Chapter II: Part 2

I sat down on my box, and Gertie on hers, and there we sat, as
happy as two enthroned queens, with serfs and vassals standing
near. How every girl in school idolized us last night!

"George has driven Madame over to town, and won't be back till
late," said Enid, coming from her expedition to the basement in
search of George. (George is the man-servant who "does the chores"
and "plays hero" for the school.)

"How can we ever get these up stairs?" asks Gertie.

"Carry them ourselves," cried a brawny girl; "we'll all help."

So, with a girl at each corner of each box, we struggled up
stairs. Mine was not very heavy, but Gertie's was; and one girl
let her corner slip, which threw us all into confusion, and in the
midst of the hurly-burly we became aware of a majestic presence at
the head of the stairs, and there stood--Miss Coningham, the first
assistant. Our hearts stood still, for we had not asked
permission; but Sallie, whom nothing overcomes, saved us.

"Oh, Miss Coningham," she called, "_do_ come and help us;" and she
actually stepped down and caught it as the girls were losing
control of it, and engineered it into our sitting-room.

You know we five Aegises have one sitting-room, with three
bedrooms opening out of it. As she turned to go, I thought I saw
in her face a longing to stay, and be a girl with the rest of us,
and I said,

"Don't go, Miss Coningham; stay and see what is in the boxes."

"Thank you; I know you will enjoy yourselves more alone. Madame
told me to give you five young ladies permission to have supper in
your own room to-night."

"Why?" we all cried. "What made her?"

"Because it is Miss Wood's birthday."

"My birthday!" cried Gertie, in amaze. "I didn't once think of
it;" while the girls flew at her ears.

"I don't see how any one could forget such a thing--do you, Miss
Coningham?" I asked, as she stood in the door.

"No; I could not forget mine," she said. "This is mine too."

When I told the girls it was Miss Coningham's birthday too, they
unanimously proposed to give her a present, and ran to their rooms
for their purses.

"There are just ten of us," said Enid, counting.

"Pass round a hat," said Ida.

"This will do," cried Sallie, seizing an India rubber shoe, and
taking up the collection. "If you have little, give little, but if
you've got a lot, give a good deal. Six dollars and ninety cents,"
said Sallie, counting it. "Now what shall we get?"

"Flowers? They fade so quickly."

"Let's get something she can keep."

"Well, what?"

"A gold thimble. You know hers rolled down the register, and was
lost."

We agreed upon the thimble. Then Enid went to Miss Coningham, and
gained permission for us to go down to the jeweller's. So the five
other girls left the selection of the thimble to us, and went down
stairs.

"Wasn't 'Cony' good?" said Sallie. "Little did she suspect our
object."

"Would it be a bad idea to ask her to feast with us to-night?"

"Not at all bad. Do you believe she'll come?"

"Very doubtful. Who will ask Madame if we may have the feast?"

"I," said Sallie; "my life for my country."

We bought a beautiful gold thimble for six dollars, and spent the
rest for flowers; then hurried home to open the boxes, and get
everything ready before study hour.

"What shall we do for a table-cloth?"

"Take a fresh sheet," said Sallie.

"Isn't there anything better?" asks Ida.

"Positively nothing," answered Sallie, throwing a sheet at her.
"Take this, and be thankful it isn't sheet lightning that strikes
you. Now I start for my interview with Madame."

"Good luck attend you! Enid, put the flowers in the centre, with a
lemon pie at one side and a mince at the other."

"Here is a roast chicken," I cried. "Ida, put it at one end."

"Enid," called Gertie, "here's a duck in my box; put him opposite
the chicken."

"'Dido _et dux_,'" said Enid.

"Well," answered Gertie, "I'm glad she didn't eat them all."

Here Sallie came in, triumphant.

"I showed her the thimble, girls, and told her all about
everything, and she says we five and the other five and Miss
Coningham--Elsie, she called her--can come up here right after
prayers, and stay till ten o'clock."

"Could anything be jollier?"

"She says Elsie was our age when she first came here, and was as
full of fun as we are."

Then I found your note, saying there were _A_pples for Anna,
_E_ggs for Enid, _G_rapes for Gertie, _I_nglish walnuts for Ida,
and _S_ardines for Sallie. We saw how hard up you were for I's,
but we'd rather have the nuts than anything.

We had just got everything in order when the study bell rang. You
can scarcely mention a "goody" that was not in one of those boxes.
Gertie had a birthday cake with fifteen tapers on it, which we
lighted.

