Chautauqua Young People's Reading Union.
Wa Kerney, Kansas.
I think that "The Little Dolls' Dressmaker" was very nice; but little brother Roy likes to hear "Talking Leaves" first. I want to tell you about my pets. I have two dolls. My china doll was nine years old last Christmas; her name is Frankie. And then I have a wax doll, and her name is Lulu. She has real hair, and bright blue eyes. On her third birthday her grandma (that's my mamma) gave her a real cute little watch and chain. I have two birds. The canary's name is Major, and he is quite a little actor. George is my linnet, and is a very fine singer. I have a nice little kitty, and her name is Dot. I think if Miss Augusta C. could only see her, she would say that she was very nice. I have a picture of the Princess of Wales holding a large snow-white kitten in her arms. My little brother has a white dog; his name is Prince. He has many cunning tricks. We have taught him to chase the hawks, so they will not catch our chickens. I want to tell you how we amuse ourselves some of the time in winter. My papa bought us a box of paints, and we get two of the florist's catalogues and paint the flowers. I send you one or two that I have painted; don't you think they are nice? I am a little girl eleven years old. I have not any sisters, and only one little brother, seven years old.
Jennie May M.
Yes, Jennie, the flowers you sent were very nicely colored indeed, and your picture of your home and pets is very charmingly painted too.
Weldon, North Carolina.
We have three nice cats; their names are Judy, Jonah, and Salamander. When we were real little boys we used to run under the bed and hide when we heard papa coming in from the store. He would pretend to be surprised, and say, "Why, where are my boys?" and then Judy would run to the bed and look under at us, and then at papa, as if to say, "Here they are." Then he would pull us out, and what a frolic we would have climbing up into his arms! And Judy seemed just as happy as we were. Jonah is very large—weighs fifteen pounds. Salamander is our baby cat. She climbs up to mother's bedroom window every morning, and when she comes in she goes to mother first, and then to our room, and purrs and rubs around us, and puts up her little mouth to kiss just as sweet as anything. We are always glad when Wednesday comes, for then we get Harper's Young People. We like Jimmy Brown's stories ever so much, and think he must be related to Georgie Hacket, the bad boy, whose Diary we have read.
John and Bernard S.