are corners too sharp to turn with the wheel, mark them with a thin
penknife. In fact, if you can not obtain a wheel, the whole may be done
with a penknife. The wheel simply makes a more even, continuous line,
and is more convenient to use. When the partial division of the pieces
is effected, paint the pattern with the dyes made for wood. Care should
be taken to apply these very thinly indeed, in small quantity, to let
them dry thoroughly, and then to renew them.
[Illustration: AN EASY PATTERN.]
Warping may be prevented by carefully dampening the back of the panel,
by screwing down the wood, or by keeping it pressed down by a weight
while drying. Perhaps the best way in most cases is to fasten strips
across the back.
Great pains must be taken to prevent the dyes from spreading beyond the
outlines. The only difference between this Venetian work and sawed-out
inlaying lies in this, that the pieces of wood are not quite cut
through. That is all. If they were, it would be real inlaid marquetry.
As dyes were very extensively used to color much of the finest old work,
it will be admitted that the chief difference between this method and
that in which all the pieces are fret-sawn, is that this is by far the
easier. Fret-sawing of two or three veneers is, for a young amateur,
much more difficult than marking out and dyeing a pattern. And it is a
very important consideration that this beautiful art or method may be
employed where a variety of woods and tools are not available. There are
few places where two or three cheap dyes for wood, a piece of white
wood, and a thin penknife can not be obtained. Thus, even common ink
thinned with water will make a slate-colored dye, while several coats
will stain wood jet-black. (When the dyed surface is very dry, rub it
off carefully with soft paper, renew the ink, let it dry, rub off the
surface again, and then oil it.) Umber in coffee will make a brown dye.
But best of all are the dyes sold for the purpose.
The channels, or fine lines cut by the knife, may be carefully closed
with any kind of filler. A good one may be made by very thoroughly
mixing fine varnish and flour, or by rubbing up size with umber or any
other coloring matter.
A great defect in much of the old marquetry was the same fault that the
Englishman found in the autumnal landscape in America, when he said, "It
is very pretty, to be sure, but don't you think it's a trifle gaudy?"
The old artists in wood used as many colors as they could get together;
and amateurs and beginners greatly incline to this. But an artist in
decorative work can produce the best and most vigorous effects with few
colors and large easy patterns.
[Illustration: AN EASY DESIGN FOR A BORDER.]
Very good work may be made by cutting away the wood here and there, and
introducing substances which can not be imitated, such as ivory or
tortoise-shell, metal, jet, or mother-of-pearl. Simple round, diamond,
or square figures give to the whole an appearance of inlaying.
Venetian, or solid, marquetry may be applied with the aid of stencils,
to large surfaces, such as the panels of doors, and dados.
There are few arts, indeed, in which so good effects can be produced
with so little labor and at so little expense as this. Even those who
are unable to design or draw can, with a little thought, arrange simple
patterns in attractive groups. Leaves and fruit, even without shading,
are easily represented.
[Illustration: DESIGN FOR A BOX-LID OR PANEL.]
It is not difficult to learn to engrave, or run lines, on wood. Any one
can learn to do it after a few days' practice. It is done with a small
triangular-pointed tool, such as is used by wood-engravers. These
gravers, of the best quality, cost fifty cents each. The lines of
leaves and flowers, and a hundred other details, look best in marquetry
when they are executed in this manner. I have just been examining a
piece of marquetry two hundred and fifty years old. The inlaying is the
best of the work, and most of it is done in lines so as to give it the
appearance of a colored engraving.
The work, when finished, may be rubbed down and oiled and polished. Or
it can be varnished. Mastic varnish is best for this purpose, but it is
the most difficult of all kinds to apply evenly.
There is still another kind of inlaying which is not included in the
foregoing paper. To make it, take a board of hard, wood, well seasoned,
and lay on it a coat of thick varnish. Take the sawed-out pieces, which
should be of the thinnest tortoise-shell, ivory or wood, and dispose
them on the board. When the first varnish is dry, lay on, for a ground,
varnish very much thickened with flour or color. When this is dry,
repeat it; and so on, until the ground thus made is as high as the
pattern.
When inlaying is done with pieces of stone, it is called mosaic. It will
be observed that in making solid marquetry, all the difficulty is
limited to marking out a pattern on a smooth piece of hard white wood,
and then tracing it carefully with the point of a penknife or with a
cutting-wheel. The whole work is not much harder than cutting out a
picture with the point of a penknife. The dye is more apt to spread
evenly if, in applying it, you first give the surface a thin wash of
water.
It should be remembered that where two lines are run together in
parallels, as for instance, in long stems, the wood lying between is
very apt to break off. This can only be prevented by using the point of
a thin penknife-blade or a very small wheel, with very great care. For
some work a wheel the third of an inch diameter should be used. In cases
where the design is very delicate, the line need be merely scratched
into the wood. Any indenting which will restrain the flow of the dyes,
and indicate a distinct outline is sufficient. Great attention should be
paid to this. Do not expect to make a perfect piece of marquetry at a
first effort.
[Illustration: A SUGGESTION FOR THE DECORATION OF A CHEST IN VENETIAN
MARQUETRY.]
There is a piece of Venetian marquetry in the South Kensington Museum,
London, which was presented by the last Doge of Venice to Sir Richard
Worsely. It last came from Apeldoorcombe, in the Isle of Wight. It is at
present the property of Sir Thomas Winter. The _Court Journal_ said of
it, that even Her Majesty the Queen has not so fine a piece of furniture
in all Windsor Castle. Its date is 1602. My attention was directed to it
by a London merchant who deals solely in marquetry. And by this the
reader may learn that Venetian marquetry is really capable of producing
great artistic results.
[Illustration: A BORDER OR PANEL.]
[Illustration]
Oh where are you going my dear little maid?
To the school o' fine arts--if you please, she said
To learn how to paint on china and glass
On velvet and satin, silk, linen and brass
On wood, tin and canvas, on matting and zinc
Slate, marble and tiles, and leather I think.
I have already painted a screen and three plaques
A whole set of dishes and two little racks
A stand for umbrellas--
A lovely one too--
With a ground of sienna--
And bands of light blue.
And cat tails, a dozen, so straight and erect
Growing up all around with artistic effect
There are other things too--
Which I can't stop to tell,
But I think for six lessons
I've done very well.
[Illustration: "MISS MAMIE SEZ DESE ARE 'HIGHLY CULLUD.'--I'D LIKE TO
KNOW EF DEY'RE ANY MO' HIGHLY CULLUD DAN I AM!"]
[Illustration]
A Lesson in Geography
By M. B. Jordan
"A Lesson in Geography,
With all the States to bound!"
My boys grew sober in a trice,
And shook their heads and frowned,--
And this was in the nursery,
Where only smiles are found.
Then suddenly up jumped Boy Blue,--
Youngest of all is he,--
And stood erect beside my chair.
"Mamma," he said, "bound me!"
And all the other lads looked up
With faces full of glee.
I gravely touched his curly head;
"North, by a little pate
That's 'mixed' in 'mental 'rithmetic,'
And 'can't get fractions straight.'
That never knows what time it is,
Nor where are books or slate.
"South, by two feet--two restless feet
That never tire of play,
But never fail to gladly run
(Even on a holiday)
On others' errands willingly,
In most obliging way.
"East, by a pocket stuffed and crammed
With, oh so many things!
With tops and toys and bits of wood,
And pennies, knives, and strings,
And by a little fist that lacks
The glow that water brings.
"West by the same; and well explored
The pocket by the fist.
The capital, two rosy lips
All ready to be kissed.
And,--darling, now I've bounded you;
The class may be dismissed."
HURLY-BURLY.
(_A Nonsense Rhyme._)
BY EMMA MORTIMER WHITE.
When the Mother Goose cow jumped over the moon,
And the little dog laughed to see,
The horse hurrahed and tossed up his hat,
And "whistled an air, did he."
The camel danced the Highland fling,
And the elephant put on skates,
While the cat went into the butcher trade
And charged the highest rates.
The mackerel rode a circus colt;
The whale leaped over the trees;
While the catfish rode on a bicycle,
That ran itself with ease.
The tiger went to bed in his boots;
The lion shot at a mark;
The eagle banged his hair in front,
And offered himself to a park.
The horned owl laughed till he almost cried,
Then cried till his eyes were dim;
But the wisest of all was a wise old hen
Who taught herself to swim.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT.
Well, my hearers, how do I find you this time? Getting ready for school,
do you say? Ah, of course! Your Jack knows all about it. The season will
soon begin at the little red school-house, and it will be a joy to see
the bright procession that will go marching by my meadow every morning,
the girls chatting and humming in the cheeriest way, and the boys
all whistling gayly--whether just for the fun of it or to keep up
their courage, I'll not attempt to say. And the dear Little
School-ma'am--bless her!--she'll be in a perfect glow of delight!
