Ettie from California. You have a "giant" to fight, it is true; but there is a happy thought—you are sure of success if you wear the armor which the great Captain has provided. Have you read a careful description of the armor? And are you clothed in it from head to foot? We should like to hear something about the country you live in; the birds, the flowers, the fruits, anything which interests you.
H. A. M. W. from Wisconsin. Dear friend, what an honor you have bestowed on the P. S. A "Blossom" which has been cultivated for threescore years must have a wonderful record of perfume shed for the glory of the Master! I regret that your young friends should have had to wait so long for their badges. There is some misunderstanding or it would not have occurred. We try to be very careful, but in a family of sixty thousand some mistakes will happen.
Carroll from Vermont. You have plenty of company. The people who "start right off" to do things are few and delightful. They are the people who will, one of these days, do things that the world will be proud of. In other words, in this busy world, one must be "diligent in business" if he wants to accomplish much. As to the "hectoring," if you decide to attend promptly to all your duties, you will find that you have not so much time for that occupation, and I shouldn't wonder if it would also lose its interest to you. Do you know a little couplet—
Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do?
Clara from Michigan. So you don't mean to tell us what that "worst fault" is? Well, tell it to Jesus, and ask his hourly help; then you will overcome it. I hope the badge will remind you of your Helper.
WONDER STORIES OF SCIENCE.
I HOPE that name pleases you, my dear Pansies, and I wish each one of you had a copy of the book to which it belongs. Let me describe the one which now lies on my desk. A lovely colored binding, I don't know whether the artists call it "olive" or "old gold" or "crushed strawberry" or what. It isn't exactly any color, but reminds me of sunshine and autumn leaves. There is a medallion in gold on the upper half, and the monogram of the publishers on the lower right-hand corner. There are three hundred and eighty-three pages of good clear print, and some excellent pictures.
It is a book which retails for one dollar and fifty cents; and now comes my special bit of news which ought to rejoice your hearts. Every subscriber to The Pansy who is also a member of the P. S. can secure it for eighty-five cents, by sending that amount to D. Lothrop & Co. with their order!
As for the things which it talks about, of course you know that in so many pages many interesting topics can be handled; for instance, "Christmas Cards," and "Newspapers," and "Camphor," and "Umbrellas," and "Combs," and "Thunderstorms," (!) and "Brooms," and "Lace," and a dozen other things. The fact is, if you take one article, no matter how simple, and seat yourself in a corner to think about it, you can get up twenty questions, right away, which you wish somebody would answer for you. Well, this book answers those very questions.