I can't begin to tell you what a jolly time we had when we came
back up stairs. All our invitations were accepted. Miss Coningham
was charmed with the thimble. We "toasted" all you good people at
home who were the cause of our joy, and sent the flowers to Madame
when our revelry was o'er.

By-the-way, the boots are exactly right. Now, with the love and
thanks of all the Aegises, I must close, for I haven't touched a
lesson for to-morrow.

Lovingly, gratefully, and thankfully yours,
ANNA I. CLIFFORD.

THE BABY ELEPHANT.

On the 10th of this month an event occurred in Philadelphia that has aroused universal curiosity and interest. It was the birth of a baby elephant, which immediately became famous as being the first of his kind, so far as is known, ever born in captivity. All other elephants brought to this country for exhibition, or used in Eastern countries as beasts of burden, have been captured and tamed, and it has heretofore been regarded as an unquestioned fact that they would not breed in captivity.

The mother of the cunning little fellow who is attracting so much attention is a large black Asiatic elephant named Hebe, and belongs to the Great London Circus. She is acknowledged by all the other elephants of the circus as their queen, and they are all loyally devoted to her. She and six other large elephants have been spending the winter in a stable at the corner of Twenty-third Street and Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia. Here the elephants stand in a large room, each with their hind-legs chained to posts.

Immediately upon the birth of the little elephant the others seemed to become crazy with joy. They had been very quiet, but they now set up the most tremendous bellowing and trumpeting imaginable. Some of them broke their chains, and danced about in the most grotesque manner, besides performing all the tricks they had been taught in the circus ring. The general excitement communicated itself to Hebe, and in a moment she became the most frantic of them all. Snapping the chains that bound her to the posts as though they were threads, and apparently becoming, for the first time, aware of the presence of her baby, she seized him with her trunk and threw him with great force, twenty yards or more, to the opposite side of the room. He fell close beside a large stove, around which was a railing of heavy timbers. Rushing after him, his crazy mother beat down this railing, threw over the stove, and in her madness would probably have killed her baby, had not her keeper, who had fled for his life upon the first outbreak, returned with help, and attracted her attention. With considerable difficulty she was secured and again chained to the posts, and the other animals were also quieted. During all the confusion the baby had stood motionless in the place to which his mother had flung him, and had regarded the whole scene with a look of wise solemnity such as only a baby can assume.

When quiet was restored, he became very frisky, and was willing to make friends with everybody. He ran about with his mouth wide open, and his little trunk pointing upward in the funniest way possible. He blundered about here and there, running against all sorts of things, and finally seemed overjoyed to be taken back to his mother, who has ever since shown the greatest fondness for him. He is thirty-five inches high, and weighs 214 pounds, so that he is about the size of a large Newfoundland dog. He is fed by means of a nursing-bottle made of a yard of rubber hose and a large funnel. One end of the hose is put in his mouth, and the other is attached to the funnel, into which the keepers pour warm milk until the baby shows that he has had enough by throwing down his end of the tube.

PRACTICAL JOKES.

BY FRANK BELLEW.

As a general rule, practical jokes are a kind of fun that should not be encouraged; but there are a few harmless ones which may be made the means of a good deal of innocent merriment.

Tom Hood, who was one of the most kindly and genial of men, as well as one of the greatest of poets, was very fond of playing little practical jokes on members of his own family and immediate circle of intimate friends. On one occasion, when his wife had made a magnificent English plum-pudding, as a Christmas present for some German friends, Hood surreptitiously got hold of it, and filled it with wooden skewers, which he ran through in every direction, and in this condition it was sent by the unsuspicious Mrs. Hood to her friends in Germany, who no doubt thought English cookery a most eccentric art.

On another occasion he wrote as follows, from London, to an intimate friend, one Lieutenant Franck, of the Prussian army:

"I also send for yourself an imitation gold-fish. It appears that there is something in the color or taste of the gold-fish which renders it irresistible to other fish as a bait. They are quite mad after it. It appears to be intended to be sunk with a weight, and pulled about under water, or else to float on the top; but they say it is taken in anyway."

This wonderful bait was made of wood, and painted yellow, or covered with gilt paper, and presented an appearance like the annexed engraving.

But under this innocent exterior lurked Tom Hood's joke. The fish was made of two pieces of wood, like Fig. 2, glued or gummed together, only one of which was attached to the line, and on this piece was burned, with a red-hot knitting-needle, the words, "_O, you April fool!_" Of course, after the sportsman had dragged this about in the water for some time, the glue melted, the loose half of the bait floated away, and when he hauled in his line to see how things were getting along, he discovered the inscription, and at the same time that he had been made a _fool_ of, whether it happened to be April or not.

