and stowed herself meekly away in a corner to watch the fun. She tried
to console herself by the thought that she could not have run about even
had she been asked to join in the game of "tag," for the new shoes
pinched her feet sadly. For all that, she was almost glad when one girl
stumbled against her and fairly trod on her toes, for she turned so
quickly, and begged her pardon so heartily, that it was worth bearing
the pain for the sake of the notice.
Cassy was sure that all the girls were good-natured. They were only busy
with their own affairs, and what claim had the stranger upon any one of
them?
When noon came, and Cassy went home to dinner, she put a brave face on
the matter. She knew it would break her father's heart to know how keen
had been her disappointment. So she spoke of the large school-room, and
of the classes in which she had been placed; and Mr. Deane nodded
approval, while his wife put her head on one side to see if that
changeable silk could not bear to be taken in a little in the biases.
How could Cassy tell her that the gown was "queer"? How could she even
mention that her shoes were coarse, and that they hurt her feet?
"Perhaps the girls will speak to me to-morrow," she thought, patiently.
But they did not. Again Cassy sat in her corner quite alone. In vain she
told herself that it was "no matter," in vain she "played" that she did
not care.
"I sha'n't mind it to-morrow."
To-morrow came, and it was just as hard as to-day.
At last one morning at recess it did seem as though she could not bear
it any longer. A big lump was in her throat, and two tears sprang to her
eyes; but still she tried to say, "Never mind; oh, never mind."
Just at that moment a voice sounded in her ear. She turned and saw a
face rosy with blushes.
"I didn't know," began the voice, hesitatingly--"I thought you might
like--anyway, I am Bessie Merriam."
Cassy looked out shyly from under her lashes. "I am Cassy Deane," said
she.
"You're a new girl," continued Bessie, more boldly, "so I had to speak
first. Would you like to play, 'I spy'?"
Cassy sprang up eagerly, then drew back. "I wish I could," she
stammered, "but my shoes--and father's only middling, so I don't like to
ask for more."
"Of course not," broke in Bessie, who, though puzzled to know what it
was to be "middling," was sure there was something wrong about the
shoes. "Of course not; but maybe you know 'jack-stones'?"
In a twinkling she brought five marbles from the depth of her pocket,
and the two were deep in the mysteries of "horses in the stall," "Johnny
over," "peas in the pot," and all the rest of that fascinating game.
One person having spoken to the forlorn stranger, two more appeared on
the scene. It is always so. These girls wanted Bessie and her new friend
for "hop-scotch," but Bessie interfered before there was any chance for
embarrassment.
"We can't leave this game," said she, decidedly.
"How could she think to speak so quickly?" thought Cassy. "I should have
felt so bad to explain about my shoes!"
It was the very next morning that Bessie Merriam came to school with a
mysterious bundle under her arm. She took Cassy by the hand, and led
her--where? Why, into the coal closet!
"It's so very private here," explained Bessie. "And, do you know, it's
no fun to play romping games in these good boots of mine; so I hunted up
an old pair. And, do you think, I stumbled on these old ones too. Would
you mind using one pair? You _won't_ think me impertinent, will you?"
Bessie was quite out of breath, and gazing at Cassy with wide-open,
pleading eyes.
Those boots fitted to a T. Cassy could jump and run to her heart's
content. Jump and run she did, for at recess Bessie drew her into the
midst of the other girls, and such a game of "I spy" Cassy had never
imagined. Nobody said a word about her droll gown. "She is _my_ friend,"
Bessie had announced, and that was enough.
Marion Van Dysk gave her two bites of her pickled lime. Lillie Downs
"remembered" her, and did not shrink from partaking of Cassy's
corn-ball. School was a very different affair to-day.
Cassy fairly danced on her way home. She determined to think up a secret
that very night that she might confide it to Bessie. In the mean time
she bought a bit of card-board and some green, red, and brown worsted.
All that afternoon and all that evening she worked. The next day Bessie
found in her arithmetic a remarkable book-mark, with a red house and a
green and brown tree, while underneath were the touching words,
"Friendship's Offering."
"Please to keep it for ever and ever," begged Cassy, earnestly, "to make
you remember how I thank you."
"Thank me for what?" asked Bessie, in surprise.
Cassy stared at her.
"Don't you know what a beautiful thing it was in you to ask me to play
'jack-stones'? Don't you know you're a--a--an angel?"