It seems to me that the very walls of the school-houses ought to throb
with pride over the wise young heads and the clear, happy voices that
will soon make them echo with sounds of busy work and play. And so
success to you all, my dears, throughout the whole term!
POOR LARK!
It's no longer "Up with the Lark," I hear, for that oft-praised bird
gets up, it seems, altogether too late. An enthusiastic naturalist has
amused himself by investigating the question at what hour in summer the
commonest small birds wake up and sing. He says:--The greenfinch is the
earliest riser, as it pipes as early as half-past one in the morning. At
about half-past two the blackcap begins, and the quail apparently wakes
up half an hour later. It is nearly four o'clock, and the sun is well
above the horizon before the real songster appears in the person of the
blackbird. He is heard half an hour before the thrush, and the chirp of
the robin begins about the same length of time before that of the wren.
Finally the house sparrow and the tom-tit occupy the last place on the
list. This investigation has altogether ruined the lark's reputation for
early rising. That celebrated bird is quite a sluggard, as it does not
rise till long after chaffinches, linnets, and a number of hedgerow
birds have been up and about for some time.
But hold! There's such a thing as overdoing a good habit. Some of these
birds seem to have lost their reckoning. There's the greenfinch, for
instance--the idea of getting up at the ridiculous hour of half-past one
in the morning! If he keeps on, he'll soon have to begin each day on the
day before! No, no! Such early risers as he are not to be imitated. So
we may have to go back to the lark after all. Or there's the tom-tit.
He's a contented, sensible little fellow, and gets up at just the right
time, I should say. Yes, let it be "Up with the tom-tit!" What say you,
my dears?
THOSE MOCKING-BIRDS AGAIN.
TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS.
DEAR JACK: I have been long acquainted with you and ST.
NICHOLAS. I live about two miles from Austin, the capital city
of Texas. Birds of all kinds found in Texas may be seen about
the place at proper seasons. Mocking-birds build their nests in
the trees within a few yards, or steps, of the house. Last
July, two young mocking-birds were taken from a nest of five.
The two young mocking-birds taken from the nest were placed
carefully in a large-sized cage, and the cage was suspended
from a hook at the side of the front hall-door. The young birds
were constantly and regularly fed for two weeks, night and
morning, by both parent-birds, who hovered about the young ones
during the day singing and frisking, and upon numerous
occasions fighting off objectionable intruders and making great
fluttering and noisy remonstrance when cats, dogs, or chickens
appeared beneath the cage.
At the end of two weeks, the young mocking-birds then being
about able to fly, the cage was taken inside the hall-way, and
there hung, covered with a mosquito-bar, to protect the little
prisoners from stinging insects.
In the hall-way, the old birds could not reach the young to
feed them, but they would fly in and through the house; this
they did for several days, and then, apparently, they abandoned
our locality and their young altogether. As we thought the old
birds would not return, we again placed the cage outside the
house, in its first position, but on one occasion we failed to
entirely cover the cage with the mosquito-bar; and that very
evening, at the usual feeding-time, about dusk, both old birds
were seen, for the first time since their departure. Each bird
had food or poison in its beak, and each was seen feeding it to
the young birds; and then they flew away and did not return.
Not suspecting any danger to the young birds, we allowed the
cage to remain in the same place all night.
Next morning early, we found one young bird dead in the cage,
and the other barely alive, reeling and dazed as if under the
influence of a poisonous weed or narcotic. Within a few hours,
it too was dead. I am sorry that I lost two very beautiful
birds; and I think the parent-birds poisoned the young
captives, as the old birds were not seen by us again. Shall not
the verdict be "guilty" instead of "not guilty"? Decide the
question, Dear Jack.
Yours truly, LOUISE A-----.
No, thank you! You can't persuade me to be the judge in _such_ a case.
For if I should undertake to decide the question of guilt, I'd be sure
to point out the fact that in every instance the poisoned birds were in
cages, not in nests. And then you wise human folk would be sure to
say that that wasn't a fair way of stating the case, or that I was
prejudiced. And perhaps I am. I'm neither a bird nor a human being, you
see; I'm only Jack-in-the-Pulpit. So settle this matter for yourselves.
A LIVING ISLAND.
DEAR JACK: The alligator is not in any way an attractive
animal. On the contrary, it is about as repellant in looks and
disposition as any living creature very well can be. And yet in
one respect, at least, it is to be envied: It can go through
life without ever needing a dentist, unless it be to eat him;
for it never keeps its teeth long enough to give them any
chance to decay or ache or get out of order in any way. When an
alligator's tooth is worn out or broken or in need of any kind
of repair, it drops out, and, behold! a new one is ready to
take its place. But I hardly need say that the alligator's
teeth are a joy only to itself.
Another peculiarity of the alligator is its ability to sleep.
Like other reptiles, it is so cold-blooded that it likes warmth
and hates cold. It needs water, too, and as the dry season and
the cool season come on together in Florida, there is a double
reason why the Florida alligator should go into winter
quarters. It buries itself in the mud after the manner of its
kind and settles down for a long nap.
Sometimes it happens that grass and quick-growing shrubs spring
up on the back of this torpid animal. As a rule these are all
shaken or washed off when, with the first warm rains, the
alligator rouses itself and makes for the water; but
occasionally, for some reason, the mud clings and with it the
plant growth, so that when the half-awakened creature slides
into the water and floats stupidly off, it looks like a
floating island.
In one such instance, a plover was so deceived as to build its
nest in the plant-growth on the alligator's back. The living
island so freighted floated slowly down the stream until it was
noticed by a party of boys who were out fishing. They saw the
plover rise from the little island, and suspecting a nest to be
there, they gave up their fishing and rowed out to it.
They never suspected the nature of the island until they had
bumped their boat rather rudely into it once or twice, and so
vexed the alligator that it opened its huge mouth with a
startling suddenness that brought a chorus of yells from the
nest-robbers, and sent them off in a fit mood to sympathize
with the plover, which was fluttering about and crying
piteously at the raid upon its nest.
The poor bird was doomed to lose its nest, however, for the
alligator, having at last been thoroughly roused, discovered
how hungry it was, and dived down in search of food, thus
washing off island, nest and all.
Yours very truly, JOHN R. CORYELL.
[Illustration: A LIVING ISLAND.]
WRONG NAMES FOR THINGS.
Dear, dear! Here's a startling list of accusations! If any of you young
wise-acres have made up your minds to write a dictionary when you grow
up, here's a warning for you! Is it possible that there are so many
things in the world that have been wrongly named? Just listen to this
letter from my friend, M. E. L.
DEAR JACK: It is odd how names mislead. The calla lily is a calla,
not a lily. The tuberose is not a rose at all. The strawberry and
the blackberry are not berries. German silver came not from Germany,
any more than did the Turkish bath from Turkey. French calf and
Russian leather are both American. There is no wax in sealing-wax,
and not a bit of bone in all the whalebone in the world. China-ware
is made in our own country. Pinks are not all pink. Not every one
called Black is a colored person; and how very many are called Wise
who are not!
Yours truly, M. E. L.
WHO CAN ANSWER THIS?
DEAR JACK: Like the Little School-ma'am's friend, Dorothy
G----, I have been reading the "Life of Longfellow," and I
found in it the following extract from his diary, which has
puzzled me:
"R. at tea. He gave us the following verse for finding on what
day of the week the first of any month falls:
'At Dover dwells George Brown, Esquire,
Good Christopher Finch and Daniel Frier.'"
Now, can you, Dear Jack, or can some of your wise friends tell me how to
discover on what day of the week the first of any month falls, by the
aid of this couplet?
Yours truly, M. W----.
[Illustration]
THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION
SIXTY-FIFTH REPORT.
AGASSIZ AND AUDUBON.
In many respects the characters of these two great naturalists were
alike,--and especially in their affectionate gentleness and mercy.
Although, in the interests of science, both were led to destroy the
lives of many animals, no men were more careful to avoid needless
slaughter and unnecessary pain. It was Audubon who said, "_The moment a
bird was dead, however beautiful it had been when in life, the pleasure
arising from the possession of it became blunted._" This saying has
become the motto of a large and rapidly growing society, organized in
1886, and known as the AUDUBON SOCIETY, for the protection of birds.
