same fate.

Not knowing what to do with them | sheet of paper a rough sketch in illustration of we gave them to a neighbor. The cat missed some line of poetry, well-known proverb, or histhem as much as if they had been kittens. We torical fact. The true description of the picture had many chickens after that, and she would sit is then written at the bottom of the page and by the chicken-coop all day driving away any stray turned over so that it cannot be read. The papers dog or cat that came near. She is now living, when finished are passed to each player in turn, though quite old. Hoping this anecdote will who writes at the lower part of the page next to afford some amusement for you, I am ever the part which is turned down his idea of what Respectfully yours, the picture is supposed to illustrate. When the views of each player have thus been expressed, the papers are all unfolded and read by one person. The various ideas which the drawing suggests to the minds of the players give much amusement and instruction to them all. For example:

H. D. GODING, age 12.

35 Third St., New Bedford, Mass.

Mr. G. B. Bartlett sends us these directions for playing the new English game of Cartoons :Each player draws on the upper portion of a

The answer to this is: "When the cat's away DEAR "YOUNG FOLKS":the mice will play."

I thank you heartily for the pleasure that your

Here is another not quite so easy, which we will monthly entrance brings into our home, and that leave our correspondents to answer :

Alice Thacher, in sending correct answers to several questions, takes occasion to say: "I admire Theodora's graphic sketches very much. But is the following sentence from Arkinsaw Sall' grammatically correct? A cadaverouslooking hound. . . . came crouching at the feet of Amizette and me.' Would it not be more correct, and in this case answer as well, to say 'came crouching at our feet'?"

It would certainly be more elegant, although Theodora's phrase cannot be pronounced incorrect.

not only to the young members, but to all, from baby, who looks at the pictures, to grandma, who sits by and enjoys our enjoyment.

There is a game we play among ourselves, which, although I doubt not it is well known to many of your city contributors, may be new in the prairie homes, and which I will describe as well as I

can.

It is called Verbarian, and may be played by any number. We select some long word (one containing several vowels is best), and, being provided with paper and pencils, try how many words may be formed from the letters, beginning with its first, then with the second letter, and so on, until each letter of the foundation word has been used, allowing three minutes to each letter. A watch should be laid near, and also a dictionary; the latter to prevent disputes as to the existence of words employed.

For example I will take the word Heart. H,he, hart, hear, hat, etc.; E, -ear, eat, eh, etc.; R, rat, rate, etc. As each letter is used, the words formed should be read off by one of the players; when all have a word, it counts nothing; when all but two, it counts two; or all but three, three. At the end of the game the counts are added, and the possessor of the largest number wins. Common abbreviations may be used. Strict attention should be given to the time, which renders the game much more exciting; we always use a three

Dick. We know of no work on birds' eggs and nests adapted to the vicinity of Baltimore. Samuels's "Ornithology and Oölogy of New England" would perhaps answer your purpose.

Percie. No better or more interesting history of Scotland can be found than Sir Walter Scott's Tales of a Grandfather. Burton's History of Scotland (in six volumes) is also an excellent work. For Ireland, read Thomas Moore's History of that country, and Goldwin Smith's "Irish History and Irish Church." All these books can be procured from the Boston Public Library.

THE earliest and fullest lists of answers to our last month's puzzles were sent in by Ben W. Leavell, Ida Wendell, "Ed Ward," Rachel P. Gregory, and Cora D. Green. A number of corre

In answer to R. M. Walsh's question about chess in the February number: I find in Chambers's Encyclopædia, that to no one person can the origin of this most purely intellectual of all games be ascribed. It is certainly known that a game, essentially the same as modern chess, was played in Hindostan nearly five thousand years ago. From this country the game spread into Persia, and thence into Arabia. The Arabs, it would appear, introduced it into Spain and the rest of Western Europe; and in England, chess-spondents sent in from one to three answers each. play seems to have been known prior to the Norman Conquest. Into Constantinople, and probably some other cities of Eastern Europe, the game may have been imported from Persia at a period earlier than its Moorish conveyance into Spain.