"It never says once in the Bible that angels play 'jack-stones,'" cried
Bessie, in great glee; "so don't talk nonsense, Cassy. But I think the
book-mark's lovely."
So the two little girls laughed as if there was a joke somewhere, though
neither knew exactly what it was, only Cassy Deane was too happy to be
sober, and it's my belief Bessie Merriam was just as happy as she. What
do you think?
WHAT THE BABIES SAID.
BY MRS. E. T. CORBETT.
Lillie Benson and Daisy Brooks sat on the floor in the nursery, and
looked at each other, while their delighted mammas looked at them, and
each mother thought her own baby the finest. Lillie was ten months old,
and Daisy was just twelve. Lillie had great blue eyes, soft flaxen hair
curling in little rings all over her head, and pink cheeks. Daisy had
brown eyes, golden-brown hair cut straight across her forehead
(_banged_, people call it), and two lovely dimples. One wore a white
dress all tucks and embroidery, with a blue sash; the other a white
dress all ruffles and puffs, with a pink sash.
Daisy looked at Lillie, and said, "Goo-goo!"
"The dear little thing!" said Daisy's mamma. "She's so delighted to see
Lillie to-day."
Then Lillie looked at Daisy, and said, "Goo-goo-goo!"
"Oh, the darling!" exclaimed Lillie's mamma. "She's _so_ fond of Daisy,
you know, that she is trying to talk."
Presently Daisy turned her back to Lillie, and crept into the corner of
the room. "Now just see that! she wants Lillie to follow her. Isn't it
cunning?" said Lillie's mamma.
"Of course she does, and see Lillie trying to do it. Isn't she sweet?"
answered Daisy's mother, while Lillie crept to the opposite side of the
room.
But after a while the two babies were sleepy; so their mammas laid them
down side by side in the wide crib, and then went down stairs to lunch.
"We'll leave the door open, so we can hear them if they cry; but I know
they won't wake for a couple of hours," said one of the mothers; and the
other one said, "Oh no; of course not; they'll sleep soundly, the
darlings!"
But in a very few moments something strange happened--something _very_
strange indeed. The babies opened their eyes, looked around the room,
and then at each other.
"We're alone at last, and I'm so glad," said Daisy.
"Yes," said Lillie. "Now we can have a nice little chat, I hope. Isn't
it dreadful to be a baby, Daisy?"
"Of course it is," sighed Daisy; "yet I suppose it is very ungrateful to
say so, when every one loves us so much, and is so kind to us."
"That's the worst of it; I don't want every one to love _me_, because
they will kiss me, and I hate to be kissed so much," objected Lillie.
"Ugh! how horrid some people's kisses are!"
"It's enough to make any baby cross, _I_ think," added Daisy. "I wish no
one but mamma would ever kiss me, and even she does too much of it when
I'm sleepy."
"Why, Daisy Brooks! what a thing to say about your own dear mamma!"
exclaimed Lillie, looking shocked.
"I don't mean to say anything unkind of mamma, for I love her dearly,
you know, Lillie; but it _is_ hard to be kissed and kissed when you're
hungry or sleepy, or both, and sometimes I have to cry," answered Daisy,
quickly.
"Well, I'll tell you something else I hate," continued Lillie, "and that
is to have people who don't know anything about it try to amuse me. They
have such a dreadful way of rushing at you head-first, and shrieking,
'Chee! _chee!_ CHEE!' or 'Choo! _choo!_ CHOO!' that you don't know what
may be coming next."
"Yes, or else they poke a finger in your neck, and expect you to laugh
at the fun. I do laugh sometimes at the absurdity of their behavior,"
said Daisy, scornfully.
"Yes, and then they always think you're delighted, and go on until you
are disgusted, and have to scream, don't they?" asked Lillie.
"Of course. Oh, babies have a great deal to suffer, there's no doubt of
_that_," said Daisy.
"And there's another horrid thing," Lillie added, after thinking a
moment. "I mean the habit people have of talking to babies about their
family affairs in public. My mamma don't do that; but I heard Aunt Sarah
talking to her baby in the cars the other day, loud enough for every one
to hear, and she said: 'Poor grandpa! grandpa's gone away: don't Minnie
feel sorry? She can't play with grandpa's watch now. Grandpa wants
Minnie to come and see him, and ride on the pony, and Minnie must have
her new sacque made, so she can go. Will Minnie send a kiss to grandpa?'
and ever so much more. I know poor Minnie was ashamed, for she fidgeted
all the time; but what could she do?"
