My uncle, who lives in New York, sends us HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE and
HARPER'S WEEKLY, both of which we like very much. I must tell you
about my pets. I have a black-and-tan terrier named Tiny, and a
jackdaw which talks quite plainly. My sister has a tabby cat and a
canary-bird. We have not had any snow this winter. We have had
primroses and daisies in bloom all the time.
I went over the Canterbury Cathedral, and saw the tomb of Edward
the Black Prince, and the shrine of Thomas à Becket, the murdered
Archbishop of Canterbury. The stone in front of the altar is worn
into hollows where the pilgrims used to kneel. Last Saturday
Colonel Brine and Mr. Simmons went up in a large balloon from
Canterbury, to cross the Channel from Dover to Calais. The wind
changed, and they came down in the middle of the Channel, and were
picked up by the mail-packet, and brought back to Dover. We are
very sorry Barnum has bought our elephant Jumbo. I hope he will be
stubborn, and won't go, for I'm sure we want him more than the
little American boys and girls do. I hope I have not made my letter
too long to go in your Post-office Box.