THE CLOCK BEWITCHED.

I was once at one of those little social gatherings which the Scotch call a "cooky-shine," and the English a "tea-fight," where two young ladies appeared escorted by a rustic beau (for be it known this was in the country), who, like many beaux from both city and country, had a very well-developed opinion of his own shrewdness and sagacity, of which opinion he gave several rather obtrusive illustrations during the course of the evening. This peculiarity, added to the fact that, quite early in the festivities, he displayed an anxiety to hurry the young ladies home in the midst of their enjoyment, made him anything but popular. The fact was that the young man, having exhausted his limited stock of conversation, grew bored and sleepy, and wanted to go home himself. Not being able to accomplish this, he seated himself in an obscure corner of the room, where he soon dropped off into a doze. Now among the company was a little imp of a boy, a son of the hostess, who seemed to feel himself called upon to amuse the rest of the guests. He whispered a few words in his sister's ear, and then left the room. In about fifteen minutes the drowsy beau woke up with a start, and asked what o'clock it was.

"I really don't know," responded one of the ladies. "What time was it when you went to sleep?"

"Sleep--sleep! I haven't been to sleep--'wake all the time."

"Indeed you have," chorussed the party; "nearly two hours, and saying all sorts of things."

The youth looked blank, and rather frightened, but tried to brave it out. "Oh, pshaw! two hours. Sleep!--why, I haven't been to sleep ten--that's to say, I've been awake the whole time. Now we'll see." And he arose and walked into the next room, which was rather dimly lighted, to look at the clock. He remained there a long time, shuffling about, and emitting sundry whiffs and snorts, and then rejoined the company, rubbing his eyes, and rumpling his hair all over his head, with an expression of bewilderment on his countenance which set every one present tittering.

"All right," he said. "Guess't's 'bout time to start home."

"Oh no, not yet," answered the hostess. "We are going to have some cider and doughnuts."

The cider and doughnuts were brought in and handed round, the sleepy beau receiving his last. He took a good Irish bite. A pause. Something was the matter. He pulled, he gnawed, he wrestled, he grunted, he struggled: it was no use; that doughnut was too much for him. Suddenly, with a quick motion worthy of the late lamented Mr. Grimaldi, he whipped the doughnut out of his mouth and into his pocket. He thought he was unobserved, but a roar of rustic laughter from all sides of the room soon undeceived him. We will draw a veil over the scene, etc., etc., as the novels say. In a few seconds his two fair charges, in charity, proposed to go home; and they went.

Now what was this all about? I will tell you. When the young imp left the room, as before mentioned, he slipped into the back parlor, turned down the lights, and carried the clock off into the kitchen, where with some Indian ink and a brush he marked on its face half a dozen extra hands. He then replaced the clock on the mantelpiece in the parlor, and returning to the kitchen, procured two small balls of cotton batting, which he soaked in some batter the cook was using for doughnuts, and these he fried till they exactly resembled the genuine article the cook had just made. He had previously let the ladies into the secret, so that when the sleepy beau went into the back parlor to look at the clock, as they took care he should, they perfectly knew the bewildered frame of mind he was in while trying to find out the time. The sister, too, while handing round the doughnuts, managed to reserve the cotton ones for the same gentleman.

The next day our hostess received a polite note from the discomfited escort, thanking her for the gift of the doughnut, which he said had been of infinite value to him, as he had given it to a neighbor's dog which kept him awake all night, and the dog had since died. So he took it good-naturedly, after all.

THE JOLLY DOG'S PRACTICAL JOKE.

'Twas near dinner-time, and the pudding was hot,
Nelly, her cheeks all aglow
(The master liked icy-cold pudding), ran out,
And popped the dish into the snow.

For though on that morn smiling April was born,
A snow-heap that March left behind,
When he hastened away, in a dark corner lay
Of the garden, blown there by the wind.

Singing merrily, back to the kitchen went Nell,
When a jolly dog came up the lane.
"Aha! something good!" and he stopped and he sniffed,
Looked around, cocked his ears, sniffed again.

Then, the gate being open, he boldly walked in,
Going straight to the snowy spot where
The dish sat a-cooling--three great gulps he gave,
And a pudding no longer was there.

Down the stoop flew the maid. "I must now take it in,
For I'm sure by this time it is cool."
Said the dog, running off, "Pray don't trouble yourself;
_I_ have taken it in--April-fool!"

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

I wonder if the readers of YOUNG PEOPLE know how delightful the
climate and surroundings of Chattanooga are. Near the base of
Lookout Mountain, which has grown historical since the war, the
views in all directions are magnificent, that from the point on
the mountain being the grandest, where one can see places in seven
different States. Chattanooga is an Indian word, meaning eagle's
nest.

