I wish to tell all the little folks, like myself, who read Young People, of our home near the capital of the United States. From the heights near our house we have a beautiful view of the cities of Georgetown and Washington; and when the day is fair we can see Sugarloaf Mountain, away up the Potomac River, and down the river to Alexandria and Mount Vernon, the former home of our great General Washington.
We have a beautiful oak grove just back of our house, and a dear little owl lived there for several years. When we children played in the grove, laughing and shouting, he would come out of the hole in the side of the old oak-tree, and listen as if he were wondering what all the noise was about. When we moved back here last spring, the little owl was gone. A family of pretty little red squirrels had taken his place, and I guess they drove him out to seek a home somewhere else. The little usurpers seem very happy in their new home. We often see them playing and skipping about, and as we never molest them, they have grown quite tame, but we all wish the little owl would come back too. He used to do some funny things.
One night mamma went into the parlor, and was very much surprised to find all her beautiful ferns pulled out of the vase. As none of the children had done it, she didn't know what to think. She re-arranged them all nicely in the vase, but on going into the parlor in the morning, found them all scattered over the floor again. She was more surprised than ever, when, on looking up, there sat the little owl on one of the picture-frames, looking as wise as possible out of his great big eyes. He had come down the chimney, mamma thinks. She took him down, and after giving him a good talking to for his badness, carried him out to the grove, and letting him go, away he flew up to his nice warm nest in the old oak-tree again.
I am eleven years old, and have four sisters and two brothers, so you see "we are seven." We have a nice school near by, and last month my teacher gave me the highest number (100) on the roll of honor for deportment and perfect lessons.
I will be so much obliged if you publish my true story of the little owl, for I think it will please those who live in the large cities, and never have a chance of seeing the beautiful country, and the great oak-trees.
Elizabeth T. S.
Heidelberg, Germany.
I have been in Europe for a year and a half. I have been in England and Holland much of the time. I can speak German, and often I play with German children. When I was in Paris I often played with Mr. De Lesseps's children, and I think the picture of them which appeared in Young People is very good. Heidelberg is a very pretty little town surrounded by mountains. I went up the Rhine in a steamboat. It is a beautiful river, and has mountains on both sides, and on these mountains I counted more than sixty castles. I do not like Paris so well as I do New York city, which is my home. The best treat I have every week is the coming of my Young People. For my birthday, I got from mamma a lovely paint-box with eighteen paints and black and white chalk. I am very busy making my Christmas presents. I hope this will be printed, for I wrote once before, and the letter was not published. Now I must say good-by, wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Mary M.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I am a little girl six years old. My name is Susie. Papa read to me Etta M.'s letter, and I think a nice name for her doll would be Pansy. I have three dollies; one is named Nellie and one Julia and one Alice. I like Harper's Young People very much, and my sister Mary, who is eight years old, reads it to Bessie and me. Bessie is four years old. I like "Toby Tyler" best. I got papa to write this for me.
Susie L.