I am a Louisiana boy eleven years old. My brother Bertie is eight,
and my little sister five. If any of the young people wished to
visit me now, they could come all the way in a boat. You have no
idea what a sea of water covers this whole country! It never was so
high here before! It has done a great deal of damage, and caused a
great deal of suffering. It would make you sad to see how the poor
cattle suffer from the water and gnats. The deer, too, are dying in
the woods. A gentleman who came to town in a canoe said he saw six
dead ones floating in the water. Deer horns are no rarity with us,
as I have an uncle who kills a great many deer. They have no horns
at this season of the year; they shed them in the winter. Although
it is sad to see such an overflow, still it brings some fun to
little boys who are fond of boating. Bertie and I and our little
sister Kate spend a great deal of our time on the water in our
little boat. It would make my letter too long to give you a
description of our trips to the pasture to look after the cattle,
and to town on errands for mamma. We have been taking YOUNG PEOPLE
for nearly a year, and enjoy reading it so much! Mamma gave it to
us this year, but Bertie and I have made enough to take it
ourselves. I take it down to school sometimes, and our teacher
reads it aloud to the pupils, who enjoy it so much!