Of these two Wiggles, the first is what our artist makes of the outline
given in No. 4 of _Harper's Young People_, and the second is a new
Wiggle, in which we hope our young readers will take as much interest as
they have in those already published.
[Illustration: OUR POST-OFFICE BOX.]
During this new year we anticipate much pleasant intercourse with our
young friends. We thank them heartily for the favors already received,
which from their genuine childishness we know have come direct from
their own little hearts and hands. Our paper is received by children who
live in all parts of this country, in England, Germany, France, South
America, Cuba, and Mexico; and we would like to offer them a few
suggestions which, if faithfully carried out, will add interest to our
Post-office Box, and give much valuable information.
In the first place, many of you have household pets--birds, squirrels,
fishes, turtles, and other little live creatures. We are sure of this,
because already some of you have asked us questions regarding the care
of them. Now, if you watch your pets carefully, you will learn many
pretty facts of natural history; and it would do you good, and please
us, if you would write us about their habits, what food they like best,
and how they behave. If your communications are brief enough, we shall
gladly print them.
Then as spring comes on--and it will come very soon to some of you in
the South--watch for the first spring flowers, the sweet trailing
arbutus, the pretty violets and wind-flowers, the crocuses, and other
early spring blossoms, and tell us when you find them, and in what
pretty corner they were nestled in the woods, among bushes by the old
stone wall, or in the open sunny field. Let us see what little girl or
boy will find the first willow "pussies." And you will all be interested
to learn how much earlier the spring blossoms come to you who live South
and West than to you in Maine and Canada.
Then there will be the coming of the birds to watch for--the robins and
bluebirds; some of you will see them all winter, and the dear little
snow-birds, which sing and hop about so merrily on cold, biting mornings
when your own little fingers are half frozen as you scamper to school
over the snow crust. Watch all these beautiful things of nature, dear
children, and write us whatever you find out from your own personal
observation.
In that way our Post-office Box will become a delightful and instructive
natural history exchange between the little folks of all sections of the
country. Perhaps, also, the children in England and other lands beyond
the sea will now and then favor us with bits of information about their
own birds and flowers. You must excuse us for writing so much, leaving
not room enough to print half of your own pretty communications.
* * * * *
"Earl" writes from Chicago: "I live on the West Side, and the ponds are
frozen strong enough for skating. I have been skating twice at Jefferson
Park." That does not look much like hunting for willow "pussies," does
it? And perhaps you are laughing, because we remind you of spring now
just when you are beginning to plan for skating parties. But willows
grow all around the ponds where you skate, and you will never see the
bare twigs without wondering how soon you can write and tell us the
downy "pussies" have appeared.
* * * * *
I am six years old, and I live in Hastings, Nebraska. I like
_Harper's Young People_ very much. I have a duck, a chicken, a pig,
and a little rat dog whose name is Jip. I would like to know how to
teach him to catch rats. He by accident caught one the other day,
fastened in the pig-pen fence, and killed it before it got loose.