PAUL DWIGHT MOROSS.

* * * * *

TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN.

I live in a lonesome country, but it is very beautiful in the
summer. We have nice lakes and woods, and all kinds of birds.
There is a little bird which builds such a queer nest. It is like
a hanging cup, and so small you scarcely notice it. There are five
white eggs, with black spots on the ends, in it. The bird is
blackish color, with a round white spot in the middle of each
wing. There is a bird here called grosbeak. It is very handsome,
and a splendid singer. You can hear its clear note in the morning
above all the rest. My sister Julia found a nest, and took out a
male bird. It had hardly any feathers. She brought it up on bread
and milk, and it was so tame it would sit on her finger; but one
morning it flew away, and never came back. Perhaps some of the
readers of YOUNG PEOPLE have tamed the little yellow-birds. Julia
tamed one, and it was a great pet. I have a pet dove named Philip.
He will follow me about in the woods. When he misses me, he hunts
till he finds me. When we are eating dinner, if the door is open,
I often hear a pat-pat on the step, and in comes Philip, nodding
his head from side to side, and lights on my shoulder, for me to
give him his dinner. He is now two years old. I will send you his
portrait. I think Bertie Brown drew a first-rate picture.

ALLIE VOORHEES.

* * * * *

TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN.

The first hepaticas (liverwort) that I saw this year were picked
the first day of March. Has any one living in the same latitude
found them earlier? The arbutus is nearly in bloom. When we were
out in the woods the other day we saw a beautiful gray fox.

MABEL BATES.

* * * * *

COLLEGE GROVE, TENNESSEE, _March 1, 1880_.

I send you a violet, and also the earliest wild flower of this
section, _Erigenia_, or "daughter of the early spring" [a species
of groundsel]. We have had crocuses and daffodils ever since
Christmas. I have lots of pets. We have nine cats. One is fourteen
years old. And we have a shepherd dog that has a great deal of
sense. I have three white hens--one top-knot, one plain, and one
with pantalets. I have a chicken grave-yard, and we have funerals.
The red and blue birds, wrens, jays, and woodpeckers, staid with
us all winter. I found a nest of hatched partridge eggs, and the
large ends were all picked round even, and opened like box-tops.
We live in the woods, and I see many pretty things.

ANNA RUCKER.

* * * * *

I am twelve years old. I live on the border of a large lake in the
province of New Brunswick, Canada. Though so far north, our
winters are often mild and pleasant. Father says it is because we
are not far from the sea. I have been ill with acute rheumatism
for six months past, and the weekly visits of YOUNG PEOPLE are a
great comfort and pleasure to me, as I am mostly confined to the
house. I found some willow "pussies" three days ago (March 4), and
I send a few, to let you see what New Brunswick can do in this
way.

W. SCOTT BUTLER, Jun.

* * * * *

BETHANY, MISSOURI.

I see so many little folks writing to you, I thought I would write
too. I am eight years old, and I live where the sun goes down. I
never saw a railroad in my life, and never went to school. Mamma
teaches us at home. I have a cream-colored pony, and sister Grace
has a pet lamb. She had to get a baby's nursing-bottle to raise
the lamb with, and it is just too funny to see her feed it. It
sucks away at the bottle as hard as ever it can, and wags its
little tail ever so fast. We have learned nearly all we know from
HARPER'S MAGAZINE and the BAZAR and WEEKLY, for papa and mamma
have taken them all our lives. We could not do without the
pictures. I wish you could see our stacks and heaps of the MONTHLY
and the papers. When we want a good old time, we get them all out,
and they are as good as new. We think there never was such a
splendid paper as YOUNG PEOPLE. My sister Grace wanted to write to
you too, but mamma said one nuisance was enough at a time.

NELLIE BLACKBURN.

* * * * *

CROOKSTON, MINNESOTA.

I borrowed HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE of one of my neighbors, and I
like it so much I intend to take it as soon as I can earn money
enough to pay for it. I am a cripple boy. I have no feet. One was
cut off below and one above the knee, and when I move round I have
to go on my hands. I want a pair of Newfoundland dogs for a team,
but I can not find where I can get them. I knit a pair of mittens,
and sold them to help pay for YOUNG PEOPLE, and now I am mending
grain bags to earn the rest of the money. I am fond of reading,
and feel lonesome without books and papers.

ELMER R. BLANCHARD.

* * * * *

SALT LAKE, UTAH TERRITORY.

