Ella M.
Not the waste-basket, dear, but the pigeon-hole. We do not destroy the letters which we can not publish, and even when they are not printed, we enjoy reading them, and feel obliged to those who write to us.
Charleston, South Carolina.
Papa gave Young People to me as a birthday present, and I am so glad when he brings it home every week. I read all the stories, and I love to read the letters from all the little girls and boys. You will see I am a little Southern girl, and in the winter here the orange-trees are all in bloom, and the gardens are filled with flowers, as we do not often have the snow and ice that some of your readers do. There are only two of us. My sister Isa is ten, and has dark eyes and brown curls. I have light eyes and curls, and am eight years old, so you see that we don't look alike. I have been at a kindergarten for two years, and now I am in school with the larger girls. I am very fond of dolls, and have a great many of them. My sister is godmother to all of them, and makes all their clothes, which is a great help to me. We have a very boisterous puppy, and his name is Leo. He chewed up my prettiest wax doll. It was great fun for him, but not for me. Papa gave me another in her place, and she is very pretty. I take great care of her, so that Leo shall not get hold of her. We found a little stray kitten a few days ago in the street. We brought it home, and fed it, and as it is a tortoise-shell, and very pretty, we have named it Mrs. Langtry. What I like best of everything in Harper's Young People is the poetry. Such pretty pieces you publish! I studied, and recited at school on Friday "Only One," by George Cooper. So do find some more for me. This is a long letter from a little girl you don't know, and as my hand is tired, I will say good-by.
May P.
We feel quite well acquainted with you, May, and will be glad to hear from you again. It was too bad that your poor doll met with so dreadful a disaster. We can sympathize with you, for we once had a mischief-making little dog who chewed our favorite books, tore our dresses, hid our handkerchiefs, buried our gold pencil, frightened the chickens, and flew at all our friends, until they were afraid to enter the front gate. He grew more sedate and much less entertaining, however, in the course of time, which has a very subduing effect on puppies.
Some time has passed since I wrote you, and I feel to-day as if I would like to write again. My home is on a pretty little Southern River—the Tensas—and if I were a photograph artist, I would send you some of the prettiest river views you ever looked at. I often wish I could have some of the lovely vine-covered trees in our yard. The river is so very low at present that in places one can ride across it on horse-back; yet you would scarcely believe this could you see it in early spring, for nearly every year we are overflowed, and do all our visiting and church-going in skiffs. We have steamboats all the winter season, which carry off our cotton to New Orleans, and bring back all supplies, etc., from there. The boats have nice accommodations for passengers, and trips to the city are very pleasant. I am hoping to take one this winter.
This country has been unusually healthy this summer. Papa says distressingly so; that is because he is the doctor. We had church service yesterday. We have it only once a month, for our minister has two other appointments besides this. He lives only a quarter of a mile from us. He has six children, two boys and four girls, and they are so fair and delicate mamma often calls them our "Lilies of the Valley." Mollie, the second girl, is just a year older than I, and we are very dear friends, so we visit very often. I have a nice set of croquet, and the children sometimes come to play with me, and we enjoy the game ever so much. Please tell me, may other than subscribers have letters in Young People.
My letter is growing long. I do not like to take too much room, and crowd out other correspondents, so I will propose an exchange, and finish it. I have a large pair of deer horns, which I will send in return for a piece of jet, gold ore, or silver ore, or a petrified lizard or frog. I will exchange for a bunch of white violets, Wandering Jew; and grasses for grasses. Write before sending.
Marie Louise Usher,
Wild Wood Post-office, Catahoula Parish, La.