-away city, and even attended school here. Pupils come here
for schooling from all parts of the world,--from America, Cuba,
England, Germany, Russia, Greece, and even from Egypt. But many of the
ST. NICHOLAS children never have been here; so I will tell them about
the country and the people.

In the first place, Switzerland is a republic, with president and
vice-president, as in the United States, but chosen every year.
Switzerland is made up of twenty-two cantons, or states, each of which
has two representatives; and, besides these, there are 128 members of
the National Assembly, and seven members of the Federal Council, each
of which last is chosen once in three years. The country is only
one-third as large as the State of New York, being 200 miles long and
156 broad; and two-thirds of it is composed of lofty mountains or deep
ravines. The people are apparently such lovers of law and order as to
need no rulers at all. I think there must be propriety in the air they
breathe. They have honest faces, and honesty beams out of their clear
blue eyes. The school-boy even, instead of stopping to throw stones or
climb fences or wrestle with another boy, walks along to school, at
eight o'clock in the morning, with his square hair-covered satchel on
his back, as orderly as if he were the teacher setting an example to
his pupils. The laborers, in blouse-frocks of blue or gray homespun,
make no noise, no confusion. All is done quietly, orderly and
correctly; each one knows his duty and does it.

Although Berne is the capital, Geneva is the largest city; and I think
if you could see it as it is, with grand snow-capped mountains at both
sides, the clear blue lake,--not always blue, for sometimes it is
green, and then the blue Rhone can be distinctly seen flowing through
it,--the pretty green parks and gardens, clean streets, and oddly
dressed people, you would think, as I do, that it is a very nice place
to be in.

There are several little steamers which ply on the lake, and
numberless little sail and row boats, and beautiful white swans, with
tiny olive-colored cygnets, swimming and diving for food. On the
banks of the rapid river, which leaves the lake at the city, are the
wash-houses--a great curiosity. But my letter is getting too long, so
I must stop.--Yours truly,

S.H. REDFIELD.

* * * * *

Easton, Pa.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I send you an acrostic which I have made, and I
hope you will