Father wants me to tell you that he made me a telescope of
sheet-iron as you described in the first number of YOUNG PEOPLE,
and although my object-glass is only one and one-quarter inches in
diameter, we can plainly see Jupiter's four moons. Jupiter itself
appears as big as a nickel five-cent piece. We can also see the
rings of Saturn. But when we look at anything on the earth, it is
turned upside down. This glass gives us a great deal of pleasure.

OLAF THOMASSEN.

* * * * *

TERRYVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

My uncle caught two young gray squirrels in the woods, and brought
them home in a cage. We gave them walnuts and chestnuts, but they
were so cross they bit each other's tails, which when they were
little looked more like rats' tails than squirrels'. When we let
them out of the cage, they soon learned to go into my uncle's
pockets after nuts. Then they would sit on his head or shoulder
and eat them. When we gave them more than they could eat, they
would hide them on the ground, and cover them with leaves and dry
grass. They did it so neatly that even when we saw where they put
them, we would have to hunt a long time to find them. When it came
warm weather, they went back to the woods. What do squirrels live
on in summer before the nuts are ripe?

ANGIE B. BALDWIN.

Squirrels eat all kinds of berries, the tender twigs and bark of certain trees, and grain. Corn fields are feasting grounds for them, as the fresh tender stalks are as delicious food as the fully formed kernels.

* * * * *

CLARKSVILLE, NEBRASKA.

I want to tell you about a ride I had the other day with papa and
mamma. We drove out about four miles from here, to a prairie-dog
town, where we saw hundreds of these little animals playing about
in the sunshine. The prairie-dogs are very curious little
creatures. They dig their holes, throwing out the earth so as to
make quite a mound. They look very cunning from a distance,
standing on their hind-legs. Some were near their holes, ready to
jump in as soon as we drove near. Others, which were a good way
off from their homes, scampered back as fast as they could. Their
town covered about a section of land, so you can see they have
quite a large city.

PAUL BEARDSLEY.

* * * * *

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Last spring we had a pretty pair of canaries, and we raised five
little birds. They were dear little things, and before we gave any
of them away it was great fun to watch them play together. One was
very light yellow, nearly white, another was dark yellow, two were
spotted with green, and one was all very dark green. The green one
was the prettiest of all, but it always fought for the best place
in the cage, and pecked at all the others; but if they fought,
they always made up after it. The yellow one was very tame, and
would come right to our hands to eat. The lightest one died, and
the others we gave away, but we were very sorry to part with them.

FROGGIE.

The following was written in big printed letters:

If you put Froggie's letter in your paper, I hope you will put
mine in. I can't write as he can, because I am only five years
old. I like your paper very much. Froggie reads it to me, and I
read the pictures myself. I like that picture of the pussy.

FROGGIE'S LITTLE BROTHER.

* * * * *

READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

We were very glad to see that story of Colonel Gregg in No. 19,
for he was one of our ancestors. We have a parrot from the Isle of
Pines, which seems to be a very smart bird. I would like to know
if there is any particular way by which we can teach it to talk.

DAVID M. GREGG.

* * * * *

KANSAS.

I live on the prairie between the Arkansas and Smoky Hill rivers.
My nearest playmate is a mile and a half away, and I am very glad
when YOUNG PEOPLE comes. Can you tell me who has been considered
the most famous man in the world?

LULU A. G.

There have been so many "famous men," that it would be difficult to place any one among them at the head of the list.

* * * * *

I am ten years old, and I live in Dickinson County, Kansas. We
have three dogs--Queen, Cetchum, and Custer--and we have use for
them all. Pa uses Queen to hunt prairie-chickens with, and Queen
and Cetchum hunt rabbits by themselves. We have gray rabbits and
jack rabbits. The jack rabbits are very large, and have long ears.
Pa says they are very much like the English hare. We have a great
many peaches and grapes and water-melons, and there are bad men
and boys that sometimes steal them. In the summer I tie Queen in
the peach orchard every night. If she hears anything, she barks
very loud, and then Custer runs to help her. If any man is there,
he is sure to be bitten. Custer is an English bull-dog, and a
great fighter. He can whip a wolf. We have a great many wolves
here, and they are so bold that if we did not keep dogs, they
would come round the house in the daytime, and steal young pigs
and lambs and chickens.

SIDNEY B. PRAY.

* * * * *

TAYLORSVILLE, TEXAS.

I like YOUNG PEOPLE very much. It gives a great deal of
instruction. I live on the banks of the San Gabriel River, which
has some very large fish in it. I read all the letters in the
Post-office Box. I liked Gertrude Balch's letter very much, and I
like to draw the "Wiggles."

