The boys must not feel that they are left out of this pleasure. They may draw these little figures on bits of paper, and then color them beautifully with their paints. Or, if they do so very carefully indeed, they may color the figures as they stand.
Foochow, China.
I was very glad to see my letter printed in one of the February papers. I do not expect to learn to write Chinese, but I learn to talk a little from the servants. Our Amah talks "pidgin English." This is the way she talks, "Amy just now have got too muchee rain, no can go walkee."
I have a doll that can say Papa and Mamma, but my mamma does not let me play with it, as it is wax. There are a great many roaches here, and one bit a piece of my dolly's cheek out when it was put away in the wardrobe.
Our only pet is a small cat, which is very lazy, and does nothing but eat and sleep. Sometimes we dress her up in doll's clothes as a baby. We have a very nice aquarium with gold-fish, shrimp, and one other kind of fish in it. The gold-fish have double tails. In the fall we hope to get the aquarium nicely filled with plants and things.
It is very hot here in the summer, but there is a large island, called Sharp Peak, in the China Sea, thirty miles from here, where the missionaries have houses, and go to spend part of the time. There is a very nice beach, and the bathing is very good. We went down for two weeks in June, and had a nice time. My brothers and I found some pretty shells. Please tell me if the lady whom you heard talk about China has ever been in Foochow. I have 568 stamps in my album now.
Amy C. J.
Your cat is very accommodating to be willing to wear doll's clothes to please you. Ask mamma to let you play with your wax doll, and then she will not be in danger of making a dinner for roaches or rats. I think the lady I spoke of when replying to your former letter has been in Foochow.
Boston, Massachusetts.
All the young people will be writing about their vacations, I suppose, and so I will write about mine. The most interesting part will be, I think, about my visit to Nantucket. Nantucket is a very old town. The houses are all built away from the sea, so when one is walking through the streets one has no view of the water at all. The very old houses all have on their roofs what are called "Lookouts." These are small railed platforms for the people to stand in and look out for the whaling vessels. When one came in sight, whoever was on the lookout gave the signal, and then great preparations were commenced—cooking mostly, I guess, for they didn't illuminate and send up fire-works in those days.
A splendid view of the town of Nantucket is obtained from the Unitarian church tower. In this tower is a very old bell, with a cross on two of its sides, and a Latin inscription under each cross. This bell was originally intended to form one of twelve chimes in an ancient Catholic church in Spain, but it was stolen, and after changing hands several times, it was landed in Nantucket.
Whoever goes to Nantucket must be sure and visit the Old Mill, which is a great curiosity. There is only one other like it in America. The curious part about it is that it is so old, and it never has been changed since it was first built, many, many years ago. The town-crier is another ancient institution, and with his bell and tin fish-horn he goes about the streets crying out all the news. When they wish to have an auction in Nantucket, everybody who has anything to sell carries it to the corner of some designated street, and there the things are auctioned off. We did not have time to go over to Siasconsett, but I mean to if I ever go to Nantucket again. The next time I write I will tell you about Plymouth. Good-by.
A. B.