This society, recognizing the increasing influence of the AGASSIZ
ASSOCIATION, has sent to us a special invitation to co-operate in its
work. The circular of the AUDUBON SOCIETY shows, first, the alarming
rate at which our birds are being exterminated. It gives a series of
startling facts; for example, "One New York firm had on hand, February
1, 1886, 200,000 skins," and it closes this paragraph as follows: "These
figures tell their own story; but it is a story which might be known
even without them; we may read it plainly enough in the silent hedges,
once vocal with the morning songs of birds, and in the deserted fields,
where once bright plumage flashed in the sunlight."
The purpose of the Society is to prevent, as far as possible,
1. The killing of any wild bird not used for food.
2. The taking or destroying of the eggs or nests of any wild birds.
3. The wearing of the feathers of wild birds.
THE plan of work is very simple.
There are no expenses of any sort whatever. There are no conditions of
age. No formal organization is required. Each one can join by agreeing
to any one of the three following pledges:
PLEDGE NO. 1.--I pledge myself not to kill, wound, nor capture any wild
bird not used for food so long as I remain a member of the Audubon
Society; and I promise to discourage and prevent, so far as I can, the
killing, wounding or capture of birds by others.
PLEDGE NO. 2.--I pledge myself not to rob, destroy nor in any way
disturb or injure the nest or eggs of any wild bird so long as I remain
a member of the Audubon Society; and I promise to discourage and
prevent, so far as I can, such injury by others.
PLEDGE NO. 3.--I pledge myself not to make use of the feathers of any
wild bird as ornaments of dress or household furniture, and by every
means in my power to discourage the use of feathers for decorative
purposes.
These pledges are not to be understood as hindering the signer from
taking such birds, eggs or nests as he may require for _scientific
purposes_, but refer only to wanton or mercenary destruction and
robbery. Therefore no member of the AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION can feel any
hesitation about allying himself also with the AUDUBON SOCIETY. Boys and
girls can often do more than others to protect nesting birds.
FROM MEXICO.
We are in the State Michoacan, the Garden State of the Republic, with
thirty or forty thousand inhabitants. It is a pleasant place to live in;
seven thousand feet above the sea; fine air, good water, and very
healthy. The corridors of the house are inhabited by a colony of birds.
The female looks like the female English sparrow. The male has a scarlet
breast and cap. The egg is robin-blue, with a ring of black spots around
the larger end. It is called the _Gorriones_. The buzzard is very common
here. On a trip we took, we saw the fine Mocha coffee growing, and some
of the cities could not be seen on account of the banana plants which
shade the coffee. Here we have all the familiar wild flowers, and many
strange ones. I belong to an Ohio Chapter of the A. A.--G. A. Harriman.
ASSEMBLY REPORT.
We hope to receive regular annual reports from all assemblies of the A.
A., as well as from the individual Chapters, and have the pleasure this
month, of giving the following from the Assembly of Essex County, N. J.
"The first call for an Assembly meeting was sent out by East Orange, B.
Four Chapters only responded. We decided to have five delegates from
each Chapter. We have meetings on the last Saturday evening of every
other month, from September to June; five meetings for the year. We have
reports of progress from the associate Chapters, papers by members,
discussions of methods of work, and occasional addresses. We have had
many difficulties to contend with, but feel that our meetings have been
pleasant and helpful, and should say from our experience thus far, by
all means encourage the formation of Assemblies.
Very sincerely yours, N. M. DORR.
BOSTON ASSEMBLY.
Chapters 112, 729, 760, and 820 of Boston, Mass., have united for the
purpose of forming a Boston Assembly.
All Chapters, in or near Boston, that would like to join, are invited to
address
MR. THOMAS H. FAY, Sec. of Committee,
8 N. Grove street, Boston, Mass.
DELAYED REPORTS.
551, _Clinton, Iowa_. We have over three hundred specimens, and a small
library. We have been studying turtles, and have noticed that the eye of
a turtle shuts from the bottom. We now intend to take up fishes, and as
the Mississippi river is within one block of our rooms, we shall not
lack specimens. We have held thirty-eight meetings, and cases of absence
are rare.--Henry Towle, Sec.
567, _Fort Meade, Florida_.--Our Chapter of five, all of our own family,
left Iowa, September 25, 1884. We came down the Skunk river to the
Mississippi, thence to New Orleans, thence to Tampa, and are now living
nine miles southeast from Fort Meade. We left Sigourney, Iowa, in the
Ena, a Racine boat, eighteen feet long, forty-two inches beam, with
water-tight compartments. We had tent and camping outfit which we
carried in another boat. Our party consisted of the five members of the
Chapter, and a baby, one year old. We reached New Orleans Thursday,
December 4, just ten weeks from our time of starting. This includes
stops at all the principal towns. Our actual running time was 397 hours.
Distance, 1812 miles; average, 4.53 miles per hour; least daily
distance, five miles; greatest, sixty-five. The first cotton was seen at
New Madrid, Mo.; the first cane, below Grady's Landing; first Spanish
moss, just below Greenville, Miss.
After being here a year, three of our number made another long
excursion. Tuesday, December 1, 1885, we put our boat into Peace creek,
thence to Charlotte Harbor, up the Caloosahatchie, through lakes Fliet
and Hicapochee, into lake Okeechobee; across the northern end of the
lake, into the Kissimee river, up to Kissimee lake, then up Tiger creek
into Tiger lake, whence we walked thirty-five miles home, making in the
round, 700 miles, in six weeks. Once we were over seven days without
seeing a soul outside our own party. One of our lady members claims the
honor of being the first white woman that ever crossed Okeechobee in a
small boat. In all these travels, we have never been disturbed by man or
beast, and have always been treated kindly. The Okeechobee trip was made
at an expense of twelve dollars for three of us. The trip down the
Mississippi cost about one dollar per day for the six. This, of course,
does not include cost of boats, tents, and equipage. We found it a
pleasant method of travel, and many of the A. A. might enjoy something
similar. My wife and two daughters made the trip, so it is within the
range of young lady members, if they have a taste for such
travels.--Irving Keck, Sec. "567."
568, _Meadville, Pa._ We number now only four, the others having left
college; but what we lack in number is made up in zeal. We study nature
with a great deal more care than when we first formed a Chapter, and
have spent some of our most enjoyable hours in rambling though the
woods.
We send greeting to the Chapters, and say, "Long live the A. A., as one
of the best schools in which any one can learn."--F. L. Armstrong, Sec.
574, _Indianapolis, Ind._ The future looks bright. We are all
interested, and, although very lately reorganized, we hope to grow
rapidly.--Tom Moore, Sec.
CONCERNING "PUFF-BALLS."
All our botanical friends will be interested in the following paper
on the curious fungi commonly called "puff-balls"; but I must
emphasize the words of caution given by Professor Trelease and warn
you not to eat any puff-balls whatever, until you have been taught
to distinguish the good from the poisonous, by a competent botanist,
with the actual specimens in his hand. So long as you have the
slightest doubt, remember the old test--"Eat one,--then if you live,
it was an edible mushroom; if you die, it was a poisonous fungus!"
Here is what Professor Trelease says:
I have been asked several times by the boys of the Agassiz Association
to go with them on little collecting excursions, and I have always found
them much interested in toadstools, and other fungi. From what I have
seen on these and similar excursions, I have been led to think that if
given a little idea about some of these plants a good many people would
be glad to observe them more closely.
One group of fungi in particular--the puff-balls--has a great deal of
interest for me. It is a very difficult group to study, and if the
sharp-eyed boys of the Agassiz Chapters all over the country will be on
the lookout for puff-balls this summer and fall, they can be of
assistance in some work that there is much need of doing with these
plants.
Every boy who lives in the country must have seen the giant puff-ball
(_Lycoperdon bovista_) that grows in pastures, looking like a great
white egg, sometimes nearly two feet high, set up on its small end. It
is not easy to see where these curious growths come from, for they
sometimes appear as large as one's fist, or larger, in the morning, in
places where there was nothing of the sort the night before. Then they
often grow for several days, and finally turn brown and break up into a
dusty mass that at last blows away like smoke, leaving nothing but a
dried, torn remnant behind.
When one of these large puff-balls is seen, scrape the dirt away
carefully about it, and the secret of its appearance will be discovered;
for a mass of fine white threads spread away from it in every direction.
This spawn takes the place of the roots of a tree, absorbing food from
the decaying leaf mold, or whatever there may be of the same nature in
the ground. All of its food is obtained in this way; so that the
delicate spawn-threads may spend a long time in feeding and storing up
food before they give any evidence of their existence. But at last a
puff-ball begins to grow; at first, very small, then larger, but never
very large, until a rain may give it the opportunity to break through
the sod, and then, swelling up rather than growing, it suddenly makes
its appearance.
