I have been a sick boy. But as I am now much better, I hope to be
well again soon.
I have asked my mamma to write for me. Mamma reads a great deal to
us, and we have HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE and _St. Nicholas_.
We have them bound at the end of the year, and we think the two
volumes of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE the very nicest books we have. I
have two sisters and one brother, and we have several pets--a
white pony, a canary-bird, a black cat, and some _mice_.
Mamma read to us about having mice for pets in one of HARPER'S
YOUNG PEOPLE, and I thought I would try to have some. I made a
cage out of a starch box; on one side I fastened a large
baking-powder can, and I put some cotton in that. I put wire
netting over the front, and then I tried to catch the mice.
When I caught one, I put it in the cage, and after a few days he
looked lonely, and seemed to have grown thin, so I caught another
and put him in, and now they are fat, and seem very happy.
They keep pretty still all day in the dark, but at night come out
in the box, and eat and nibble just enough to keep their teeth
sharp, I guess.
They are cunning little creatures, and I think very nice for pets,
and perhaps if you should publish this letter some other little
folks would like to try the same plan.
We always enjoy the stories in YOUNG PEOPLE, but we liked "Toby
Tyler" best of all.