Harper's Young People, June 8, 1880 Part 7

I wonder if any other little boy or girl has any _Verdones_? Their home is in the forests along the tropical Pacific coast. They build a nest similar to that of the humming-bird, and are considered members of the same family, although they do not hover over their food like the humming-bird.

CARRIE R.

FORT ONTARIO, OSWEGO, NEW YORK.

My father is a lieutenant in the Second Artillery. We have been in Oswego seventeen months. The fort is on the lake, and a very old fort it is. The scarf wall facing Lake Ontario has never been finished. In the fort grave-yard are some very old graves. There is one of George Fykes, a Revolutionary soldier, who died in 1776.

This is a very pleasant post. In summer there is plenty of boating and fis.h.i.+ng. I went fis.h.i.+ng the other day, but did not have very good luck. There were a great many wrecks on the lake last fall.

I have one little brother four months old. When he gets old enough I will write a letter for him too. I like YOUNG PEOPLE very much.

I am ten years old.

HOWARD M.

TABLE ROCK, NEBRASKA.

I like YOUNG PEOPLE ever so much. I have no pets except my little baby brother, but there are lots of birds' nests in our orchard.

One day when we were in the orchard we saw a big nest with rags woven in it, and I spied a corner of an embroidered handkerchief that was given me a year ago last Christmas. Papa was up in the tree, and he pulled it out and threw it down to me. I think it was a blackbird's nest. The eggs were green, with dark brown spots on them.

GERTIE B.

BROOKLINE, Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.

Here is a game that I invented. I have played it very often, and it is very good fun. Two boys stand opposite each other, about ten feet apart. Each boy has a ball--rubber ones are best, as they will bounce. The b.a.l.l.s must be thrown from one boy to the other, both at the same time. When they hit in the air--which they do oftener than you would think--each boy tries to catch one on the first bounce or fly. Each ball so captured counts one. Whoever gets ten first beats.

I have some tracing paper and a lithogram which papa gave me, and I have a great deal of fun tracing pictures and copying them on the lithogram.

w.i.l.l.y A.

BEREA, KENTUCKY.

I have a pair of canaries. The singer I have named Sankey; the other is Jenny. When I put mamma's mirror in the cage, Sankey will look at himself and sing beautifully, and then he will peep behind the mirror to see if any other bird is there. I am ten years old.

JULIA B. H.

HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

I thought you would like to hear about our kitty. At night when we go to bed he climbs over two sheds and a grape arbor up to mamma's window, and shakes the shutter until mamma gets up and lets him in. Then he goes down and waits at the front door till papa comes in. Then he follows papa down stairs, and papa gives him something to eat, and shuts him up in the kitchen. In the morning he runs out in the yard and plays around until breakfast-time, when he comes in and goes right to papa's place at the table. He puts his fore-paws upon the table, and claws papa's arm until he gets a piece of meat, or bread, which he likes best.

Here is a recipe for Puss Hunter and her club. I call it jaw-breaker candy. It is a little different from Nellie H.'s recipe. One cup of brown sugar; half a cup of vinegar; a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of a hickory-nut. When I think it is boiled enough, I drop a little into a gla.s.s of cold water, and if it hardens, it is done, and I pour it into a b.u.t.tered dish to cool.

REBECCA H.

CAMDEN, ALABAMA.

I am a subscriber to YOUNG PEOPLE, and this is the first letter I have written for "Our Post-office Box." I had a large doll given me last Christmas, and I have named her Fannie Sue. She has a pretty little red trunk full of clothes, and a black satin hat with red flowers on it. My papa got me a donkey a few weeks ago, and when I learn to ride nicely he is going to give me a horse.

KATE C.

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS.

I thought the boys and girls would like to hear about my auntie's pets. She has four big birds and four baby birds. One of the baby birds got out of its nest this morning, and hopped about the cage.

Another bird is sitting on five eggs. Then we have four cats and four kittens, and a great big Newfoundland dog. I am eight years old. I live in Indianapolis, but I am visiting auntie now.

FRED D. S.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

I write to tell you of my success with the tarantula in YOUNG PEOPLE No. 29. I had to work hard to get the body cut out nicely, but at last it was done. A little girl showed it to her father, and he thought it was a big live spider, and gave it a knock which sent three of its legs flying, but I soon mended it.

EDDIE W. H.

DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT, _May 19, 1880_.

My sister subscribed for YOUNG PEOPLE for my Christmas present. I learned the song "I am the Lad in the Blue and White," and now I am learning "I am the Lad in the Cadet Gray."

I caught two baby trout out of a brook with a cup, but papa told me to put them back in the water, so I did. There are lots of violets here now, and our rose-bushes are budded. For the last two weeks the air has been very sweet with apple blossoms. I was eleven years old yesterday.

EDITH P.

PINE RIVER, COLORADO.

I live in Southwest Colorado, close to the Ute Indian Reservation.

My papa has a store, and the Indians often come to trade. These Utes are not bad, like the Utes who killed Mr. Meeker. We had six wild geese, but a bad dog killed one of them. Some time I will write more about the Indians here.

HATTIE J.