While they are young, firm, and pure white, when cut open, these large
puff-balls are very good eating, sliced, seasoned well, and fried in
butter, and especially if dipped in egg and cracker crumbs. But I must
caution my readers to leave other fungi alone, even if they think the
specimens they find are mushrooms, _for some of the fungi that look a
good deal like mushrooms are extremely poisonous_. Even a puff-ball soon
loses its value for food, and should never be eaten after it becomes the
least discolored, or offensive in smell. When this change occurs, it
seems as if the plant was rapidly going to decay; but this is not the
case,--it is simply ripening. For a puff-ball is nothing more nor less
than the fruit of the underground mycelium, or spawn; and the dusty mass
that it dries into is composed of myriads of spores, which take the
place of the seeds of flowering plants. How many puff-balls there would
be if every one of these microscopic spores developed! In a puff-ball
sixteen inches in diameter, if they occupy only one-third of the space,
there are no less than 300,000,000,000,000,000 spores,--an inconceivable
number. I do not know why it is, but these spores do not germinate
readily, and very few of them produce other plants. Perhaps it is quite
as well, as, if they all grew, there would be room for no other kind of
vegetation.
Another very good edible puff-ball is the little lead-colored species
(_Bovista plumbea_), about as large as a marble, that is very common in
hilly pastures. When it is young and white, it is even more delicious
than the large species. With these I think I should let my bill-of-fare
rest.
A few other common puff-balls are the exquisite earth-stars (_Geaster_),
that are commonest in sandy places and under evergreens; the studded
puff-ball (_Lycoperdon gemmatum_), very abundant on the ground in woods;
the fleecy white puff-ball (_L. Wrightii_) that grows along paths in
meadows; and the pear-shaped puff-ball (_L. pyriforme_), found
everywhere on old logs, in tufts that are united by firm white cords.
These plants will make an interesting addition to the cabinet of a
Chapter that will take the trouble to look for them and preserve them
properly. They ought to be gathered in two states,--just before they
open to discharge their spores, and when perfectly ripe. They must not
be handled so as to rub off the mealy or warty covering that some have,
and should be carefully taken home in a basket and laid in a good warm
place to dry. Some of the larger species soften and become so offensive
when first beginning to ripen that they may appear to be spoiled; but if
put in an out-of-the-way place, where they will annoy nobody, they
usually come out all right. When fully dry they should be laid in
pasteboard trays or boxes, properly labeled, and put into the cabinet.
I shall be very glad to name puff-balls for members of the Agassiz
Association as far as I can. Specimens sent for identification must be
dried, carefully wrapped in tissue-paper, and packed with cotton or soft
paper in a tin or wooden box, addressed to me as below. Each specimen
sent should be marked with a number corresponding to that of the
duplicate kept for the Chapter cabinet, so that my names may be given
with reference to the numbers. If any specimens are to be returned, this
should be indicated in the letter accompanying them, and the proper
amount of return postage included.
WILLIAM TRELEASE,
Shaw School of Botany, St. Louis, Mo.
[Illustration: 1. FLEECY WHITE PUFF-BALL. 2. BEECH EARTH STAR. 3.
LEAD-COLORED PUFF-BALL. 4. STUDDED PUFF-BALL. 5. PEAR-SHAPED PUFF-BALL.]
NOTES.
_Frogs' Eggs._ I think I can tell Mrs. N. B. Jones (see April number)
what her "jelly-like mass" was. Last spring our boys brought home
similar masses, some globular, some in strings. We put them in water in
a sunny place. In less than a week we had tiny tadpoles swimming about.
Unfortunately the curiosity concerning them was so great that they were
continually lifted from the water, and after a few weeks all died. We
thought the eggs must have been frogs' eggs, but we had two or three
varieties. I hope to repeat the experiment, and continue it long enough
to see exactly what animal will develop.--Mrs. J. C. Kinear, Sec. Ch.
598.
_Mocking-bird._ One or two subscribers have stated through
"Jack-in-the-Pulpit," that the mocking-bird, (_mimus polyglottus_) is
not guilty of poisoning its young; but I have positively seen it done.
The birds will feed their young for a while and when they find that it
is impossible to get at them through the wires of the cage, they bring a
poisonous red berry, which the young eat. I can furnish the signatures
of six or eight persons who have seen this with their own eyes.--P. L.
Benedict, Sec. 331.
[_This establishes the fact that mocking-birds have brought
berries believed to be poisonous, to their young. But it is
unsafe, as I have before shown, to infer the bird's motives
from its acts. We can not know that the bird changed the diet
of its young "because it could not get at them," nor do we know
that it knew the deadly nature of the berries. A jury could not
convict of murder._]
_Devil-fish._--_And Ostriches._ Last summer we saw a devil-fish of the
ray family, genus _Cephaloptera_. It had something like great wings on
its sides. These were called pectorals. From tip to tip across these it
was sixteen feet, four inches, and from head to junction of tail, eight
feet six inches. Its tail was about two feet long, and not more than an
inch in thickness. A flour-barrel was put in its mouth.
We had also, fortunately, an opportunity of seeing thirty-six live
ostriches. They belonged to Dr. Sketcherly, who bought them in Port
Natal, and was taking them to his ostrich farm in Los Angeles,
California. We noticed that the males were all black, with white tail
and wing-feathers, and pink bills; while the females were gray, with
white tail and wings like the males, and black bills, which were
triangular, with one end rounded off, and not duck-bill shaped, as I
have read. Their legs resemble those of a horse, only they have two
toes. Their eyes were large, dark, and mild. Two males were said to be
very dangerous. A whole turnip was picked up and swallowed by one of
them, and it was quite surprising to see it gradually turning from the
front of his neck around to the back portion of it, and finally
disappear suddenly into his back between the wings, where the craw was
said to be situated. Five natives were in attendance. Their features
were regular, and their complexion dark brown; they had straight, black
hair. One of them spoke English.--Mrs. E. E. Walden, Galveston, Texas.
_Buttercups._ I have noticed that buttercups often make a mistake and
grow six petals, instead of five.--C.
[_Such variations are common. I have seen trilliums with four
parts throughout; Houstonias, with five and six divisions; and
Hepaticas completely double, like tiny roses._]
_Bees._ A simple remedy for honey thieves. A gentleman who owns a bee
farm discovered a large swarm of bees stealing honey from one of his
smallest hives. The latter, because of their inferior numbers, were
unable to protect their stores, and he tried various methods to aid
them.
One day, at the suggestion of a friend, he laid a branch of asparagus
before the entrance, completely concealing it from the eyes of the
marauding bees, which flew wildly around, searching in vain for the
opening, while the occupants of the hive, having made their exit through
the asparagus, knew what lay behind it, and afterward stored their honey
unmolested.--Agnes Lydon, Sec. Milwaukee Chapter E.
MINUTES OF A GOOD MEETING.
"Meeting called to order at 1.10 P. M. For the benefit of new members,
an explanation of the organization of the Chapter (No. 331) was given,
also of the origin of the A. A. The hand-book of the A.A. was then
reviewed, each topic taken up and explained, portions of the
constitution, by-laws, etc., being read. Next came the report of the
secretary. Next, that of the treasurer. The question, 'Ought the English
sparrow in this country to be considered an American bird?' was decided
in the affirmative. Then came the election of new members. Three were
elected. The revised copy of by-laws was then signed by all present.
Secretary then read extracts from the A. A. columns of ST. NICHOLAS, and
explained about 'centuries.' He also read from the reports of other
Chapters. A motion was then made that some one member bring in at each
meeting an essay. Secretary then read annual report to be sent to Lenox.
Approved. The next step was the paying of initiation fees by the new
members. The treasurer was authorized to send to Lenox for a 'charter.'
The questions in ornithology in December ST. NICHOLAS, and the answers
to same in March number, by Percy L. Benedict, Sec. 331, were read by
the Vice-President. Next came a chemical experiment on the nature of
flame,--the three cones, luminous, semi-luminous, non-luminous. A bent
glass tube was thrust into the non-luminous cone and lighted at the
other end,--a proof that the gas around the wick was not ignited."
Question for next meeting, "Which is the most useful animal?" Meeting
adjourned at 2.50 P. M.--Percy L. Benedict, Secretary.
KIOTO, JAPAN.
I was unfortunate enough, last March, to have all my letters,
letter-book, hand-books, and other matter relating to the A. A. as
secretary of Chapter 789, burn, together with everything else in my
house, and the house itself. I have thus lost the addresses of some
persons who had written to this Chapter. I mention this only to explain
to those who might otherwise have occasion to think this Chapter
negligent, the reason we can not answer them, unless they will have
the kindness to write again.--C. M. Cady.
