K. McD.—To become an expert in the art of illustration, severe and thorough study is the essential thing. You must be an excellent draughtsman, and that no one can become without practice and training. Learn to discipline the hand and to use the eye. Study anatomy, and try to show the varying expressions of the human face, as played upon by passion, sorrow, delight, content, or despair. Endeavor to catch the salient points in a situation, and make a picture which shall emphasize and add to the effect of the descriptive narrative. Your natural talent for sketching will be a great help to you, but nothing will make you really successful except patient and persevering study of drawing, and entire forgetfulness of yourself in your work.
Cohasset, Massachusetts.
Dear Postmistress,—Will you please tell me how to make a leaf album? I have heard of them, and thought I would like to make one, but do not know how.
Could you tell me of some nice books? I like histories ever so much.
I shall be ever so much obliged if you answer my questions in Our Post-office Box.
E. Lulu F.
There are several ways in which a beautiful leaf album might be made. I once possessed one which was composed of card pictures, every one of which represented either a single leaf or a cluster of leaves, with descriptions printed under each picture. A person with skill in painting could make a very lovely album by copying the leaves in their fresh or ripened tints. But probably the best way for you will be to gather leaves and press them carefully, and then fasten them upon your pages either with mucilage or by cutting a little slit in the paper large enough to hold the stem of each leaf. Write under every leaf the name of the species, the place where it grew, and the date of gathering it. You might also write a stanza of poetry on every page, selecting from American or English authors as you prefer. Any blank-book of convenient size will do for an album.
I am very glad you like history. As I do not know what books you have already read, I can give you only the names of some which I like. The Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay, by G. Otto Trevelyan, is a charming biography, and after reading it you will not rest until you have read Macaulay's History of England. Green's Short History of the English People, in one volume, is a book which will charm you from the first to the last page. I hope you read Shakspeare, especially the historical plays. And I advise you to read, by way of informing yourself about American history, Miss Eliza Robins's Tales from American History, and Thatcher's Tales of the American Revolution. Lossing's Field-Book of the Revolution is delightful reading. You will say, "Please, Postmistress, stop," and I will do so, because I might fill a column with the names of books which an intelligent young person would enjoy reading. One thing let me add, and that is, that a good school text-book is always an excellent book to keep at hand for reference when you are reading larger histories.
The careful perusal of Young People will help you to learn about out-of-the-way episodes in history, which you might have to look over many volumes to find.