoy in these twelve delightful scraps from Aunt Jo's bag, and,—but readers of St. Nicholas need no recommendation to them of anything that Miss Alcott has written. There are some pretty illustrations to the book, and the price is one dollar.
From the same publishers we have received also: Tom, a Home-Story, by George L. Chaney, illustrated, $1.25; A Great Emergency, and Other Tales, by Juliana Horatia Ewing, illustrated, $1.25; Jolly Good Times at School—Also Some Times not quite so Jolly, by P. Thorne, illustrated, $1.25.
A new book by the author of "Helen's Babies" is now to be obtained. It is called Budge and Toddie, their Haps and Mishaps, and is an illustrated edition of "Other People's Children." The designs are by Lucy G. Morse.
Boys will be glad to hear of a good book, Every-day Experiences at Eton, by a present Eton boy, published by George R. Lockwood, of New York. It is a hearty and amusing story, giving, with very slight exaggeration, a faithful account of life in the English public-school at Eton.
Spenser for Children, published by Chatto & Windus, of London; Scribner, Armstrong & Co., New York. A beautiful book, illustrated with several fine colored plates, and relating in simple prose the chief incidents of Spenser's great poem.
From Messrs. Baker, Pratt & Co., New York, we have Lilliput Land; or, The Children's Peep-Show. This is a collection of serials, short stories, poems, music, and pictures, adapted to interest and instruct young folks. It is edited by the author of "Lilliput Levee." Price, $1.25.
Messrs. Porter & Coates, Philadelphia, send us Happy Days, a very pleasant book, full of pictures, tales and verses, for boys and girls. Several of the articles are by well-known writers, and the contents, as a whole, are bright, wholesome, and entertaining.
From the American Tract Society, New York, we have received Dolly's New Shoes, and Some of the Places they Went to, price 30 cents, postage 2 cents; Daughters of Armenia, by Mrs. S. A. Wheeler, Missionary in Turkey, price 90 cents, postage 6 cents; Almost a Man, by S. Annie Frost, with illustrations by Arthur Burdett Frost, price $1, postage 8 cents; Grace Ashleigh's Life-Work, illustrated, price $1, postage 8 cents; and Dear Old Stories told Once More, forty Bible stories, in large type, and with illustrations by "Faith Latimer."
THE RIDDLE-BOX.
DOUBLE ACROSTIC.
The initials read downward and the finals upward will give the names of two countries in Europe.
1. A beam of light. 2. To join. 3. To pillage. 4. An article of food. 5. What merchants write. 6. An insect.
A. R.
HOUR-GLASS PUZZLE.
Across: 1. Calls. 2. A number. 3. A consonant. 4. A river. 5. Wounds. Diagonals: Sharpens and transmits. Central: Interior.
CYRIL DEANE.
DECAPITATIONS.
1. Behead a kind of nut, and leave a kind of grain. 2. Behead a small stream, and leave a bird. 3. Behead another bird, and leave a gardener's implement. 4. Behead a musical instrument, and leave another musical instrument. 5. Behead a carpenter's tool, and leave a narrow passage. 6. Behead part of a wagon, and leave a part of the body. 7. Behead another part of the body, and leave a tree. 8. Behead an edible fish, and leave the defeat of an army. 9. Behead a dried fruit, and leave an ancient alphabetic letter.
ISOLA.
DIAGONAL PUZZLE.
Diagonals, from left to right, a part of the year. Seven words. Fill the blanks in the sentence with appropriate words; and written under each other in the order given, they will give the diagonal.
As —— is more abundant than —— in this season when Love —— her altar fires anew, may this joy go through the —— year, bearing you constant ——; so that, looking back at its close, you can say: "1878 —— to have been one prolonged ——."
J. R.
DOUBLE-PUZZLE.
Central Syncopations.
1. Syncopate mad, and leave what soldiers often make. 2. Syncopate part of a house, and leave to move. 3. Syncopate speed, and leave anger. 4. Syncopate to soak, and leave a gait. 5. Syncopate a river, and leave a rank. 6. Syncopate a particle, and leave a laugh. 7. Syncopate openings, and leave farming implements. 8. Syncopate baked clay, and leave fastenings.
The letters that have been syncopated, read downward, will make two words which you must find in the following
Cross-word Enigma.
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1. In brook, but not in sea; 2. In slave, but not in free; 3. In lose, but not in find; 4. In heed, but not in mind; 5. In barn, but not in shed; 6. In black, but not in red; 7. In hill, but not in mound; 8. In held, but not in bound. What's the answer?—can you say? 'Tis something boys much like to play. |
CYRIL DEANE.
GEOGRAPHICAL TRANSPOSITIONS.
1. —— —— a good post at ——. 2. Did you notice the carved —— in that old cathedral door in — —? 3. —— —— with pleasure from Geneva, for ——. 4. I took great —— to witness these national games, when in ——. 5. I found —— gold in a mine in ——. 6. I could stand —— in the entrance to the cave in ——. 7. I have —— interest in —— than in any other foreign city.
