Well, dear, there are more luxurious school-houses than yours, but some of the best and greatest men our country has ever had, and those whose names we most honor, attended just such plain, homely little school-houses. It is the sort of teaching and of learning which goes on in school which is of the most importance. A dunce would not gain much on a velvet carpet and at a rose-wood desk, and a bright, diligent girl may learn much that is worth knowing, even in a rough, unplaned building. I think that you girls and boys might coax your papas and big brothers to plant vines and shrubs around the school-house, and make a garden in front of it. The teacher's desk might be covered with maroon-colored muslin, on which bright pictures might be pasted. Wreaths of evergreen, and after a while garlands of autumn leaves, might be hung upon the bare walls. Train some German ivy, which grows rapidly, around the windows. If I were there, I could help you make the place pretty I am sure. I am glad you are fond of darning stockings, but I can not send you my photograph, because I am one of the people who never happen to get a good likeness when I sit down before the camera.
I have been sick a long time, and am not able to get out of bed, so I have not much to do but read or paste stamps in my book, when I have them. One of my friends lends me HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE. I would like to exchange an Indian, a Hong-Kong, a Cape of Good Hope, or a Brazilian stamp, for a 10, 24, 30, or 90 cent of the 1869 issue, the 24 or 90 cent of the 1870-71 issue of U.S. stamps, or the 10, 30, or 90 cent unpaid letter stamps, or any of the U.S. periodical, State, Navy, or Treasury Department stamps except the lowest denominations.
D. J. HAINES, Cheltenham, Montgomery Co., Penn.
I am not a girl, but a boy ten years old. I saw in Our Post-office Box of No. 139 a letter from a little girl who wanted to know what kind of a pet she should have. I think a bird or a cat would be the thing. I wish the Postmistress would please tell Jimmy Brown to write some more of his stories.
It is very nice where I live. There are trees in front of every house on the block. We have cool winds from Lake Michigan. Chicago has a great many gardens, and it is called the Garden City of the West. I have three pets. Their mother is a rat terrier; her name is Fanny. I like them very much. They have their eyes open already. They are very fat, and have little feet that can hardly carry their bodies about. I go to school, and learn reading, arithmetic, geography, spelling, and writing. I am just half-way through the school. This is a very large school; it has twenty rooms in it. There is a building in Chicago that is eleven stories high. We will have vacation in a few days, and then all the school-children will be glad. We boys go down to the lake and bathe ourselves, and have a jolly time. We are allowed to fish in Humboldt Park on Saturday; I go there almost every Saturday. It has a very clear lake; there are sunfish, trout, and bull-heads in it.