then commenced
the other. This proved to be from Kinch, who had spent all the spare time
at his disposal since the occurrence of the mob in preparing it.

"To MR. CHARLES ELLIS, ESQ., at MRS. BIRD'S.

"_Philadelphia_.

"DEAR SIR AND HONNORED FRIEND.--I take This chance To
Write To you To tell You that I am Well, And that we are
all well Except Your father, who Is sick; and I hope you are
Enjoying the same Blessin. We had An Awful fight, And I
was There, and I was One of The Captings. I had a sord
on; and the next Mornin we had a grate Brekfast. But
nobody Eat anything but me, And I was obliged to eat, Or
the Wittles would have spoiled. The Mob had Guns as Big as
Cannun; And they Shot them Off, and the holes Are in The
Shutter yet; And when You come Back, I will show them
to You. Your Father is very bad; And I Have gone back
to school, And I am Licked every day because I don't
Know my Lesson. A great big boy, with white woolly hair
and Pinkish Grey eyes, has got Your seat. I Put a Pin
under him one Day, And he told On me; and We Are to
Have a fight tomorrow. The boys Call Him 'Short and
Dirty,' because he ain't tall, and never washes His Face.
We Have got a new Teacher for the 5th Division. He's a
Scorcher, And believes in Rat Tan. I am to Wear My new
Cloths Next Sunday. Excuse This long letter. Your Friend
till death,

"KINCH SANDERS DE YOUNGE.

[Illustration: skull and cross bones]

"P.S. This it the best Skull and Cross-bones That
I can make. Come home soon, Yours &c.,

"K. S. DE YOUNGE, ESQ."

Charlie could not but smile through his tears, as he read this curious
epistle, which was not more remarkable for its graceful composition than
its wonderful chirography. Some of the lines were written in blue ink, some
in red, and others in that pale muddy black which is the peculiar colour of
ink after passing through the various experiments of school-boys, who
generally entertain the belief that all foreign substances, from
molasses-candy to bread-crumbs, necessarily improve the colour and quality
of that important liquid.

"Why every other word almost is commenced with a capital; and I declare
he's even made some in German text," cried Charlie, running his finger
mirthfully along the lines, until he came to "Your father is very bad."
Here the tears came welling up again--the shower had returned almost before
the sun had departed; and, hiding his face in his hands, he leant sobbing
on the table.

"Cheer