_Every member of the A. A. will regret to hear of the misfortune
that befell Mr. Cady in the burning of his house. Doubtless those
members who had written to the Japan Chapter will now write again._
EXCHANGES.
Every collector is invited to send for my exchange list.--S. O. Pindar,
Hickman, Ky.
I wish to correspond with all Chapters intending to raise silk-worms
next year.--Chas. A. Jenkins, Sec. Ch. 447, Chittenango, N. Y.
Mr. L. L. Goodwin, Daisy, Tenn., will exchange fragments of ancient
pottery, arrow-heads, stone axes, and tomahawks--genuine and scarce;
write first. I specially desire a large star-fish, entire jaws of a
shark, a large lobster, and jaws and teeth of sea-fishes.
CHAPTERS, NEW AND REORGANIZED.
_No._ _Name._ _No. of_ _Address._
_Members._
972 Anadarko, Ind. Ter. (A) -- Charley A. Reynolds.
234 New York, N. Y. (G) 4 Miss Isabella Roelker, 237 W.
51st Street.
63 East Dennis, Mass. (A) 20 Harry E. Scars.
535 Hallowell, Maine (A) 4 Miss M. Lillian Hopkins.
40 Sauquoit, N. Y. (A) 12 Miss H. Josephine Campbell.
156 Peoria, Ill. (A) 5 W. T. Van Buskirk, 111 Penn.
Ave.
973 Ludington, Mich. (B) 13 Miss Emma Gaudette.
592 New York, N. Y. (P) 4 Miss Cecilia A. Francis, 54 W.
58th Street.
974 Richmond, Va. (C) 4 Miss Rebekah N. Woodbridge, 8 E.
Franklin St.
193 Providence, R. I. (A) 5 Harry I. Griffin, 110 Carpenter
Street.
250 Houghton, Mich. (A) 36 Morton C. Getchell.
16 Kerr City, Florida (A) 6 Miss Emma Hammond.
165 Norwalk, Ct. (A) 6 Mr. A. Quintard.
705 Philadelphia, Pa. (Y) -- Miss Edith Earpe, 641 N. 43d
Street.
723 Hopkinton, Mass. (A) 5 Geo. W. Chandler.
841 Montclair, N. J. (B) 4 Mr. Wm. Hollins, Box 277.
DISSOLVED.
458 Haverhill, Mass. F. H. Chase.
620 Manlius, N. Y. Geo. C. Beebe.
900 San Francisco, Cal. H. H. Loy.
NOTICE.
Secretaries of Chapters 701-800 are requested to send in their reports
as near _Sept. 20_ as possible.
All are invited to join the Association.
Address all communications for this Department to
MR. HARLAN H. BALLARD, Lenox, Mass.
THE LETTER-BOX.
Contributors are respectfully informed that, between the 1st of
June and the 15th of September, manuscripts can not conveniently
be examined at the office of ST. NICHOLAS. Consequently, those
who desire to favor the magazine with contributions will please
postpone sending their MSS. until after the last-named date.
* * * * *
WASHINGTON, D. C.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: This is the first letter I have ever written you.
I like your stories very much; the best one of this year, I think,
is "Little Lord Fauntleroy." Only I did not like to have the new Lord
Fauntleroy coming in to take his place. I hope Mrs. Burnett will have
the Earl buy the new Lord Fauntleroy out.
Your interested reader, MARY G--
* * * * *
CLIFTON, NEAR BRISTOL, ENGLAND.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: We are an English family with big and little members
in it. Whenever ST. NICHOLAS comes there is a great rush for it. We
think it much better than any of our English magazines. We live near the
Suspension Bridge, which is 254 feet above the river. Our horses eat
sugar, apples, and salt out of our hands. One is called Howard, the
other, Chester. We hardly ever get any ice here, and very little snow.
We think that "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is a real good story; it is very
like English life. We enjoy the letters from the little American boys
and girls very much. Please print this letter, as it comes a long
way--from England. I am a big member writing for the rest of our family.
Always your faithful readers, THE SPARKE FAMILY.
* * * * *
B: The story you name is founded on an actual tricycle journey by a
group of friends.
* * * * *
"CORTLANDT," OMAHA.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have never seen any letters from Omaha, in your
delightful pages, so I think I must write, and hope you will print this
letter. My mother and I think that "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is the most
beautiful story we have ever read, and we have persuaded my father to
read it, and he enjoyed it as much as we. My mother thinks Cedric will
die before the end, but I hope not. I do not go to school, but I take
French lessons of such a jolly little American "Mademoiselle!" Would it
not be fun for a certain number of boy and girl readers of ST. NICHOLAS
to send a list of five or ten of their favorite books and the authors'
names to you, and be printed! I hope this letter is not too long to
print.
Your loving friend, MENIE C. W--
* * * * *
CHRIST-CHURCH, NEW ZEALAND.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I thought you would like to get a letter from New
Zealand, as I don't think you have had one from such a long way. We have
had your magazine for two years, and we all like you very much and look
forward to getting you from the booksellers every month; and I am afraid
we sometimes squabble over it, as we are three children and we all want
it at once. Margaret, my eldest sister, generally gets it first because
she can cut it best. We have a nice pony, and we call him Joe, or
Joseph, because he is a piebald and has a coat of many colors. The
rabbits are so bad in New Zealand that we have to keep ferrets to kill
them. Father has a station, or sheep-run, with 28,000 sheep, and we are
afraid of the rabbits overrunning it and eating up the grass, so father
says I must bring up all my young kittens to be turned out on the run
to kill the rabbits. We went to England when I was four, and I liked it
very much, and was so pleased to see Granny and the aunties; but, oh,
dear, the voyage made me so sick! Now, dear ST. NICHOLAS, I hope you
will find room to put this in your magazine some day. Good-bye.
Your devoted reader, ADINE ACTON A--
* * * * *
PARIS.
MY DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am a little American girl, but I am in Europe
now, with my mother. We were in London the other day, and I went to
Madame Tussaud's wax-works. The figures are, perhaps, better than those
of the "Eden Musee," but the likenesses are simply miserable, especially
Washington's, which resembles "Bunthorne," in "Patience"; and Lincoln,
who was a much taller man than the late General Grant, was represented
as a much smaller one.
Your very loving PAQUERELLE.
* * * * *
NEW YORK.
DEAR OLD ST. NICHOLAS: This is the first time I have ever written to
you, although I have taken you for thirteen years,--ever since you were
published,--and have quite often thought of doing it. I am only a New
York girl, and can not write you about lovely scenery and stirring
events like the girls and boys who live at a distance, but can only say
again and again how dearly I love you, and how eagerly I look for you
every month.
I have enjoyed the series "From Bach to Wagner" _so_ much, as I am very
fond of music and take violin lessons. I like "Little Lord Fauntleroy"
better than any story you have had in a long time,--but Mrs. Burnett is
always delightful,--and it makes it so nice to have it illustrated by
Mr. Birch, whose drawings I admire greatly. I hope you will not find
this letter too long to print or consider me too old to be one of your
admirers, as I am not yet seventeen. I do not belong to the A. A., much
to my regret. I used to be a member of the "Town and Country Club," but
had to give it up for want of time. Good-bye, dear ST. NICK, and believe
me,
Affectionately yours, AMETHYST.
* * * * *
PORTLAND, OR.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have been taking you for nearly three years, and
think you are very nice. I think "Little Lord Fauntleroy" and the
"Brownies" are splendid. I like to read the Letter-Box. I am eight years
old and have lived in Portland nearly five years; and I go to see my
grandpa in the East sometimes. I have crossed the continent five times,
and, my Mamma says, have spent about five weeks of my life in a
sleeping-car.
Yours truly, LOUISE K. S.
* * * * *
16 CARLTON ROAD, FITZHUGH, SOUTHAMPTON.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: We are very fond of you; we jump for joy when you
come each month. We have taken you for two years in Buenos Ayres; now we
are living in England, but in a little while we are going to Geneva; but
wherever we are, we hope to see you. Our favorite stories are: "His One
Fault," "Oh, Dear," "The Brownies," "Little Lord Fauntleroy." Mother
likes "Personally Conducted." This is the first letter we have written;
we should like to see it printed.
Your little friends, BELLA, WILLIE, AND MIDGE.
* * * * *
LIVERPOOL, N. Y.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am a little girl nine years old. I have a little
sister and a baby brother. My little sister Enid thinks the "Brownies"
going to the "surtus" is the best. I think "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is
very nice. We have a big mastiff dog named Zippo. He weighs one hundred
and forty pounds. He came from England when he was eighteen months old.
He was raised by an earl. Perhaps it was Little Lord Fauntleroy's
grandfather. I hope you will print this in your Letter-Box.
