E. Augusta Fanshawe, Treasurer, 43 New St.
December 15.
Received books from M. D. L. for Holy Innocent's Ward, St. Mary's Hospital.
Although I am not a little girl, I once was, and feel just like little girls do about letters going into the scrap-basket. I want to write a letter to all the little girl or boy readers of Young People who contribute to or take any interest in our Cot. Don't forget what we are working for, nor be discouraged. Those who live in the country, or are there in the summer, have, I am sure, climbed a mountain. Well, when you first started, and looked at the top, how high it seemed! and, oh! so far off; you wondered if you ever would get there. A little way up you saw a large oak-tree, and you made for that, and some way further was a clump of elms. A little effort brought you there, and as you looked back, you saw you had accomplished something, and the top was not quite so far away, and so on to the end of your journey. At the top you gave a loud hurrah, waving your hat, and felt well repaid. We are climbing a very high mountain. Three thousand dollars is a real mountain for small hands and feet to climb: but we don't intend to get discouraged. We won't look up at the top all the time, only keep it in mind. We are not very far off now from the oak-tree, and when there, we can look back and see "something accomplished, something done," and then keep on until we reach the elms; and then some little way further will be a short level place in the mountain, with a little stream and trees, and when we shall reach this and look back we will find we have gone one-third of our journey, and feel quite fresh for another start. Who will write me, through the Post-office Box, the names of these three fresh starting-places? Only remember we are not there yet, but are going to travel on steadily, and get there sure. Our Treasurer wants to send more names to the Young People. I will look for an answer to my questions, and hope soon to send you some account of the little people in our ward. So good-by.
Aunt Edna.
New York, 1881.
Hiawatha, Kansas.
This is the first year I have taken Young People, and I like it very much. Jimmy Brown is too funny for anything. All of us like "The Cruise of the 'Ghost,'" the best.
There are three of us children. I am the oldest, and our ages are six, nine, and ten. My sister and I each have a pony, and we have fine horse-back rides over the prairies. My little brother is just learning to ride. My sister is very fond of pets, and has four cats, and says she is going to have a hospital for sick animals when she grows up. We send three dollars for the Young People's Cot—one dollar for each of us.
Susie Morrill.