J. L. PAXTON.

* * * * *

FAIRFIELD (STONE P. O.), PICKENS COUNTY, ALABAMA.

I would like very much to exchange some of our native flower seeds
for flower seeds of other localities with any of the "Young
People."

MAMIE JONES.

* * * * *

GALT, CALIFORNIA.

Will any little girl press me some specimens of Eastern flowers?
If she will, I will press her some of our floral beauties here in
California, and send them to her.

GENEVIEVE.

If Genevieve will send her full address, no doubt some little girl in the Eastern States will be glad to exchange pressed flowers with her.

* * * * *

NEW BRIGHTON.

Can you tell me the longest word in the English language?

K. POST.

Valetudinarianism is a long word. Can any correspondent find a longer one?

* * * * *

BUFFALO PAPER-MILL, NORTH CAROLINA.

Would you kindly give a description of the animal called drill. I
would like to know the country of its nativity, and any other
information in regard to it. I have tried to find something about
it, and have failed.

WILLIAM LIDDY.

The drill (_Papio leucophæus_) is a large baboon, and one of the ugliest of its family. It has a heavy thick body covered with coarse grayish-brown hair, a large head with a hideous black face, stout clumsy legs, and a short stubbed tail. It lives in the woods and rocky regions along the west coast of Africa. In Guinea it is so abundant as to be a terror to man and beast, as its ferocity and strength render it a dangerous foe. Great herds of the drill, when driven by hunger, sometimes attack the negro villages, and have been known to kill women and children. Specimens of this savage creature have been captured and placed in zoological gardens in France and England, but all efforts to tame it have been in vain.

* * * * *

REBECCA H.--Your puzzle was not noticed, because you failed to send the answer. Meanwhile, one with the same solution has been received, and has already been printed. It is, therefore, too late to make any use of yours, which was very pretty, and neatly constructed.

* * * * *

C. B. F.--Grinnell Land is within the arctic circle, and is not claimed by any nation.

* * * * *

S. H. M.--The letters in the corners of English postage stamps indicate the year when the stamp was printed.

* * * * *

J. M. T.--Full directions for boat-building would occupy too much space in our Post-office Box, but if you go to any good boat-builder, he will no doubt give you the desired information.

* * * * *

F. S.--The custom of Easter eggs is very ancient, and it is not known when it first arose. There are many pretty legends in regard to it, but all are without foundation.

* * * * *

Favors are acknowledged from Allie B. W., Hermann H. Davis, Emily W. Berry, Mamie W. Howe, Florence C., Minnie Shepard, Henry B. Teal, J. D. Burroughs, Charles H. MacHenry, Fannie Wright, Ella Warren, George B. Wendell, Lily Jones, Edith, Fannie C. Shuford, Stella and Fannie, W. K. Grier, Mira K. Abbott, George Russell, J. A. P., Josie B., Eddie Hunter, Daisy Brainard, F. W. Fenner, Harry Robertson, Willie Hughes, "Silly," Vinie Summy, Herbert Meacham, Willie H. C., Willie Ellis, "Subscriber," Lizzie L., Arthur Brumbach, Arthur E. T., Arthur Walcott, "Little Agnes," Frankie Pratt, Louis C. S., G. R. A., Bessie Saunders.

* * * * *

Correct answers to puzzles are received from Eddie D. Raymond, Marion E. Norcross, Birdie A. R., Robbie Reynolds, Harry Van A., S. G. Rosenbaum, Alfie Welden, R. W. Dawson, William and Mary L., H. K. P., Louise Nichols, A. H. Ellard, Angie Baldwin, Fannie Reeves, Alfred Opdyke, Alma, Stella B., Sarah Zelnicker, "North Star," Istalina Beach, Minnie Williams, Paul Beardsley, C. B. Howard, B. L. Townsend, Florence Stilwell, S. Birdie D., Daisy, Walter Crull, G. C. MacIntosh, G. Vasa Edwards, Cass Shelby, Alex and Lewis Mack, Mabel H. B., L. Fobes.

* * * * *

PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS.

No. 1.

ENIGMA.

My first is in left, but not in came.
My second is in fire, but not in flame.
My third is in flour, but not in lard.
My fourth is in soft, but not in hard.
My fifth is in blue, but not in pink.
My sixth is in water, but not in ink.
My seventh is in wren, but not in bird.
My whole is a game of which you have heard.

MARGARET.

* * * * *

No. 2.

DOUBLE ACROSTIC.

To wither. A proper name. A house of entertainment. Something every city is full of. Annually. Answer--Two flowers.