Your Constant Reader, BESSIE C.
* * * * *
WASHINGTON, D. C.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: We have neither of us ever written to you before, but
now we want to tell you something. We were seated at our desks in
school, when the door opened and the principal entered, followed by four
great Indians. None but the interpreter could speak English. They were
dressed in citizens' clothes, so were not so interesting as they might
have been. The next day several of us sent our albums to them, and the
interpreter wrote the names of each, and then he whose name was signed,
made his own cross underneath. Three of their names are:
"Young Prophet."
"Stiff Wing."
"Young Bear."
Your devoted readers, ED. AND KITTIE.
* * * * *
PHILADELPHIA.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: My age is twelve years, and I am so fond of my
mother; so I must tell you how much we are all pleased with "Little Lord
Fauntleroy" and his "Dearest" mother.
My father is an Englishman, but we live in this country; we all love the
Queen, and we have a very high regard for the President and this
Government.
My father has been a great fisherman, and has fished in many waters in
this country; one time he caught a large pickerel, and the boy that was
rowing the boat had no shoes on, so when the large fish was drawn in the
boat it had its mouth wide open, and it slid to the boy's foot and came
near decapitating his big toe. Another time he hooked a large rock fish,
and it pulled him in the river, out of the boat, and he came near
drowning.
We all love the ST. NICHOLAS, for the many, many pretty stories you give
us. Now, "Dearest" No. 2, I will say good-bye.
JAMES LARDNER H.
* * * * *
BANGOR, ME.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am reading the story of "Little Lord Fauntleroy,"
and I like it very much. I do not like the grandpa very much; yet I
think when the grandpa sees Lord Fauntleroy's mother, he will like her,
and have her come up and live with them. From your friend,
L. C. B.
* * * * *
LOUISVILLE, KY.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I often thought I would like to send you some of my
poetry, and will inclose a piece that I composed last September, while
sailing my boat at Barnegat. I am eleven years old, and have been
writing poetry and stories for several years. I would be so much pleased
to see this letter and poem printed in ST. NICHOLAS, and if you do not
like this poetry I could send you other pieces called "The Frisky Calf,"
"Blacksmith's Song," "Rivuletta," etc. Good-bye, dear ST. NICHOLAS.
Yours truly, ELLEN N. L.
THE FATHOMLESS DEEP.
Ships have gone down, and bags of gold,
And copper and silver and riches untold
Lie on the bottom of the fathomless deep,
Where so many souls have gone to sleep.
Ships have gone down with lively crews,
And there is no one to tell the sad news
About how many souls unwillingly sleep
On the bottom of the fathomless deep.
Lobsters and crabs and fishes all,
From the big whale down to the minnow small,
And porpoises frolic and jump and leap
In the waters of the fathomless deep.
The waves break with a rush and roar
Upon the sands, as they did of yore;
And often and often people weep
For the souls that have died in the fathomless deep.
Sailors sail on the ocean green,
And will continue to do so, I ween;
For they wont take warning from the souls that sleep
On the bottom of the fathomless deep.
BARNEGAT CITY, N. J., Sept. 11, 1885.
* * * * *
"A JEWEL":--Your little story is very clever, as the work of a girl
of your age, and we should gladly print it in the Letter-Box if
there were space for it. But we are sorry to say that we can not
possibly make room for the story in our already over-crowded
columns.
* * * * *
PARIS, FRANCE.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am an American boy, living in Paris; I do not like
it much here. I have been to the Louvre several times since I have been
here, and the delightful "Stories of Art and Artists" have a double
interest, for when I go to the Louvre I can look for the works of
artists mentioned in those stories. I have seen the picture of Mme. le
Brun and her daughter there, and it is beautiful. I have seen also a
good many of David's. I am eleven years old, and have two sisters and
one brother, all younger than myself, and we all wait for you with
impatience. I have taken you now for three years, and to part with you
would be like parting with an old friend.
"Little Lord Fauntleroy" is the nicest next to "Art and Artists," I
think. I go to a school with over eleven hundred boys. I leave the house
at ten minutes of eight, in the morning, and I do not get home until six
at night.
I hope you will print this, as it is my first letter. Now, with much
love to you and the Little School-ma'am, I remain,
Your constant reader, J. H. T.
* * * * *
In the article in our last number, entitled "A Royal Fish," the
author stated that in this country a salmon weighing fifty pounds
was considered a very large one. But a correspondent now sends us
the following item describing a salmon which weighed seventy-two
pounds. No salmon of this weight, however, has ever been caught
_with a rod_ on the American side of the ocean. Here is the item:
"Crowds of well-dressed people, men and women, went to Fulton Market
yesterday and looked at an enormous salmon which was on exhibition. Mr.
Blackford, to whom it belonged, had put a row of big strawberries along
its back and stuffed green moss into its capacious mouth. The fish came
from the Dalles, a noted fishing place on the Columbia River, Oregon. It
measured fifty-two inches from its nose to the tip of its tail, was
twelve inches broad, and weighed seventy-two pounds. It was caught in a
net."
* * * * *
BALATON FURED.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I like you very much and most of all Sophie Swett
and Frank Stockton and Miss Alcott and Mary Mapes Dodge. I am a little
English girl, and I live in Hungary. We are going away in the spring,
and father has gone already.
Your loving reader, KATHLEEN YOUNG.
* * * * *
BALATON FURED, HUNGARY.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I feel I must add a few lines to my little daughter's
note, to tell you that, as she is suffering from spinal complaint, she
is obliged always to lie on her back; so to her--cut off from so many of
the pleasures of stronger children--you are doubly welcome. Indeed, we
all are very partial to you; your magazine has the distinction of being
the most shabby book on our book-shelves. In our home, as no doubt in
hundreds of others, you are a household word. Kathleen begs you, if you
have room, to print her letter. With every good wish, very truly yours,
MARIA YOUNG.
* * * * *
WASHINGTON, D. C.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am eleven years old, and have been taking you for
several years. I like you better than any other magazine. I have a
brother twenty-one months younger than I am, and we look very much
alike, and wear the same kind of clothes. He said he had a dream the
other night, which he thought was very funny. He dreamed we were playing
near the State Department, and a man told him not to get on the grass or
he would whip him. After a while he dreamed that I came along and got on
the grass, when the man caught me and whipped me by mistake, thinking I
was my brother.
He thought the dream was very funny, but I did not see the fun in it.
Yours affectionately, CHARLES C.
* * * * *
WASIOJA, MINN.
DEAR OLD SAINT: Although my brothers and I have taken you for nearly ten
years, this is the first letter I have written you.
I want to thank you for Mr. Stockton's valuable "Personally Conducted"
series, and also for Mr. Scudder's "George Washington." Mr. Stockton's
"Personally Conducted" makes me feel as if I had visited the places he
describes.
I am, and always shall be, an interested reader.
FRED. J. S.
* * * * *
GARDINER, MAINE.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have been your constant reader since I was a very
little girl, and you are still my favorite magazine, although I read
many others. Last summer I tried a string house, but not as you
described, for it is impossible to make morning-glories grow under a
tree, as they need a great deal of sun. My house was shaped like a tent,
with sloping sides, and outside of the morning-glories I planted a
border of nasturtiums, but although I began it early, planted the seeds
very thick, and took the greatest pains with it, it did not succeed, and
I don't think I shall try it again, as the season here is probably too
short. But I should advise any one who intends making a string house not
to make it under a tree, but on a frame in the open ground. I think it
is a great pity you don't come more than once a month (and I am sure all
the rest of your readers will agree with me), I am so much interested in
Mrs. Burnett's "Little Lord Fauntleroy." I hope you will have another
paper on "Historic Girls" soon. I have no pets, as a great many of your
readers seem to have, except a very small aquarium, but have in place of
them three collections, which I have collected almost entirely myself,
and am much interested in. The first, and most interesting to me, is one
of birds' eggs, the second, moths, insects, and butterflies, and, last
but not least, a small collection of minerals. I hope you will find room
to print this, but I suppose it is hard to choose among all the letters
that must be sent to you.
Your constant reader, AMY R.
* * * * *
HONOLULU, SANDWICH ISLANDS.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have never written you a letter before, but when I
was looking over the letters in the ST. NICHOLAS (for which I have
lately become a subscriber) I didn't see any letter from Honolulu, so I
thought I would write you one about the volcano in Hawaii, which you
know is one of the Hawaiian Islands. Well, about three weeks ago we
heard that the bottom of the volcano had fallen in. We were afraid that
we would have some severe earthquakes or, perhaps, a tidal wave; some
thought the Islands might all sink, but nothing of the kind has
occurred. Mr. S----, a photographer, was the first to see it; he had
been let down by ropes, and was standing on a ledge taking photographs
of the crater. The volcano was unusually active. He took the
photographs, and just as he was taking one he saw the whole thing caving
in. First the bottom fell out and then the sides fell in, and down it
all went, leaving nothing but a bottomless hole. No sooner was he hauled
up than the ledge on which he had been standing fell in.
