We only know of one goat connected with Captain Cook. This travelled
beast twice circumnavigated the globe--first in the ship _Dolphin_, with
the early discoverer Captain Wallis: and secondly in the ship
_Endeavor_, with Captain Cook. After the goat arrived in England for the
second time, the Lords of the Admiralty granted it the privilege of a
residence in Greenwich Hospital, and a silver collar was put around its
neck, inscribed with a Latin couplet composed by Dr. Johnson. But the
goat, like many other old sailors, did not apparently thrive on dry
land, for it died in April, 1772, as it was about to be given to the old
seamen at Greenwich for a pet, and less than a year after its return
from the long voyage with Captain Cook.
* * * * *
C. B. M.--Postage stamps, if they are clean and in good order, will be
received in payment for the covers of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE.
* * * * *
"BILL."--We refer you to the advertisement of toy steam-engine in
HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE No. 53.
* * * * *
ERNST H.--Your insect from Colorado answers the description of the
caddis-worm. This worm, which is a soft, white creature, lives under
water in a movable house which it makes for itself out of bits of stone,
pieces of shell, and grains of sand. It feeds on minute particles of
water refuse. When its life as a worm is ended it forms a chrysalis,
from which issues a fly with hairy wings called the caddis-fly, of which
there are many species. The caddis-worm is much used as bait by
fishermen.
* * * * *
The following communication is longer than those we can, as a rule,
admit to the Post-office Box, but as we are sure it will be interesting
to other little mothers of doll families, we make an exception in its
favor:
My family of dolls are unfortunately all orphans. I had the parents
of the four girls named French, but my brother Jack sat on the head
of the papa, and hopelessly crushed it. The mamma I left too long
in a sun bath, and her beautiful wax complexion melted all away.
Dora French is the oldest girl, and has auburn hair like the
Empress Eugenie. Her hair comes off sometimes, but I use a
sticking stuff for tonic, and fasten it on just as the ladies do
their puffs. Dora is very graceful, and turns her head
beautifully. She wears blue, to suit her hair.
Sue French is a brunette with handsome black eyes, long black
hair, and bangs. She is very beautiful. My uncle sent her to me as
soon as she arrived from France. She is named for my aunty Sue.
Lizzie French, the third girl, came over in the same steamer with
Sue. She is the sweetest blonde, and is called for my own mamma.
Both Sue and Lizzie are very fond of dress.
Louise French is the intelligent one of the family. She talks
beautifully, and is always calling for mamma and papa; but, poor
thing, they never answer her. Perhaps if they were alive, and had
the strings in their sides pulled as hard as I pull those of poor
Louise, they would answer lively enough. Louise has lovely teeth,
but by an accident one was knocked out.
The baby is named Minnie. She is an American, and the pet of all
the dolls. A lady found her in a doll's orphan asylum, or rather a
big store. She is just too lovely for anything, and has lots of
long clothes, like a real baby. She has a cradle with sheets,
blankets, pillows, and quilts; a pretty baby carriage; a baby
basket, lined with blue and trimmed with lace, which holds her
brush, comb, sponge, soap, towels, nursing bottle, and rattle. She
has caps, cloaks, and an afghan for her carriage.
I have almost forgotten dear Gretchen. She is not the little Dutch
Gretchen who sat in the kitchen eating her cold sour-krout, but is
a cousin to the Misses French. Her trousseau came in the box with
her; and such queer satin and white Swiss dresses, funny little
aprons, quaint slippers, fine stockings, and dear little hats you
never saw, unless you have been in Switzerland. Her hair is light,
and braided in two long plaits. I tell you she is a beauty; and
although she is the youngest of all the dolls, except the baby,
she is as tall as any of them.
Then there is Ho Shen Chee, the Chinaman. He is the only boy in
the whole family. Mamma picked him up at the Centennial. He looked
so forlorn and lonesome that mamma felt sorry for him, and brought
him home. We do everything to make him happy, but he still has
that same sad look, and his head wobbles awfully. His clothes are
a great trouble to us, for we can never make any like those he had
on when he came.
The French girls have everything elegant. Their Saratoga trunk is
filled with lovely dresses, shoes, bonnets, fans, stockings,
gloves, jewelry, parasols, hats, dressing-cases and travelling
bags, writing-paper and desk, watches, perfumery bottles, books,
and everything that young ladies need. Their furniture is very
handsome, too. Their bedstead was made to order, and has a
mattress, pillows, shams, and everything. They have a large
bureau, a lounge, tables, chairs, and a cabinet filled with
bric-à-brac. They have a small work-basket, with little scissors
that open and shut, thimble, needles, and all other work-box
necessities.
Olive, or Aunt Olive, as the dollies call her, is the very
smallest, but the beauty of the family, and the richest. She lives
in a large house with her adopted daughter Pussy, and a great many
servants. Her house has five rooms--parlor, dining-room, bedroom,
kitchen, and bath-room, where real water runs from a faucet. All
these rooms are furnished too lovely for anything. The windows
have real glass and curtains; the doors have curtains too. We have
a large barn (when I say _we_, I mean my brother Jack and myself,
for he loves dolls as well as I do), which has horses and a
dog-cart, in which Olive rides. We have a Park phaeton too. We
build our farm-yard in one corner of the room, and our fort in
another; these are the summer resorts. We move the things on
Jack's big dray and cart. We play the figures in the carpet are
lakes, rivers, and ponds. The dolls ride on these in our boats,
which go on wheels. Away off in another part of the room we put up
the tents. We build the railroad, and the dollies go out to the
camp. When we want to take them to amusement, we build our
theatre, which plays _Cinderella_. When they get tired of that we
take them to the dog show, which is Jack's collection of beautiful
china dogs. We have a race track, where the dolls go to the races
on the elevated railroad which we set up. When they get hungry we
put the cooking stove on the fender, with the pipe up the chimney,
and make a fire, and really cook. Of course we do the eating,
using our pretty blue and gilt dishes.
We only know one other little girl in New York, and she does not
care to play with dolls; so Jack and I get in a room all by
ourselves, and put up all these things, and I tell you we have a
splendid time. When we get tired we put the dollies to bed, and
get out their wash-tubs, boards, and irons, which we heat on the
little stove, and wash and iron their little clothes.
Next to reading HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, this is the best fun we
have.