M. L.

* * * * *

No. 3.

WORD SQUARE.

First, crystallized vapor. Second, an appellation. Third, a foreboding. Fourth, a part of the verb to go.

STELLA.

* * * * *

No. 4.

NUMERICAL CHARADE.

I am composed of 13 letters.
My 10, 8, 4, 7 is a manner of walking.
My 3, 6, 5, 2, 1 is a fruit.
My 10, 12, 11, 13, 9 is a color.
My whole is a common Latin phrase.
Also the name of a flowering plant.

W. F. B.

* * * * *

No. 5.

DIAMOND PUZZLE.

A vowel. An insect. A violent passion. A useful plant. A consonant.

H. N. T.

* * * * *

No. 6.

ENIGMA.

My first is in wrong, but not in right.
My second is in nymph, but not in sprite.
My third is in Willie, but not in Ann.
My fourth is in tin, but not in can.
My fifth is in tinkle, but not in bell.
My sixth is in ill, but not in well.
My seventh is in see, but not in look.
My eighth is in read, but not in book.
My whole is the name of a poet.

F. W.

* * * * *

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN NO. 19.

No. 1.

Constantinople.

No. 2.

R ea M
A die U
P reache R
H agga I
A lcoho L
E ar L
L ared O

Raphael, Murillo.

No. 3.

Bread.

No. 4.

W A R M
A R E A
R E A L
M A L E

No. 5.

Trifles often lead to serious results.

No. 6.

S
U T E
S T O R K
E R A
K

Charade on page 248--Offend.

* * * * *

THE SOAPBOXTICON.

We have received numerous letters from correspondents about the Soapboxticon. Some report great success in making it, while others have been unable to make it work right. To the unsuccessful ones we would say that you probably do not remove your lens box far enough from the muslin screen, your outer box not being quite long enough. In this case, you can move the lens box out of the other box as far back as you please. The lens we use is about two and a half inches in diameter, but the size is of little consequence. The main conditions are to keep the light well to one side, that no direct rays pass through the lens to illuminate the screen, and to concentrate as bright a light as possible on the picture, and on that alone. There should be no other light in the room when the experiment is tried, and the picture should be very clear and distinct. Two double convex lenses placed one at each end of a tube of card-board will act better than one lens alone.

ADVERTISEMENTS.

HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE.

HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE will be issued every Tuesday, and may be had at the following rates--_payable in advance, postage free_:

SINGLE COPIES $0.04
ONE SUBSCRIPTION, _one year_ 1.50
FIVE SUBSCRIPTIONS, _one year_ 7.00

Subscriptions may begin with any Number. When no time is specified, it will be understood that the subscriber desires to commence with the Number issued after the receipt of order.

Remittances should be made by POST-OFFICE MONEY ORDER or DRAFT, to avoid risk of loss.

ADVERTISING.

The extent and character of the circulation of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE will render it a first-class medium for advertising. A limited number of approved advertisements will be inserted on two inside pages at 75 cents per line.

Address
HARPER & BROTHERS,
Franklin Square, N. Y.

CANDY

Send one, two, three, or five dollars for a sample box, by express, of the best Candies in America, put up elegantly and strictly pure. Refers to all Chicago. Address

C. F. GUNTHER,
Confectioner,
78 MADISON STREET, CHICAGO.

=KEEP YOUR BIRD= IN HEALTH AND SONG by using =SINGER'S PATENT GRAVEL PAPER=. Sold by Druggists and Bird Dealers.

Depot, 582 Hudson St., N. Y.

FOR 1880. JUST OUT.

The highest authority on Base Ball. The only book published containing the official =League Playing Rules=, under which every club in America plays; also players' averages, illustrations on curve pitching, batting, &c. Every lover of base ball should have a copy. Mailed, postpaid, upon receipt of 10c. =A. G. SPALDING & BROS., Publishers, Chicago, Ill.=

OUR CHILDREN'S SONGS.

* * * * *

Our Children's Songs. Illustrated. 8vo, Ornamental Cover, $1.00.

* * * * *

The best compilation of songs for the children that we have ever seen.--_New Bedford Mercury._

This is a large collection of songs for the nursery, for childhood, for boys and for girls, and sacred songs for all. The range of subjects is a wide one, and the book is handsomely illustrated.--_Philadelphia Ledger._

It contains some of the most beautiful thoughts for children that ever found vent in poesy, and beautiful "pictures to match."--_Chicago Evening Journal._

An excellent anthology of juvenile poetry, covering the whole range of English and American literature.--_Independent_, N. Y.