Yours truly, HENRY W.
* * * * *
NEW GLASGOW, N. S.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have taken you for ten years. We stopped for one
year, and we could not do without you, so we have commenced again. I
think "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is a beautiful story. I have never seen
a letter from this province before. I hope to see my letter in print.
Your constant reader,
BESSIE G. T.
* * * * *
ATLANTA, GA.
DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am a little boy from the South, and have only gone
to school a few months; but as my mamma says I must some day be a
Governor, and my grandma expects me to be a President, I will commence
with ST. NICHOLAS. I will be satisfied if I am ever as wise and good as
was Mr. Paul Hayne, our poet, who died last summer.
He had a splendid horse named Dick. Often, when he would ride out in the
woods to compose a poem, he would take me with him if I would promise
not to speak a word, and I know it was harder for me not to speak than
for him to write the poem.
ALBERT A.
* * * * *
We acknowledge with many thanks the receipt of pleasant letters from
the young friends whose names here follow: Raynor Brothers, Eva
Campbell, Emma C. Tate, Cara Sanford, Bessie Bradenbaugh, L. C.,
May, "Harry's Mother," Bessie L. Lake, Ernst C. Bernbaum, Mary P.
F., John Kelso, Annie Howard, Fawn Evans, Willie C. Hardy, Millicent
R., Alice D. Leigh, George B. Stratton, Frank M. Crispin, Alfred B.
Cushing, Flossie, Emily Innes, Reno Blackstone, Mollie Orr, Lottie
E. W., Violet A., Maudie Brown, Florence H., Kitty Russell, M. S.
R., Emma T., Eloise L. Derby, A. J. S., Grace F. Schoff, Maude
Jackson, Fanny H. Murdock, Rosa R. A. & Rudie E. B., Genevieve D.,
Ettie Coombs, Roy Strong, Bertha Parsons, Maud T., Olive S. Stewart,
Pansy O'Donnell, "Katisha," Cora Hoyt, Elizabeth K. Stewart, First
Ward School, Charlotte Dennison, Dollie M. Brooks, Bessie Roberts,
Anna D. W., Charles P. Clark, M. E. R., Matty J., Florence A.,
Florence V. Thorpe, Roland Wilber, Gertie Doud, Nellie & Ninita,
Josie M. Merghau, A. B. Baylis, Jr., Audley & Ronald, Ella H. W., W.
le bas T., Emma Willcutt, Dot, Evan, & Brooks, S., Lucy Hathaway,
Lucy P. K., Kathleen, T. C., Constant Reader, Geraldine, Maud Elaine
Caldwell, E. Parks, Amy H. Silvester, Winnie Galloway, Henry J.
Parsons, Tryphosa, Theodosia, Tryphena Van----, E. C. N., Harry
Armstrong, Charlie P. G., Beth M., Walter Bassett, W. L. Briscoe,
Constance R., Nellie B. R., Emilie K., Wennie B. Dorrance, O. W. G.,
Dodey Smart, Mary & May, Duncan Kilborn, Annie Russell Anthony, and
Minnie R.
THE RIDDLE-BOX.
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE AUGUST NUMBER.
CHARADE. Keepsake.
OCTAGON. 1. Dab. 2. Cecil. 3. Decolor. 4. Aconite. 5. Bilious. 6. Lotus.
7. Res.
GREEK CROSS. I. 1. Rate. 2. Aver. 3. Teas. 4. Erst. II. 1. Tore. 2.
Omer. 3. Reps. 4. Erst. III. 1. Erst. 2. Rhea. 3. Seas. 4. Task. IV. 1.
Task. 2. Area. 3. Seat. 4. Kate. V. 1. Task. 2. Anne. 3. Snap. 4. Kept.
INVERTED PYRAMIDS. I. Across: 1. Oratory. 2. Erode. 3. Toe. 4. L. II.
Across: 1. Masonic. 2. Sabot. 3. Mow. 4. E.
ILLUSTRATED CENTRAL ACROSTICS. Centrals, Socrates. Cross-words: 1.
snowShoes. 2. dragOn-fly. 3. chiCken. 4. baRns. 5. bAt. 6. aTe. 7.
reEls. 8. opoSsum.
EGYPTIAN PUZZLE. Centrals, Memnon. Cross-words: 1. M. 2. gEm. 3. caMel.
4. oraNges. 5. crocOdile. 6. AlexaNdrian.
CUBE. From 1 to 2, imperial; 2 to 4, lanneret; 3 to 4, lapidist; 1 to 3,
immortal; 5 to 6, schooner; 6 to 8, rounding; 7 to 8, hoveling; 5 to 7,
Shadrach; 1 to 5, Iris; 2 to 6, leer; 4 to 8, tang; 3 to 7, lash.
RIMLESS WHEELS. I. Andersen. From 1 to 9, Anne; 2 to 9, Nile; 3 to 9,
dome; 4 to 9, Erie; 5 to 9, rise; 6 to 9, size; 7 to 9, edge; 8 to 9,
nine. II. Farragut. From 1 to 9, face; 2 to 9, able; 3 to 9, ripe; 4 to
9, rare; 5 to 9, acre; 6 to 9, gape; 7 to 9, urge; 8 to 9, type.
DIAMOND. 1. H. 2. Jib. 3. Judea. 4. Hidalgo. 5. Belle. 6. Age. 7. O
DOUBLE ACROSTIC. Primals, Herrick; finals, Shelley. Cross-words: 1.
HardinesS. 2. EmbellisH. 3. RationalE. 4. RehearsaL. 5. IdenticaL. 6.
CarmelitE. 7. KnowinglY.
BEHEADINGS. Salmagundi. 1. S-ear. 2. A-rid. 3. L-imp. 4. M-ope. 5.
A-mid. 6. G-lad. 7. U-rim. 8. N-ail. 9. D-ram. 10. I-ago.
ZIGZAG. The Atlantic Cable Landed. Cross-words: 1. True. 2. sHow. 3.
glEe. 4. galA. 5. saTe. 6. sLap. 7. Atom. 8. oNce. 9. laTe. 10. semI.
11. raCe. 12. aChe. 13. Arid. 14. aBle. 15. hiLl. 16. hirE. 17. haLe.
18. hAil. 19. Need. 20. iDea. 21. stEw. 22. benD.
* * * * *
TO OUR PUZZLERS: In sending answers to puzzles, sign only your initials
or use a short assumed name; but if you send a complete list of answers
you may sign your full name. Answers should be addressed to ST. NICHOLAS
"Riddle-box," care of THE CENTURY CO., 33 East Seventeenth street, New
York City.
ANSWERS TO ALL THE PUZZLES IN THE JUNE NUMBER were received, before June
20, from Maud E. Palmer--Jo and I--Maggie T. Turrill--"B. L. Z. Bub,
No. 1"--Mamma and Fanny--"B. L. Z. Bub, No. 2"--Hazel--"San Anselmo
Valley"--"Shumway Hen and Chickens"--D. B. Shumway--M. Margaret and
E. Muriel Grundy--Carrie Seaver and Alice M. Young--F. W. Islip.
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE JUNE NUMBER were received, before June 20,
from M. L. Bosher, 1--Marion Strong, 1--Grace A. Zublin, 2--E. V.
Sudell, 2--Prince and Prancer, 1--Paul Reese, 13--R. E. B., 1--Jas. A.
Bond, 2--Nellie L. Howes, 6--T and Coffee, 1--Nanon and Ninon, 4--H. R.
H., 1--Robert Nead, 3--R. Earle Olwine, 1--Helen W. Gardner, 1--"Jack
and Jill," 5--Effie K. Talboys, 7--M. Clare H. Guion, 4--Karl E. Sommer,
3--"Silver-tongue," 1--Alice Blackinton, 1--C. F. Bishop, 3--"Squid,"
5--"Dad," 1--"The Reads," 3--Florence Althaus, 8--No name, Cleveland,
1--No name, Oakdale, 12--"May and 79," 7--"Young Man," 6--"Tiger,"
2--Laura and Irene, 7--E. M. B. and A. G. B., 2--Mamie R., 13--Lucia C.
