I have been wanting to write a letter to you for a long time, but have never done it until now. I have five brothers, and I am the only girl in the family. Papa has taken Harper's Young People for us ever since it began. I want to tell you about our circulating library. There are three families of us. We all take magazines, and exchange. There were four families, but one went to Falls City to live. We take Harper's Monthly and Young People. I would tell you what the rest take, only I am afraid if I did my letter would be too long to print. I like the Wiggles very much. I think our artist's idea of Wiggle No. 28 is so cute. I hope you can print this, and surprise my brothers.

Gertie B.

I think this idea of exchanging magazines and papers, as the families in Gertie's neighborhood do, is a very good one. I am sure the little circulating library will give pleasure to both young and old in the three homes. An only sister who has five brothers to love is in a very important place. Think of all the mittens she must mend, the strings she must fasten, the knots she must untie, and the gentle words she must speak. I hope she has a great many rides on brothers' sleds, and is taken care of and admired by all the boys, as she ought to be.

Fort Craig, New Mexico.

You asked me, a long time ago, to explain what a bucking bronco was. Well, I'll try to do so now. Ha! ha! ha! I should think you could hear me laugh. Why, a bronco is a horse that has never been broken to ride or drive, and when you get on for the first time, the bronco is generally sure to buck. Now when a bronco bucks he just looks like a big billy-goat, with long goatee and chin whiskers, spreading himself in front of a big looking-glass, and jumping up in the air, striking the ground stiff-legged.

Now what else do I learn besides riding and shooting? Why, until a week ago we had a splendid teacher, Mr. S. He's just the best teacher. And talk about playing the fiddle!—he can make it talk, and so he can make the guitar almost sing. Sister Eva is studying the guitar, and I am studying the violin. Professor S. teaches school and music, but he went off in the mountains lately for a trip with an officer of the army, and he will not be back for a couple of weeks. Since he left, our Mexican boy herder did the same, and now I am up every morning at five, and off with the horses and cattle before six, and only take a lunch with me, and stay out until sundown. I ride a good horse, have a shepherd dog, and go about three to four miles to good water and grass.

And you think Sis and I might sketch. Well, so we do. I did not know what you meant by botanize until papa told me. He just loves flowers, and has devoted a great deal of time to cultivating some this summer. He has succeeded, after planting about one hundred plants and several million seeds. We can—with a magnifying-glass—discover one or two pumpkin vines which were sent him from the East as "beautiful climbers," and one or two morning-glories. Some of the geraniums have done well, but all the rose-trees died. As to a cabinet, we have none; but we have some of the most beautiful specimens of minerals, crystallized quartz, copper, galena, spar, "white and black" silver, silver glance, native gold and silver, and all kinds of carbonates.

And now I think I have said almost too much for one time. So, with best wishes to all the little folks—and big folks too—who read Young People, I will say adios.

Harry W. C.

P.S.—You may think that I wrote all of this letter, but I did not. I asked papa to copy it for me, and he said things different from what I had it, and more of it too. Next time I will only ask him to punctuate and correct the spelling. It took me four nights to write this letter.

Harry.