s.

We have also been to see the Tower, where the little princes were
murdered; they do not take you into the room where they stayed; but
ST. NICHOLAS gave us a fine picture of that in January of 1874. We
shall start for Paris soon.--From your little friend,

MAMIE CHARLES.

* * * * *

"MOTHER." Unpainted, strong and really amusing playthings, such as you
inquire for, are to be found, we think, in almost any large toy-store.
Animals, wagons, and various amusing things cut out of plain wood,
abound nowadays, and they can be sent you by express from your nearest
town. In our experience, however, we have found building blocks of most
lasting interest to the little folks. Crandall's are the best, for they
admit of an endless variety of combination.

* * * * *

Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have a little sister, named Josie, who is
six years old. She can read only a little, and she does not like to
do it at all. She has plenty of toys, and a nice baby-house, but
often she gets tired of playing and then comes to me to know what to
do.

Now, I want to know if you cannot tell me something for her to do
that will keep her quiet? I have another sister who is nine years
old, but no brother.--Your loving reader,

ANITA R. NEWCOMB.

Anita may find a satisfactory hint in the answer to "Mother" given
above. Also, the Kinder Garten games that are now used in many schools
for very little folks may be of service to Josie.

* * * * *

London, Eng.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have just arrived in England. When we were
fairly out at sea, the first thing I did was to explore the great
ship. It was four hundred feet long, made entirely of iron, and sank
twenty feet deep in the water. The masts were of hollow iron, and
seventy feet high. It took nine furnaces and forty tons of coal a
day to keep the ship going. The crew numbered a hundred and
thirty-five. It seems very wonderful that a great heavy iron ship
should not sink; the reason it does not is that it is lighter than
the water it displaces.

When we were a few days out, a flock of land-birds rested on our
ship. We fed them with crumbs, and brought dishes of fresh water on
deck for them, but after a day or two they disappeared. A little
further o