TO CUT the orange, make two parallel cuts, through the skin only, leaving a continuous band about an inch wide round the body of the orange. Remove the rest of the peel. Cut through the band once, just over one of the natural divisions, and gently force the whole open, and out, as in the illustration, leaving each section detached from the others, but still fast to the band of peel.

The apple is cut by setting the blade of a narrow, sharp-pointed knife in the oblique position of the intended cut, and pushing it, point first, directly to the core. When all the cuts are so made, the apple will come apart in the above curious manner. Care must be taken not to let the knife slip through the apple, into the hand.

Here is a good though not a new way to cut an apple so that it will look whole and unmarked while in the dish, but, when pared, will fall to pieces without being cut with a knife:

Take a fine needle and a thin strong thread; insert the needle at

the stem of the apple in such a way that the point will come out again away from the stem and a short distance from the first insertion; pull the needle and thread through very carefully, so as not to break the skin or enlarge the holes, leaving a few inches of thread hanging at the stem. Then put the needle back into the second hole, thrust it in the same direction as before, bringing out the point still farther from the stem, and again pull the thread through. Go on in this way straight around the apple, and, when the thread comes out tirely through, and comes out of the apple. If pared now, the fruit at the stem, pull it by both ends very carefully, until it has cut enwould fall in halves; but, by working the thread round under the skin as before, at right angles to the first cut, and again pulling the thread quite through at the stem, the apple will fall into

Amherst, Mass.

to my pin-cushion, pull all the pins out and throw them away. Then he will twist his cunning little head and sing, as much as to say: "I love to get into mischief."-Good-bye, L. A. B.

THE following interesting letter comes from the junior editor of the "Petite Anse Amateur," the best amateur paper which we have seen. It is published on Petite Anse Island, Louisiana, once a month, and the number for November, 1879, contains twelve pages, three inches high by two inches wide, besides a supplement of eight extra pages. The paper is written, edited, and printed by boys and girls of from seven to fourteen years of age. Here is the letter:

"Jack-in-the-Pulpit,' in the October number of ST. NICHOLAS, wanted to know something about a curious reptile that one of his correspondents had written him of: so I have thought that I would tell him through this medium what I have seen with my eyes and heard with my ears.'

"We have a glass-snake in Louisiana. Papa has one, in alcohol,

that is twenty-seven inches long and five-eighths of an inch in diameter. Its head is smaller than its neck, lizard-like, and its back is light brown with white spots. The sides are of dark brown, with two light-blue stripes dividing the brown into three stripes; underneath, it is an ashy white. These snakes are called glass-snakes because they are so brittle that when struck, even with a small switch, they break in two or more pieces below the vitals. The muscles in the one we have are not over an eighth of an inch long, and they are dovetailed together. The negroes believe that when the snake is broken, it has the power to re-unite the broken pieces; but this is not so. They have the same habits as the lizard, and are classed with them, feeding on insects. Although on the snake there are no indications of legs, yet in the skeleton the undeveloped legs are plainly visible. "The glass-snake is evidently the connecting link between the snake and lizard families, as it partakes of both natures.

"J. A. McI."

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have never written to you before, as I have always been rather afraid to, but I have finally done so. Will you please be so kind as to tell me in what book I can find out about the clouds, besides the physical geography?—I remain, respectfully, M. R. T.

Professor Tyndal's book, called "The Forms of Water," will tell you a great many interesting things about the clouds.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I saw in the November number, directions for making hair-pin braid. I found it better to crochet toward the points of the hair-pin, instead of toward the bent end, as your directions said; for, instead of taking the crochet-needle out of the loop, to turn the hair-pin, I only had to pass the needle between the ends of the hair-pin, so that, when the hair-pin was turned, the crochetneedle came next to me. When I had worked the hair-pin full, I pushed the braid off, and put on again only the last two loops, one on each side of the hair-pin, and went on crocheting as before. I kept the braid clean by wrapping paper about it.-Your interested reader, J. O. B.

Old Year therein seats himself,
Trying, vainly, not to laugh,
As the New Year tucks him in,
Picking up his hat and staff.

"Take him very carefully!
Poor Old Year is dead and gone,"
Chants the New Year, to a tune
That must surely be his own.
"Autumn, cover him with leaves;
Bring him roses, June and May,"
(All my flower-box goes on)
"Winter, keep the wind away."

Slowly the procession moves,
Chubby Winter at the head,
In my best umbrella hid,
Save his little stockings red.

Then, I really have to laugh,
And, like sparrows at the sound
Of the mother-birdie's voice,
All the six come flocking round.

In the midst of noisy fun

That would stronger nerves appall,
With a hug, says Goldilocks,

"Did you like your New Year call?"