Bradley, 11--Nellie and Reggie, 11--H. Lovejoy, 9--"Jack Sprat,"
5--Kittie, Chessie, Avis, and Grace, 7--Gen. T. Hughes, 2--Smed,
12--Helen Burnham, 2--Patience, 3--Arthur and Bertie Knox, 8--We, Us, &
Co., 4--"Mohawk Valley," 10--Pearl Colby and Nell Bates, 10--Louise
Joynes, 3--Daisy Van Ingen, 1--Elise Ripley, Ripley, 7--Lucy M. Bradley,
11--Fred T. Pierce, 4--Sadie and Bessie Rhodes and "De Grassy,"
10--"Original Puzzle Club," 12--Hattie Weil, 2--Eleanor Peart, 4--Ida
and Edith M. Swamwick, 7--"Two Cousins," 13--Lewis Kilborn, 2--Langham,
2--Dash, 12--Eugene Kell and Mamma, 1.
CONNECTED PYRAMIDS.
*
. * .
. . * . .
. . . * . . .
*
. * .
. . * . .
. . . * . . .
UPPER PYRAMID. Across: 1. In moping. 2. The cry of an animal. 3. Relish.
4. A horseman's cap. Downward: 1. In moping. 2. To depart. 3. A small
sweet-cake. 4. Elapsed. 5. Preyed upon. 6. A conjunction. 7. In moping.
LOWER PYRAMID. Across: 1. In moping. 2. A period. 3. To pass through by
filtering. 4. An old-fashioned Spanish ship. Downward: 1. In moping. 2.
A musical syllable. 3. A kind of fish. 4. Spoken. 5. A unit. 6. A call
to excite attention. 7. In moping.
Centrals, reading downward (eight letters), a bucolic.
"MYRTLE GREEN."
CROSS-WORD ENIGMA.
My first is in rise, but not in fall;
My second in entry, but not in hall;
My third is in give, but not in take;
My fourth is in pie, but not in cake;
My fifth is in gun, but not in toy;
My sixth is modest, but not in coy;
My whole is easily found, no doubt,--
'Tis a thing the world would scarce "run" without.
LELAND STANFORD B.
BURIED QUADRUPEDS.
1. If you will give me the broken seal, Pa can replace it, I am sure. 2.
It would certainly be a very good idea to do so, Ethel. 3. The little
black cub is only waiting for a chance to bite you. 4. I will not give
her mine. 5. He gave them each a moist piece of preserved ginger. 6. She
did not encourage Nettie to pursue her musical studies. 7. The parlor is
already dusted, and ready for our visitors. 8. How will a man, in his
position, ever retrieve himself? 9. I was there when Lem urged his claim
so persistently. 10. Did you ask if Pa could stop at the big grocery.
11. Pa can stop, I am sure. 12. I set out this shallow pan daily, for
the birds. 13. At the sound of the familiar tap I ran to the window. 14.
Did you call Jack a lazy lad?
PAUL R. PIERCE.
DIAMOND.
1. In alpaca. 2. Chance. 3. Pleasantry. 4. A thin fabric. 5. Studied
with an abstracted gaze. 6. To clear. 7. In alpaca.
"[OE]DIPUS."
CONNECTED SQUARES.
. . . * . . .
. . . * . . .
. . . * . . .
* * * * * * *
. . . * . . .
. . . * . . .
. . . * . . .
I. Upper Left-hand Square: 1. A spring. 2. A nobleman. 3. Surface. 4. To
contrive.
II. Upper Right-hand Square: 1. A scheme. 2. A slender cord. 3. Small
insects. 4. A snug abode.
III. Lower Left-hand Square: 1. To devise. 2. Erudition. 3. Artifices.
4. A snug place.
IV. Lower Right-hand Square: 1. A collection of boxes. 2. A
reverberation. 3. A pretense. 4. A small city.
"SAM WELLER."
DOUBLE ACROSTIC.
My primals spell what every one is wishing for, and my finals spell
where it may come from.
CROSS-WORDS (of equal length): 1. A bivalve shell-fish. 2. A Russian
feminine name. 3. To lend. 4. A prefix signifying half. 5. Destitution.
6. A part sung by a female voice. 7. A part of speech. 8. A girl's name.
"[OE]DIPUS."
[Illustration]
NUMERICAL ENIGMA
I am composed of one hundred and twenty-one letters, and form a
four-line stanza by Celia Thaxter.
My 30-87-70-58 is joyous. My 45-20-75-17-98-34 is a color. My
64-5-89-54 is part of a bottle. My 67-49-82-11-9 is an apparition.
My 102-25-77-118-107 is a poor cottage. My 53-113-83-94-38 is
an apartment in a ship. My 85-27-42-33-121-73 is to deter. My
60-114-80-16-97-21-56-31-115-55 is the science of Egyptian antiquities.
My 110-13-92 is part of a fish. My 40-91-120-103-99 is airy. My
62-1-51-69-29-103-86-7-12 is extraordinary. My 23-32-57-3-47 is to
gather. My 79-65-14-96-43-2 is to loiter. My 116-36-108-66-4-78 is to
manifest. My 6-61-52-104 is to lash. My 74-101-59-112-72-119-50-88
is abased. My 26-76-24-109 is a fierce animal. My 68-81-63-28-117
is to halt. My 48-41-18-39-100 is strong. My 93-44-10-71 is to be
incandescent. My 90-37-19-95 is to draw or paint. My 111-35-22-84
is secure. My 106-8-46-15 is to impede.
"CORNELIA BLIMBER."
DOUBLE ZIGZAG.
1 * * * 11 * * *
* 2 * * * 12 * *
* * 3 * * * 13 *
* * * 4 * * * 14
* * 5 * * * 15 *
* 6 * * * 16 * *
7 * * * 17 * * *
* 8 * * * 18 * *
* * 9 * * * 19 *
* * * 10 * * * 20
CROSS-WORDS: 1. A very small cake. 2. Having the quality of imbibing.
3. Singular. 4. Those who have charge of money. 5. A free gift.
6. Cleanses. 7. Personal satires. 8. Destitute of pores. 9. To punish.
10. Primitive.
The zigzag from 1 to 10 spells the name given to a certain day in
September; from 11 to 20, the name of a dish eaten in England on that
day.
FRANK SNELLING.
RHYMED WORD-SQUARE.
(1.) A kind of meat.
(2.) An odor sweet.
(3.) Struggled, strived, contended.
(4.) Last, but not least.
(5.) A Persian priest.
And now my rhyme is ended.
"KATASHAW."
OCTAGON.
1. A jump. 2. Pertaining to the pope. 3. A lip having a fissure like
that of a hare. 4. To act. 5. Flattery. 6. A measure. 7. By means of.
"ROYAL TARR."
BEHEADINGS.
1. Behead to acknowledge with gratitude, and leave a bunch of yarn. 2.
Behead to frequent, and leave a relative. 3. Behead discloses, and leave
enclosures. 4. Behead a fine rain, and leave land surrounded by water.
5. Behead askant, and leave oblique. 6. Behead a large wave or billow,
and leave to incite. 7. Behead very dark, and leave attenuated. 8.
Behead to imbibe, and leave a place of amusement. 9. Behead fanciful,
and leave to distribute. 10. Behead a subterraneous canal, and leave a
pitcher. 11. Behead a mountain nymph, and leave to peruse. 12. Behead
the present occasion, and leave formerly.
The beheaded letters will spell the name of an inventor.
WILLIE AND CORT.
CROSS-WORD ENIGMA.
You will find me in the _orchard_, where the pears and apples grow;
I'm discovered in the _clauses_ that the lawyers so well know;
I am found in every _present_ that our loving friends bestow;
I am bound up in the _caskets_ that will splendid jewels show;
I am seen within the _patient_ who is sick of drugs and pills;
The _planter_ carries me with him while riding o'er his hills;
'Mongst the letters of the _ledgers_ I feel perfectly at home;
And from the _muffins_, sweet and fresh, I never wish to roam;
The _fairies_ hold me in their arms as through the air they fly;
And every _scholar_ claimeth me as he at work will ply;
I take part in all the _ballads_ that are sung by young and old;
I am portion of the _denizen_ who roams the forests bold;
In _thickets_ I'm not absent, as you all must plainly see;
And my whole comes in September, filling farmers full of glee.
C. D.
TRIANGULAR PRISM.
1
. . .
. . .
2 . 3
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. 4 .
. . . .
. . . .
5 . . . . . 6
From 1 to 2, one of an ancient race of people; from 1 to 3, a fragment;
from 2 to 5, a small bird of the titmouse family; from 1 to 4, a form of
instruction by means of questions and answers; from 3 to 6, a snout or
trunk; from 4 to 5, to coin; from 4 to 6, a collective body; from 5 to
6, a structure of cross-barred work.
"ROSE MADDER."