NEW YORK CITY.
Here is a recipe for ink powder for the chemists" club: Four ounces of powdered galls; one ounce of sulphate of iron; one ounce of powdered gum-arabic; half an ounce of powdered white sugar.
This, mixed with water, will make a quart of ink. A few powdered cloves stirred in will keep the ink from moulding.
MAUD C.
PONTIAC, ILLINOIS.
I am twelve years old. I like YOUNG PEOPLE very much. My mamma has three mocking-birds she raised herself. She feeds them on cooked egg and bread, cooked potato and raw egg mixed, fruit of all kinds, and Hungarian seed. She gives them a feast of spiders occasionally, and always keeps plenty of clean sand in the cage.
I have two playful pet kittens, named Milly and Lillie, and a little dog named d.i.c.kie. He will shake hands with me, and when I make up a face at him he will frown terribly.
NETTIE D.
FAIRVIEW, LONG ISLAND.
I am eleven years old, and I live in the country. I have a nice little pony, which I ride almost every day for two or three miles.
I enjoy it very much.
We have a little bantam rooster that takes care of six little chickens which their mother deserted; and I have three dogs, five cats, and a bicycle.
WILLIE O.
EAST WARSAW, INDIANA.
I have a little bantam hen that mothers twenty little chickens, although she only hatched four of them herself. I call her Minnie.
I have no sister, and only one brother. He is seven years old. He has a pet "c.o.o.n. I caught a little bird to-day in the meadow where my papa was working. This is a very pretty place. We live near the new cemetery.
MAGGIE D. M. B.
BEAR VALLEY, MINNESOTA.
We live in the country. The farmers around here are harvesting their grain now. We have some very warm days. We like "The Moral Pirates" the best of all the stories, and "Across the Ocean" the next best. The little picture called "I"s Learning to Swim, Mamma," is just as cunning as it can be.
Our little brother Artie says, every time it is mail-day, "Mamma, does HARPER"S YOUNG PEOPLE come to-day?" We like the Post-office Box best of all.
NETTIE AND MARY MCK.
SEGUIN, TEXAS.
I am twelve years old. I have a pet shepherd dog and a little white calf. Papa takes YOUNG PEOPLE for me and my sisters, and we like the stories very much, especially "Across the Ocean," and "The Moral Pirates." This is a beautiful, healthy State to live in.
WILLIE H. J.
I have some old and foreign postage stamps that I would like to exchange for some pretty sea-sh.e.l.ls and a few specimens of sea-weed. I also have two j.a.panese newspapers, a j.a.panese bill, and writing paper that I would like to exchange for some relic.
JOHN BROOKE, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana.
I would like to exchange birds" eggs with the correspondents of YOUNG PEOPLE. I give a list of birds found in the Canadian woods: Baltimore oriole, barn swallow, wild canary, sand-martin, cherry-bird, ground-bird, ring-dove, sh.o.r.e-lark, red-headed woodp.e.c.k.e.r, orchard oriole, brown canary, dipper, phoebe, kingbird, guinea-fowl, and sparrows.
C. H. GURNETT, Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada.
I have some morning-glories growing near a wild cuc.u.mber vine, and the leaf is just like the cuc.u.mber leaf. I am waiting to see what the flower will be like. I hope it will blossom before frost comes.
I have a good many French postage stamps which I would like to exchange for others.
HATTIE R., Bismarck, Dakota Territory.
This address does not appear sufficient to render an exchange successful.
I would like to exchange birds" eggs with any correspondents of YOUNG PEOPLE. I give the names of some of the birds found here: linnet, tree blackbird, red-winged blackbird, thrush, ash-throated fly-catcher, California canary, ground-sparrow, chipping sparrow, yellow-hammer, California quail, meadow-lark, common swallow, bank swallow, martin, yellow Summer-bird, night-bird, golden-crested wren.
S. C. DE LAMATER, Santa Cruz, California.
My father takes YOUNG PEOPLE for my brother and sister and myself.
We think there could not be a more interesting paper published.
"The Moral Pirates" is about the best story I ever read. I wonder if it is true?
I am having a great deal of fun this vacation. I read two hours every day. I am now reading the _Life of Benjamin Franklin_. I enjoy it very much.
I am making a collection of stones, and will exchange stones from the sh.o.r.e of Lake Erie for specimens from other places of note.
WILBUR T. MILLS, Cleveland, Ohio.
As Cleveland is a very large city, we doubt if this address is sufficient, and we will gladly print a fuller one if our young correspondent will send it.
I would like to exchange seeds of the sensitive plant for seeds or roots of rare plants growing in the far West or in the most eastern States.