will be home. We
have three splendid baked apples, and three eggs roasted in the
ashes, but we have only two pies. We could only find two
blacking-box lids, and as these are our pie-pans, we have only two
pies. We washed and scoured the black all off, and they looked as
nice as Sophia's tins, which she will never let us touch at home.
Our biscuits are not as nice quite as hers, it was so hard to make
them round, and our range don't bake on both sides, so we had to
turn them over to get both sides cooked. Our things all look very
good, and I am real hungry for them, but you know it would not do
to eat the party before Mac comes. We have made wreaths of
maple-leaves, to wear on our heads to-night, one for Mac, too. We
thought it would do for a boy to wear a wreath as long as there are
so few of us, and the leaves are so pretty; and as it is my
birthday, I have some leaves basted all around my blue dress, and
it looks lovely.

I must stop now. Give my love to all. Take good care of Fideli, and
kiss all around for your loving daughter,

JULIA.

* * * * *

Clifton, Iroquois County, Ill.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: We want to tell the little boys and girls that
read ST. NICHOLAS, how a greedy rooster got caught in a trap. We
set the trap to catch rabbits, but didn't get any; so the corn was
left, and the chickens were all walking around, and saw it, and
tried to get in to eat it; but the selfish old rooster drove them
all away, and crowded in himself, and began to eat the corn, when
down came the trap, and he was fast, but all the others were
free.--Yours truly,

ARTHUR AND BROWNIE S.

* * * * *

South Boston, Mass.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I read the "Letter-Box" every month with much
interest, and have often seen puzzles and "such things" in it, so I
send you one, and hope that somebody will find it out:

There was somebody born in England, on the 16th of July, 1723. He
was the son of a clergyman, and his father was rather strict with
him. He made a drawing of his father's school with so much accuracy
of outline, and in such correct perspective, that the grave
clergyman could no longer maintain his severity. He saw that his
son would be a painter, and resolved to aid him. An anecdote
related of the ar