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: H. M. M., in the October "Letter-Box," seems to think $24 a small price to pay for the island of Manhattan. But that $24, at 7 per cent. compound interest, would now amount, I think, to more than the value of all the real estate in the City and County of New York. Yours very truly, JOHN M. STAHL. B. F. says: "H. M. M.'s letter reminds me that it is not so very long ago since vessels used to sail from the Hudson River through Canal Street, New York, to a fresh-water pond in Center street, where the Tombs prison now stands. In 1877 there was a man living who remembered this very well. "Perhaps some of the 'Letter-Box' readers may like to know how it was that Maiden Lane, a crooked little street in the very busiest part of New York city got its sentimental name? It was called Maidens' Path' at first, because it was the path which the city washerwomen took to reach a little stream of spring water that ran through the valley near by. From 'Path' to 'Lane' was a very short step.

As he leans upon his staff,

Old Year strokes his beard of snow;
But beneath the quaint disguise
Shine two bright eyes that I know.

Old Year, kneeling, asks to stay;
Begs the gift of one month more.
New Year stamps his little foot,
Points him sternly to the door.

Says my little Goldilocks,
"Go away, you Old Year, you!

We don't want you any more;
You're the Old Year, I'm the New."

Sundry giggles, heard outside,
Spare the need of further knocks;
And the Seasons come in view,
Bending 'neath the croquet-box.

I am not very good at drawing, this is the best portrait I could make.
The chicken has a very peculiar appearance when roosting, its two
extra feet standing out behind it. Truly yours,
R. H. S.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS; In marking out designs, I have tried tracing the lines with a lead pencil, which obscures the design, so as to spoil it; a small stick catches and jerks badly, a slate pencil tears the design; and so I am at a loss what to use. -Your friend, W. L. S.

A fine, smooth, steel or bone point should be used. Such points-used by artists in transferring tracings,-are to be bought; but a smart boy might make one from a crochet needle, or something of the sort.

BRIC-A-BRAC -The following is in answer to several inquiries about this word: The supplement to the latest edition of Webster's "Unabridged Dictionary" spells the term thus, "bric-à-brac," and

defines it as "a miscellaneous collection, particularly of antiquarian or artistic curiosities." Bric-a-brac was originally French, and the highest two authorities in that language,- Littré's “Dictionary" and the "Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française,"-give its meaning as "old and chance objects, such as cabinets, articles of old iron and copper, pictures, statuettes." Both dictionaries limit the familiar French use of the term to the trade title marchand de bric-a-brac, "dealer in bric-à-brac," perhaps translatable, too, as "marine-store dealer" and "junk merchant"; but neither of them points out decidedly the origin of the term, although each makes a reference to the common phrase de bric et de broc, as though it were believed to be related, in some untraced way, to bric-a-brac. And this seems

not unlikely; for the meaning of the phrase is, "from here and there," "by this means and that," ""by hook and by crook"; and, certainly, the stock in trade of a dealer in bric-a-brac, of whatever kind, is gathered "from here and there," "by this means and that," and sometimes "by hook and by crook."

and we have great fun playing it. We call it "Polo." It is exactly like grown-up Polo, only without the horses.

First of all, you measure about fifty feet on the sidewalk, and at each end drive two sticks (we generally use the handles of brooms, sawed off about two and a half feet from the top), set them in the ground about three feet apart, then find the middle of the ground (which will be twenty-five feet from either end) and draw a square, about six inches each way. Now you must choose sides, and each side must have a captain. You must each have a croquet mallet, and a croquet ball should be placed in the square above mentioned. Then a boy who is not playing must be chosen judge. He must take a stone and ask each side if they are ready If they answer "Yes," he must drop the stone, and then each party must run and try to get to the ball first and knock it through the goal, that is, between the two sticks on the enemies' side, thus winning the game. We think it is great, and I hope the readers of ST. NICHOLAS will think so, too. From your friend and constant reader, F. E. B. P. S.-If the ball rolls into the road, the judge must cry, "Outside." Then he must pick up the ball and put it back in the square, and the game begins again.

M. V. D. would like to know, through the "Letter-Box," what five words in the English language-it is said there are only five-end in CION. Who will tell her?

Huben, Iselthal, Tyrol. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am nine years old, I live in California, but am traveling in Europe with my papa and mamma.

We are in Tyrol, and Huben is a very pretty place. They have dreadful avalanches here. Last winter one came down near where we are staying, and carried away a house with five persons in it. They all were killed, but the goat and the cat were found alive. There are a great many crucifixes and statues of saints here. The people put them up by the roadside, and pray before them when passing by. They hope the crucifixes and statues will keep the avalanches off, and they are very good people,-all but one man. He put up a statue of St. Florian, but an avalanche came and carried off his field, leaving nothing but the image of the saint. He was so mad, he tore up the statue and cut it up into little pieces and threw it down where the avalanche went, which was very steep!-Your loving reader, ALICE.