Songs for the nursery, songs for childhood, for girlhood, boyhood, and sacred songs--the whole melody of childhood and youth bound in one cover. Full of lovely pictures; sweet mother and baby faces; charming bits of scenery, and the dear old Bible story-telling pictures.--_Churchman_, N. Y.

* * * * *

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

HARPER & BROTHERS _will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price_.

CHILDREN'S

PICTURE-BOOKS.

Square 4to, about 300 pages each, beautifully printed on Tinted
Paper, embellished with many Illustrations, bound in Cloth, $1.50
per volume.

The Children's Picture-Book of Sagacity of Animals.

With Sixty Illustrations by HARRISON WEIR.

The Children's Bible Picture-Book.

With Eighty Illustrations, from Designs by STEINLE, OVERBECK,
VEIT, SCHNORR, &c.

The Children's Picture Fable-Book.

Containing One Hundred and Sixty Fables. With Sixty Illustrations
by HARRISON WEIR.

The Children's Picture-Book of Birds.

With Sixty-one Illustrations by W. HARVEY.

The Children's Picture-Book of Quadrupeds and other Mammalia.

With Sixty-one Illustrations by W. HARVEY.

* * * * *

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price._

Old Books for Young Readers.

* * * * *

Arabian Nights' Entertainments.

The Thousand and One Nights; or, The Arabian Nights'
Entertainments. Translated and Arranged for Family Reading, with
Explanatory Notes, by E. W. LANE. 600 Illustrations by Harvey. 2
vols., 12mo, Cloth, $3.50.

Robinson Crusoe.

The Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York,
Mariner. By DANIEL DEFOE. With a Biographical Account of Defoe.
Illustrated by Adams. Complete Edition. 12mo, Cloth, $1.50.

The Swiss Family Robinson.

The Swiss Family Robinson; or, Adventures of a Father and Mother
and Four Sons on a Desert Island. Illustrated. 2 vols., 18mo,
Cloth, $1.50.

The Swiss Family Robinson--Continued: being a Sequel to the
Foregoing. 2 vols., 18mo, Cloth, $1.50.

Sandford and Merton.

The History of Sandford and Merton. By THOMAS DAY. 18mo, Half
Bound, 75 cents.

* * * * *

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price._

MISFITS.

Bob has discovered another amusement. The other evening he suddenly commanded me to "draw a head" on a piece of paper that he placed before me.

"Don't let me see it, nor anybody. Now fold it back, and leave a little bit of the neck showing. Now I'll draw the body."

Which he did, and again folded the paper.

"Now, papa, you draw the legs."

Papa obediently took the pencil, and had his turn at the paper.

"Now, Mamie, you name it. Call it after somebody you know, if you like."

So Mamie named it Miss Foot, in honor of her school-teacher, the most stately of maiden ladies. Then Bob unfolded the paper, and displayed to us a most comical mixture of flesh and fowl.

"More like a _misfit_, than _Miss Foot_," said papa.

"There! that's what I'll call 'em," exclaimed Bob--"_misfits_. That's just what they are, you know--misfits."

"She's a duck, anyway," said Mamie.

"Looks more like a goose," said Bob.

We afterward tried another, in which Mamie had a hand with the pencil. I named it after myself, and was rewarded for my vanity by finding "Nelly" a more ungainly object than even "Miss Foot."

In making "Misfits" you must remember to leave a small piece of one picture projecting into the other, in order to have them join properly. You will also find it better to draw them on a larger scale than the pictures we give.

CHARADE.

A nimble spring, a noiseless tread,
A playful poise of the restless head,
A sleepy song of sweet content,
While slyly on schemes of mischief bent--
'Tis thus the days of my _first_ are spent.

To do my _second_ is surely human;
They say the fault was first with a woman.
'Tis a little word, but its power was great,
To change the course of a happy fate.

My _third_ is seen in many a land,
Where ancient temples ruined stand,
Like a grim sentry, placed before,
To guard an open palace door.

My _whole_, with slow and measured grace,
Among the lowly takes its place:
Nor dreams its future yet shall be
A wondrous thing of mystery.

SOLUTION OF CHICKEN PUZZLE.

The Chicken Puzzle given on page 216 of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, No. 17, has proved too difficult for any of our readers to solve, and not a single correct answer to it has been sent us. The puzzle was to make a chicken out of an orange with four cuts of the scissors and the prick of a pin. In Fig. 1 of the above diagram the dotted lines on the stalk and the white lines on the orange show where the cuts with the scissors are to be made, and Fig. 2 shows the pieces put together, and the chicken complete.

End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Young People, March 30, 1880, by Various