The article in Chambers contains a great deal of valuable information and some good hints about playing, and could be consulted with advantage by the beginner.

"ADAM ANT."

Answered also by "Rob," Ella Hinman, and Carrie Johnson.

The best versions of the picture story of "How Sammy went Coasting" were received from Ida Wendell, "Ivy," and Fred Herbert Johnson. Unfortunately we have no room left this month for either of them.

THE PRIZE PUZZLE. The names of so many new subscribers have come in during the last two or three weeks, and so many are still coming, that we have concluded to extend the time allowed for answers to our January Prize Puzzle from February 15th to March 15th. Those who have already sent their answers can send new ones, if they like.

Mutual Emprovement Corner.

[For subscribers only. Names sent in must be in the

A subscriber (whose address has been mislaid). The best biography of Dickens is undoubtedly that by his friend Forster; only one volume of which, however, has yet appeared. R. S. Mac-handwriting of the persons desiring correspondents.] kenzie's Life of Dickens, published by T. B. Peterson, Philadelphia (1 vol., price $2.00), will probably suit you better than any other.

Philip Lindsley thinks we were wrong in our conjecture that Beatrice Cenci was the person referred to by Tennyson (in his "Dream of Fair Women") as one

"who clasped in her last trance Her murdered father's head."

"I think," he says, "the person referred to is the daughter of that blameless man Thomas More, who had the misfortune to offend the tyrant Henry VIII. His head was set in a public place, whence it was removed by his daughter and preserved. She is the kind of person one would expect Mr. Tennyson to speak of in connection with 'Joan of Arc,

A light of ancient France.""

Mary E. Brown, Warren, Warren County, Penn. (girl of 14; would like correspondence with girls of her own age; object, amusement and improvement).

Jeannie C. T., 875 Indiana Ave., Chicago, Ill. (correspondents not under 15; miscellaneous subjects).

Ines Murray, No. 406 George St., Cincinnati, Ohio (correspondents not younger than 14, fond of reading and fun).

Walter L. Jones, Box 162, Piqua, Ohio.

Gertrude B., Box 109, Manistee, Mich.

Anita De Leo de Laguna (age 16), No. 930, Corner Union and Jones, San Francisco, Cal

Kate L. Vernon (age 18), Box 1017, Oswego, N. Y. Etna, 1719 Vine St., Phila., Pa. (age 15; sailing, dancing, skating, and fun).

Hattie Wilmot, P. O. Drawer 191, and Zaidee M. Woodford, P. O. Box 383, Poughkeepsie, NY.

Douglas Burns, 41 Union Park, Boston, Mass. (corre

spondents between 14 and 16),

Charlie A. R., Box 180, Jersey City, N. J.

Emma A. Roberts, care Rev. B. S. Hurtt, 462 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn. (age 15; miscellaneous subjects). May Wilmot, Lock Box 10, Wakefield, Mass. (age 19). Viola Russell, Box 62, Euphemia, Ohio ("discussion of some of the questions which interest us all ").

Fno. F. Carmichael, 1526 Wallace St., Phila., Pa. (wishes correspondents of 15 and 16; miscellaneous subjects).

THE "COURT" AND THE "VERDICT."

HEN at length the squire stood upon the legs he had been drawn out by, and found himself in the presence of the Huswick boys, the recognition and pleasure were mutual.

"You scoundrels!" he began, brushing the dirt from his clothes and hair.

"What are we scoundrels fer?" said Hank, the tall one, with a comical grin on his thin, sinewy features. "Fer snakin' ye out of the log?"

"If ye ain't satisfied, we can pack ye in agin," suggested Dock; but Peternot did not seem to take that view of the matter.

"How come ye in there, anyhow?" said Tug. "Was he murderin' on ye?"

"Yes! Where is the villain? He's got my money!" And away limped the old man in pursuit of the youthful robber and assassin.

"Them melons!" whispered Tug.

"Can't help it now," muttered Dock. "Hank, I wish you'd left the old fox in his hole!"

Guided by the sound of voices, and the sight of a head or two between

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by JAMES R. OSGOOD & Co., in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.