DOUBLE CROSS-WORD ENIGMA.

In Silas, not in Fred;
In Lucas, not in Ned;
In Adam, not in Bill;

In Nathan, not in Will;

In David, not in Sim;

In Edgar, not in Tim;

In Charlotte, not in Jane;

Two things that always leave a stain.

CYRIL DEANE.

COMPARISONS, DECLENSIONS, AND PRINCIPAL

PARTS.

COMPARISONS: 1. Positive, an entrance to a narrow lane; Comparative, a reptile. 2. Compare like "much": Positive, a rabbit house; Comparative, a kind of frost; Superlative, a great company. 3. Compare like "good": Positive, a kind of fuel; Comparative, more moist; Superlative, a point of the compass. 4. Compare like "bad": Positive, past perfect of have; Comparative, a solemn vehicle; Superlative, an English name for a grove.

DECLENSIONS: 1. Decline like a pronoun of the first person: Singular.- Nominative, purchase; Possessive, a vine or near; Objective, exist. Plural.-Nominative, an insect; Possessive, an arbor or arbors; Objective, a vehicle. 2. Decline like a pronoun of the second person: Plural.-Nominative, a tree; Possessive, a pitcher or pitchers; Objective, a sheep. 3. Decline like a pronoun of the third person: Singular.-Nominative, a meadow; Possessive, a girl's nickname; Objective, a branch. Plural.-Nominative, a song; Possessive, a den; Objective, a boy's name abbreviated.

PRINCIPAL PARTS: Like the verb "go."-1. Present, an exclamation; Past, a fast; Perfect, a grass plot. 2. Present, unbaked bread; Past, a nick; Perfect, day-break. Like the verb "see."-3. Present, a wharf; Past, a bird's note; Perfect, acute. 4. Present, the sheltered side; Past, rule of action; Perfect, to incline. 5. Present, an English river; Past, a bird; Perfect, a church official. 6. Present, a

EASY PROVERB REBUS.

4. List,-back, crowd, deacon, furnace, field, plough, safety. Letter D.

ONE foggy day, a wellknown bird went out for a walk with her husband. An express-train came along just as they were crossing the railroad, and, alas! she lost her tail and he lost his head. Their remains being united, -she first and he next,

made another bird. What is this other bird's name? You may find it illustrated in Webster's dictionary.

1. A COVERING formerly worn on the head. 2. A prefix. 3. The name of a tribe of uncivilized Americans.

THE initials and finals of the words described in the following lines, form two other words which suggest cake and mince pies:

The first is governed by Victoria's hand.
The next describes her far-obeyed command.
The third is hard for fighting-men to be.
Fourth is a shell-fish, floater on the sea.
The fifth you must be every now and then.

Sixth, of the East were wisest of wise men.
Seventh is an acid of a common kind;
And eighth, a number, ball-players call to mind.

THOSE who play the game of "Word-making and word-taking" know how satisfactory it is to draw from the pool a letter which will enable them to capture a word from the enemy, especially if he have the required "ten words. Many a time one of his ten words might be taken with the letter drawn, if his opponent only knew how to apply the letter. To show how to make use of the letter drawn, a little practice is here given in the shape of a puzzle.

Suppose your opponent has the words, thug, fit, may, win, and you draw an R. Can you add it to any one of his words? You cannot turn his "may" into "Mary," because proper nouns are not allowed unless found in the body of Webster's dictionary. But you can turn it into "army" and appropriate it. If you had drawn an S you could not have taken a word by merely adding the S to make it plural, and you are not permitted to make a word into a past participle with a D, nor may you make compound words. These rules apply in this puzzle.

Now, in each of the following examples are given the list of words your adversary has, and the letter drawn by you; and you are to discover which of his words you can capture.

A.

1. List of words, curate, if, cow, roiling, he, boot. Letter drawn,

2. List, waiter, bring, when, glad, lyre, much. 3. List,-fan, sand, bat, of, dream, laud, bishop.

Letter B.

Letter C.

4.

ACROSS: 1. In open. 2. Part of a wheel. 3. A boy's name. A drawing on cardboard. 5. A large screaming water-fowl. 6. An abbreviation of "mamma." 7. In any Down, beginning at the left: 1. In ocean. 2. An interjection of surprise. 3. The home of a Turk's wives. 4. To set forth by lines or colors. 5. A wild evergreen shrub, with yellow, white or purple flowers. 6. At a distance, but within view. 7. In many. DYCIE.