"Well, mamma would talk to me just the same way this morning, as we came
here, and I did my best to stop her, too, but it wasn't any use," said
Daisy, looking indignant. "She had to tell everybody that we were going
to see 'dear little Lillie Benson,' over and over again."
"But I'll tell you what makes me most angry, after all, Daisy," said her
cousin, suddenly. "Does your mamma ever give you a chicken bone to
suck?"
"Yes, she does, and oh!--I know what you're going to say," interrupted
Daisy. "That's another of our trials. You get a nice bone, and you begin
to enjoy yourself, when all at once your nurse or your mother fancies
you've found a scrap of meat on the bone, and then one or the other just
makes a fish-hook of her finger, and pokes it down your throat before
you know where you are!"
"That's it exactly," exclaimed Lillie. "I go through just such an
experience nearly every day, and it's too aggravating."
"Hark!" said Daisy, listening; "I hear old Dinah coming up stairs now,
and I suppose we'll have to listen to her baby-talk for a half-hour at
least. I know what I'll do; I'll make faces and scream."
"And get a dose of medicine, maybe, as I did one day," answered Lillie.
"I tried that plan to stop an old lady from saying, 'Ittie peshous!
ittie peshous! tiss ou auntie!' and mamma got so frightened she sent for
the doctor, and he gave me a horrid powder. I can taste it yet."
"That was too bad," said Daisy, compassionately; "but hush, dear, for
Dinah is at the door."
And when the old nurse came in the room, she found the two babies
wide-awake, smiling at each other, and saying, "Goo-goo," as sweetly as
if they hadn't a grievance in the world.
[Illustration: GETTING ACQUAINTED.--DRAWN BY W. L. SHEPPARD.]
[Illustration]
[Illustration: OUR POST-OFFICE BOX.]
We are compelled to repeat some of our instructions to our young
correspondents desiring exchange, in order to save ourselves and them
from unnecessary trouble. In the first place, the name must be written
very plainly. In some instances we can give only the initials because it
is impossible to read the name, and the initials themselves are often
very doubtful. Then the address must be given in full. If you have no
post-office box, and live in a town too small to have numbered streets,
have your letter addressed to the care of your father, or of some one
through whom you will be sure to receive it.
Do not write to us that it would give you pleasure to exchange with any
particular correspondent whose address has been plainly given in Our
Post-office Box, because we can not make room to print a letter which
should more suitably be written direct to the correspondent with whom
you desire to exchange.
Requests for correspondence, or for exchange of cards or pictures of any
kind, will not be noticed, as we do not consider such exchanges as
leading to any valuable information, and it is only such that we desire
to facilitate. Postmarks, which in themselves are worthless, we consider
calculated to develop a knowledge of geography; for no American boy will
rest content until he knows the exact locality from which his new
postmark comes, and finds out all about it that his geography will tell
him. Postage stamps have the same merit, with the advantage of being
historical as well, as many of them contain heads of kings, queens, or
eminent men, or at least some design typical of the country from which
they come.
We shall never print in the Post-office Box letters from correspondents
desiring to sell stamps, minerals, or any other things.
These observations are not gratuitous on our part, but we are compelled
to make them to save ourselves the labor of reading scores of letters of
which we can make no use whatever.
* * * * *
NEWBERN, VIRGINIA.
We live at the sea-side, and we had never seen mountains before we
came here this summer. I thought they were awfully big when I
first looked at them.
We amuse ourselves in many ways. Sometimes we ride on horseback,
and other times we go to the brook and paddle. We also take lovely
walks, and gather ferns, mosses, and lichens for hanging baskets.
One morning we went to the barn to see them thresh, and Ally found
eight baby mice, and Nora brought them home in her pocket. At the
threshing place there are ten little puppies, and we have fine
times playing with them.
The other day we drove to see the highest mountain near here, and
just before we got there down came a shower. We took shelter in a
log-cabin church, but before we got inside we were all wet
through. We thought that was all the more fun, because we like to
be in the rain.
I am nine years old, and the oldest child of five.
SUE D. T.
* * * * *
SAINT JOSEPH, TENSAS PARISH, LOUISIANA.
I am a little Southern girl nine years old, and I like YOUNG
PEOPLE so much! I read all the letters in the Post-office Box.