B.
OMNIBUS WORD.
In a word of five letters find: 1st. An hour-glass puzzle, the central letters of which, read downward, signify to perform again; horizontally, a symbol often used in writing, a beverage, a vowel, a performance, to provide. 2d. A word-square containing a unit, a vehicle, an epoch. 3d. Words to each of which one letter may be prefixed so as to form another word: a preposition, an animal; a verb, a weed; a study, a vehicle; a part of the body, a sign of sorrow. 4th. Words to fill appropriately the blanks in each stanza below, by prefixing a letter to the first word, when found to form the second, and by prefixing a letter to the second to form the third:
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I would not heed so small an ——, When dealing with one of his ——, Or of my temper leave a ——. We asked him in; he sat and —— Of the ripe fruit at such a ——, He lowered well the heaped up ——. |
H. H. D.
ACCIDENTAL HIDINGS.
In these quotations find five girls' names, without transposing any letters.
"Of such as wandering near her secret bower,
Molest her ancient solitary reign."—Gray.
"Where olive-leaves were twinkling in every wind that blew,
There sat beneath the pleasant shade a damsel of Peru."—Bryant.
"Slowly she raised her form of grace;
Her eyes no ray conceptive flung."—Hogg.
"Stainless worth,
Such as the sternest age of virtue saw."—Bryant.
PERSPECTIVE-CROSS PUZZLE.
Each of the horizontal words is formed of five letters, excepting No. 6, which has but three. Of the perpendiculars, Nos. 16, 17 and 18 have ten letters each; No. 12 has three letters; and each of the other perpendiculars has five letters. The slanting words have each three letters. Each corner letter serves for every word that radiates from or to its corner.
Meanings of the Different Words.—Horizontals: 1, Sublime; 2, an engraving; 3, to trench; 4, occurrence; 5, a certain form of glass; 6, a kind of fish; 7, large; 8, a yard; 9, concise. Perpendiculars: 10, An article of dress; 11, solemn; 12, hitherto; 13, to make sure; 14, a Turkish institution; 15, to establish; 16, magical; 17, advancement; 18, tractable. Diagonals: 19, Sarcastic; 20, to jump; 21, did meet; 22, a wooden fastening; 23, a part of the body; 24, a hammock; 25, a girl's name.
H. H. D.
EASY SQUARE WORD.
1. An instrument for measuring time. 2. A title among the ancient Peruvians. 3. Sour. 4. To load.
PLUTO.
NUMERICAL ENIGMA.
When we went to the 123456 789, the others had contrived to 123456789 us in picking nuts.
CYRIL DEANE.
FRAME PUZZLE.
Make the frame of four words of nine letters each, so that there shall be the same letter of the alphabet at each of the four corners where the words intersect. That letter being indicated (o, in this puzzle), gives the clue.
Upper horizontal line, a pigeon; lower horizontal line, a kind of grain. Left perpendicular line, without a name; right perpendicular line, without fragrance.
B.
CHARADE.
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My first of Roman origin you see, Whose purport illustrates the century; Means light for blind men; restless as a sprite; The sailor's trust; the prelate's dear delight. My second heads a small but mighty band, Whose power pervades and elevates the land: Indefinite enough, yet, once defined, It is a thing no language leaves behind. My third consoles, and cheers in anguish deep, And oft, like great Macbeth, hath "murdered sleep." Dear to the maiden's heart when dry and dead, Its beauty and its bloom forever fled. Yet even then what lips its charm rehearse! What poets chant it in their genial verse! My whole how soft, how silent and how fleet! Female, yet masculine, its aspect sweet. Tinted as fair as clouds that deck the sky, Or stainless as the snows that round us lie; Bright as the saffron tints of dawning light, Or darker than the stormy depths of night. A prince's bride; the treasure of a lad; And yet biographer it never had. For he who writes its life must ever use Volumes to celebrate each separate muse. Fierce, fond, and treacherous, full of songs and wails, The hero of a thousand fights and tales; The love of ladies and the scorn of men; The shame of England's arms. Oh guess me then! |
ROSE TERRY COOKE.
WORDS ENIGMATICALLY EXPRESSED.
These are a source of great amusement, whether written or acted. To illustrate the latter, you will, for instance, throw your muff under the table, and ask, "What word does that represent?" Perhaps some one will suggest "Muffin." "No—'fur-below.'" Tie your handkerchief tightly around the neck of some statuette—"Artichoke"—etc. In writing or speaking a sentence to illustrate a word, the most ridiculous will sometimes provoke the most mirth. We will give an illustration of one pretty far-fetched, but allowable: "Mister, please come here and make this shell stand up on edge"—"Circumstantial (Sir-come-stan'-shell)." "I encountered the doctor to-day"—("Metaphysician". With this introduction, I propose a few words for your consideration.
