December 4th.

Dear Uncle:—I was thinking about Jules Verne's book last night after I went to bed, and I see a way of getting it which both Dickson Secundus and Fox consider fair. I want you to give it to me as my Christmas present for both this year and next year. Thus I won't want a present from you next Christmas; but I don't mind that so long as I get this book. One six-shilling book this year and another next year would come to 12s., and Jules Verne's book is only 10s. 6d., so this plan will save you 1s. 6d. in the long run. I think you should buy it at once, in case they are all sold out before Christmas.

VIII.

December 5th.

My Dear Uncle:—I hope you haven't bought the book yet, as Dickson Secundus has found out that there is a shop in the Strand where all the books are sold cheap. You get threepence off every shilling, so you would get a ten-and-six book for 7s. 10-½d. That will let you get me a cheapish one next year, after all. I inclose the address.

IX.

December 7th.

Dear Uncle:—Dickson Secundus was looking to-day at "The Formation of Character," which you gave me last year, and he has found out that it was bought in the shop in the Strand that I wrote you about, so you got it for 4s. 6d. We have been looking up the books I got from you at other Christmases, and they all have the stamp on them which shows they were bought at that shop. Some of them I got when I was a kid, and that was the time you gave me 2s. and 3s. 6d. books; but Dickson Secundus and Fox have been helping me to count up how much you owe me as follows:

Nominal
Price.		Price
Paid.
£s.d.s.d.
1850 "Sunshine and Shadow" ... 0 2 0 1 6
1881 "Honesty Jack" ... 0 2 0 1 6
1882 "The Boy Makes the Man" ... 0 3 6 2 7½
1883 "Great Explorers" ... 0 3 6 2 7½
1884 "Shooting the Rapids" ... 0 3 6 2 7½
1885 "The Boy Voyagers" ... 0 5 0 3 9
1886 "The Formation of Character"... 0 6 0 4 6
1 5 6 19 1½
0 19 1½
0 6 4½