lso
about Shaksperean games and customs, to Mr. Richard Savage, of the
Shakspere Birthplace Museum, Stratford-on-Avon.

* * * * *

In his story of "The Great Snow-ball Fight," printed in our March
number, Mr. Barnard showed how some boys put out the fire in the Widow
Lawson's house, by snow-balling it. This may have appeared to some
readers almost impossible, but it was based upon an actual occurrence.
And an instance of that mode of at least preventing a fire, was recorded
in the New York papers of February 11th. It appears in an account of the
burning of the stables of the Meadow Brook Hunt Club, at Hempstead, Long
Island. "No modern appliance for extinguishing fire was at hand," says
one journal, "but there was plenty of snow, and this was banked up about
the adjoining stables, and undoubtedly saved them from being burned.
Whenever sparks from the burning building fell on the adjacent barns,
they were quickly extinguished by well-directed snow-balls thrown upon
them."

THE LETTER-BOX.

CONCORD, N. H.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: Lena and I play dolls very often, but the
latest game we play is throwing cards into a hat placed on
the floor about six feet away. Lena put in thirty-two out of
fifty-two. If you have room enough to print this in your
Letter-box, I should like to read it.

Yours truly,

RUTH A. M.

That is a very nice game, Ruth, although six feet seems a long distance
for a small girl to toss the cards. We have seen grown folk try the game
at four feet, and then several of them could not put one in twenty into
the hat; so Lena's score of thirty-two out of fifty-two is a fine one.
The game can be played with any kind of cards, and with sides or by
individuals. The largest number of cards thrown into the hat, either by
one person or by a side, makes the winning score. If played by sides,
not more than twenty cards should be used, and each side should play
five rounds, thus making one hundred the highest possible score for any
player.

* * * * *

MIDDLETOWN, CONN.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am anxious to have the March number
come, so that I can see how Little Lord Fauntleroy's
grandfather treats him. That serial story I enjoy very much.