So many children write about turtles that I thought I would tell
them about one my brother had once. He said it was a pet, and one
day he went to kiss it, when it put out its head and bit his nose,
and hung on. His old black mammy told him that it would never let
go until it thundered, so he ran all around, screaming, "I wish it
would flunder! I wish it would flunder!" The noise he made
frightened the turtle so that it dropped off without waiting for
thunder.
My brother is a grown man now, living in New Orleans, and we often
laugh at him about his turtle and the "flunder."
ANNIE FLEMING L.
* * * * *
I am a little girl of nine years. My papa has taken YOUNG PEOPLE
for me since the first number. I enjoy reading the children's
letters very much.
My grandma is visiting us this summer, and she has her parrot with
her. It is twenty-seven years old. It calls "Grandma" and
"Mother," and screams for its breakfast. It says "Good-by" and
"How do you do?" as plain as I can, and sings two songs, and
imitates the cat, the dog, and the rooster, and does a great many
other things.
Now I will tell the little girls what I have been doing since the
school closed. I have learned to crochet, and have made two tidies
and five yards of trimming. I am now making trimming of
feathered-edge braid, and if any little girl who can crochet would
like the pattern, I will be glad to send her a sample.
GRACIE MEADS,
Platte City, Platte County, Missouri.
* * * * *
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA.
I take YOUNG PEOPLE, and like it so much! I am ten years old. My
papa is out at the mines, and I am going there too when it gets
cooler weather. I have a pet kitten here at home, and my papa has
got two kittens and a dog for me when I go out to the mines.
I have a doll named Goldie. My aunt sent it to me from New York
city.
I go to school, and my reading-book is the History of the United
States.
FLORENCE R.
* * * * *
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
I send two easy experiments for the chemist's club: Pour a small
quantity of common aqua ammonia in a dish; over this place a
funnel, big end down, in the tube of which place a few cut
flowers. In a little while the flowers will change color.
A very pretty experiment is this: Take a piece of ice, or in
winter a snow-ball, and dig a small cavity in it. In this hole
place a little piece of gum-camphor, and touch a lighted match to
it. It will burn a good while, and have the appearance of ice or
snow on fire.
FRED A. C.
* * * * *
BARTON, MARYLAND.
I am seven years old. I go to school, and am in the Second Reader.
Our teacher takes YOUNG PEOPLE, and we love to hear her read the
stories.
I have a pet pig just as white as it can be. It likes to roll in
the mud, and then it gets black and dirty like other pigs.
Sometimes it bites my brother Harry's toes, and then I think it is
a naughty pig.
GRACIE W.
* * * * *
GREENSBURG, KENTUCKY.
Here is a game for rainy evenings I made up myself. It takes two
players to play it. Player No. 1 places a chair or table in the
centre of the room, and while Player No. 2 is shut outside, he
walks round the object as many times as he pleases. Then Player
No. 2 is called in, and will tell how many times his companion has
walked round the object.
The way to do it is this: When Player No. 2 is told to go outside,
he must hesitate a little, and perhaps say something in a careless
way to divert suspicion. Then Player No. 1 will tell him to go
three or four times. It is understood between the two players that
so many times as Player No. 2 is told to go, so many times will
Player No. 1 walk round the object; and if the players are
skillful, it is impossible for the spectators to detect in what
way they understand each other.
If any one in the audience suspects signs of any kind, Player No.
2 may offer to be blindfolded by the suspicious person.
JOHN H. B.
* * * * *
ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
I live in the suburbs of Atlanta. We have had lots of birds' nests
in our yard this summer--mocking-birds, bluebirds, and sparrows.
On moonlight nights the mocking-bird sings far into the night.
When Pluto, our black cat, goes under the trees where the little
birds are, the old bird flies down, pecks him on the back, and
looks very angry. Pluto looks as if he would like to eat her at
one bite.
We have another cat, called Charity, because she came to us, and a
little black kitten named Potts.
I wish YOUNG PEOPLE was just full of "The Moral Pirates," but
mamma says that wouldn't be fair to the girls.
I have a little brother named Bayard, two years old. Thursday
night, when my uncle brings YOUNG PEOPLE, he says, "Luncle Leddie,
give me my YOUNG PEOPLE; show me my bootiful pictures and
Wiggles." Then he sits still while mamma reads him a story. He can
tell stories, too. He says: "A humble-bee stung a bluebird out in
the flont yard. Can't find me. 'Long come a big turkey and eat me
up. That's a big stoly for YOUNG PEOPLE."