1. Put an extremity into a jar. 2. Young ladies from Missouri. 3. A cow's tail in fly-time. 4. That young sow cost twenty-one shillings sterling. 5. A sham head-dress. 6. Victims to corns. 7. Oxidized iron on a weapon. 8. "Where's the prisoner, Pat?" "Sure, your honor, he's taking his breakfast." 9. "Come and cut our hair." 10. Deviate, fish. 11. A goat. 12. Four.
AUNT SUE.
PICTORIAL CHRISTMAS PUZZLE.
PICTORIAL CHRISTMAS PUZZLE.
The puzzle is an Anagram Enigma, rather difficult, and meant for experienced puzzle-workers. The answer is the first line of a well-known couplet relating to Christmas.
Each of the numerals underneath the pictures represents a letter belonging to that word of the answer indicated by the numeral,—(thus, 3 indicates a letter of the third word; 7, a letter of the seventh word, etc.),—and each collection of numerals represents a word which will describe the picture above it.
To solve the puzzle, find a word to describe each picture containing as many letters as there are numerals beneath the picture. After all the seven words have been thus found, select from them and group together all the letters that in the numbering beneath the pictures are designated by the same numeral (for, as already stated, all the letters bearing the same numeral belong to that word of the answer which is indicated by the numeral), and each group of these letters must be transposed to form the word of the answer which corresponds with the numeral of the group.
Thus, the word "hay" has three letters and will describe the first picture. After words have been found to describe the other pictures, the selection must begin, and "h," the first letter of "hay," should be placed in a group with all the other letters bearing the numeral 7 in the numbering beneath the pictures; "a" should be grouped with all the other letters designated by 2, and "y" with all those designated by 3; and so on.
When all the letters have been properly separated and grouped, transpose all those letters belonging to group No. 1 into a word to form the first word of the answer; those belonging to group No. 2 into the second word of the answer, etc.
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN DECEMBER NUMBER.
Chess Puzzle.—Begin at the word "Bind." The stanza reads:
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"Bind me, ye woodbines, in your twines; Curl me about, ye gadding vines; And oh, so close your circles lace, That I may never leave this place; But lest your fetters prove too weak, Ere I your silken bondage break, Do you, O brambles, chain me too, And, courteous briars, nail me through."—Marvell. |
(Quoted by Elia in essay entitled "Blakesmoor in H—— shire.")
Easy Numerical Enigma.—Lowell. L, lo, low, owe, we, well, ell.
A Plea for Santa Claus.—Merry Christmas. Take the third letter from the beginning of each line, and read downward.
Magic Domino Square.—The diagram shows one method of arranging the dominoes. But the puzzle can be solved by two or three other arrangements.
Broken Words.—1. Inquires—in quires. 2. Western—we stern. 3. Ashantee—a shanty.
Pictorial Quadruple Acrostic.—Stalagmites, Stalactites, Natural Cave, Underground, 1. SNUfferS. 2. TANgenT. 3. ATDA. 3. LaUrEL. 4. AuRoRA. 5. GGAC. 6. MeaL RaT. 7. IOdide CuprI. 8. TrUAnT. 9 ENVelopE. 10. SpaDES. Christmas Enigma.—"He has more business than an English oven at Christmas."
Authors' Names.—1. Mulock (mew, loch). 2. Edgeworth (edge worth). 3. Thackeray (T hack ray). 4. Carlyle (Carl isle). 5. Charles Reade (Charles read). 6. Ruskin (rusk inn). 7. Gaskell (gas K ell). 8. Hale. 9. Macaulay (Mac awl ay). 10. Victor Hugo (victor hug O). 11. Prescott (press cot). 12. Whitney (whit neigh). 13. Braddon (brad don). 14. Alcott (Al cot). 15. Disraeli (D Israel I). 16. Rossetti (Rose Ettie).
A Rimless Wheel..-1. Parapet. 2. Manakin. 3. Fanatic. 4. Rubadub. 1a, par; 1b, pet; 2a, man; 2b, kin; 3a, fan; 3b, tic; 4a, rub; 4b, dub.
Diagonal Puzzle.—Santa Claus. St. Nicholas, pAtronizes, coNfidence, conTribute, compArable, reconCiles, immacuLate, legitimAte, miraculoUs, schoolboyS.
Proverb Puzzle.—"Christmas comes but once a year." Car, sabots, chimney, mouse, trace.
Sextuple Acrostic.—Mopes, Abaft, Larva, Enter.
Easy Diamond Puzzle.—R, Dog, Robin, Gig, N.
Numerical Enigmas.—1. Winsome—win some. 2. Sailor—sail or. 3. Wind-flowers—wind flowers. 4. Whip-poor-will—whip poor Will. 5. Parents—Pa rents. 6. To-morrow—Tom or row. 7. Wellfare—Well! farewell.
Answer to Tree Puzzle in jack-in-the-Pulpit.—The above diagram shows one way of arranging nineteen trees in nine straight rows and yet have five trees in each row. The lines show the rows.
For names of solvers of November puzzles, see "Letter-Box," page 236.