uel, Freddy, and Emily will attend; and I hope Freddy will
be able to write to you when the school closes. He learns to write very
easy, and will, with little pains, make a good penman. He is an
excellent speller--scarcely ever spells a word wrong--but he is not a
good reader; but we think he will be, as we call him ambitious and
persevering, and he is unwilling to be behind boys of his age. Do you
ask if he is a good boy? I can assure you he has the name of a good boy
throughout the neighborhood; and wherever he is known, his kind,
obliging manners make him many friends. Again, do you inquire if he is
beloved At home? I will unhesitatingly say that we surely love him as
our own; and we have had visitors here for a number of days without once
thinking that he was not our own child.

"'I wish you could see the children as they start for school this
morning. Fred, with his black plush cap, green tunic, black vest, gray
pants, striped mittens, and his new comforter, which he bought with his
own money. Samuel carries the dinner-pail this morning; it is filled
with bread and butter, apple pie, and gingerbread; and Fred has his
slate, reader, spelling-book, and Testament--and he has not forgotten to
go down to the cellar and fill his pockets with apples.

"'I am not very well, and I make bad work of writing. I am afraid you
will not find out what I have written.

"'Fred often speaks of you, and of his dear sister Jane. He wants you to
tell Mr. Brace how you get along, and get him to write to us all about
it.
"'With desire for your welfare,
"'I subscribe myself your friend,
"'Sally L----.'"

THE PRISON-BOY.

"The boy of whom this is written was taken from one of the City
Prisons:--

"'H----, Oct. 12, 1865.

"'DEAR SIR--Yours, making inquiries about F. C, was duly received. His
health has been generally good and so far as his behavior is concerned,
it has been as good as could have been expected from the history he has
given us of himself, previous to his coming to live with us. We soon
learned that very little dependence could be placed on his truthfulness
or honesty; in fact, he was a fair specimen of New York juvenile
vagrancy. He has wanted a close supervision, and we have endeavored to
correct what was wrong, and to inculcate b