STEWART H.
* * * * *
I live on a farm near the Great South Bay, and have great fun
bathing and catching crabs. Will crabs shed their shells in a car
if they are fed?
I am collecting birds' eggs and postage stamps, and would like to
exchange with any readers of YOUNG PEOPLE.
WILLIE R. WILBUR,
Sayville, Suffolk County, Long Island.
* * * * *
LONG GROVE, IOWA.
I am eleven years old. I have taken HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE from the
first number, and like it very much. I have a brother who is just
thirteen years old, and he likes it as much as I do, and there is
a great rush to see who gets it first when it comes from the
office. Papa says we need two copies. Papa has taken HARPER'S
WEEKLY more than twelve years, and intends to take it always.
We have a pet white calf with black nose and eyes. We call it
Creamy. I feed it milk twice a day, and it eats apples from my
hand.
I made a white cake for my brother on his birthday from the recipe
sent by Altia Austin. It was very nice.
COSETTE M. M.
* * * * *
I have a pet dog named Topsy that will sit up, shake hands, kiss,
and jump through my arms. My little sister Genie has a cat that
tries to imitate my dog. I have the promise of a pair of pigeons,
and I have a lot of little chickens.
I am trying to make a scrap-book, and I am starting a collection
of stamps. If Paul S., of Bridgeport, Connecticut, will send me a
French postage stamp from one of his father's letters, I will send
him a Japanese one in return.
WILLIE D. VATER,
Care of S. Vater, Office of the _Daily Journal_,
Lafayette, Indiana.
* * * * *
SHERBURNE FOUR CORNERS, NEW YORK.
I have just been reading YOUNG PEOPLE, and the last piece I read
was "Easy Botany." I liked it very much. I think YOUNG PEOPLE is
the best paper I ever saw.
I tried Nellie H.'s recipe for candy, and it was very nice. I
would like to know if she pulls it. I did mine, and I burned my
fingers.
I tumbled out of a cherry-tree the other day, and almost broke my
back.
We had an old dog named Watch, that we liked so much, and two
weeks ago he died.
I wish Puss Hunter would let me know if she ever tried my recipe
for bread.
FANNIE A. H.
* * * * *
I am ten years old. I have a collection of about five hundred
postage stamps, and would like to exchange with any readers of
YOUNG PEOPLE.
J. E. A.,
700 Court Street, Reading, Pennsylvania.
* * * * *
I am making a collection of stones, one from every State. I try to
get them about the size of a hen's egg. If any other correspondent
is making such a collection, I will be very glad to exchange a
stone from Michigan for one from any other State.
JESSIE I. BEAL,
Agricultural College, Lansing, Michigan.
* * * * *
I would like to exchange pressed flowers for birds' eggs with any
of the correspondents of Our Post-office Box.
BELLE ROSS,
Knoxville, Tennessee.
* * * * *
I would like to exchange postmarks of the United States or of
foreign countries with any readers of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE.
FRED L. B.,
337 Belleville Avenue, Newark, New Jersey.
* * * * *
I have a collection of postage stamps, and would gladly exchange
with any readers of YOUNG PEOPLE. I was born in the West Indies,
in the island of Curacao, and I can get a great many stamps from
there. Correspondents will please send me a list of what stamps
they require, and what kinds they have to exchange.
ELIAS A. DE LIMA,
162 East Sixtieth Street, New York city.
* * * * *
I am collecting birds' eggs, and would like to exchange with any
of the correspondents of YOUNG PEOPLE. My sister takes the paper,
and I like to read it as well as she does.
HENRY A. FERGUSON,
P. O. Box 339, Rutland, Vermont
* * * * *
I have just written to some of the boys who offer exchange through
Our Post-office Box, and I wish to say to any others that if they
will send a list of stamps they have to spare, and also of those
they would like to get, I will send them my lists in return, and
try to effect a satisfactory exchange with them.
WALTER S. DODGE,
700 Ninth Street, Washington, D. C.
* * * * *
I have had YOUNG PEOPLE from the first number, and like it very
much.
I have a very nice garden, and would like to exchange seeds with
any readers of YOUNG PEOPLE. I have morning-glories, double
lady's-slippers, and wax-plant.
I have been trying to learn how to cook, this vacation, and have
succeeded in clam chowder, which all liked very much.
MAGGIE SIMONTON,
424 West Twenty-ninth Street, New York city.
* * * * *