"DEAR EDITORS, "I think you will be glad to hear that, though I am so far away from home, some kind friend has sent me those delightful books, 'Our Young Folks,' which used to make me so happy when I was in my own country. Now I want to tell you a little something about what American children are obliged to hear when they are sent away to a strange country for their education, as I am. We are very much laughed at by our young companions, especially the English, because we use free and easy every-day expressions, and they say we don't know how to speak good English. Their great delight is to laugh at us about the use we make of guess, real, fix, mad, and a great many other words which they say we don't know how or where to use. They also say a great many disagreeable things about us, and, worst of all, that we are not dutiful and affectionate to our parents, nor respectful to other older persons. Now, dear Editors, I don't believe one half of this is true, and even if it is, I could tell them of just as many faults of their own if they are not just the same, but I am afraid there is some truth in it, and I do wish you would persuade some of your good contributors, who know all about it, to write an article for one number of 'Our Young Folks,' telling us just what the real faults in our language and manners are. There is another thing, dear Editors, I want to speak to you about, though I am almost afraid it is hardly respectful to do so. I was so very happy when the numbers of 'Our Young Folks' came, because I wanted to show them to my schoolmates, and what do you think they say? They say that their fathers and mothers never let them read books that have so much bad English in them, that it would n't be so much amiss if all the bad grammar was put in the mouths of servants and other ignorant persons, but that in these books even what seem to be the children of nice families talk as if they had never been told how to speak correctly. I would tell you which of the stories they find most fault with, only I am afraid it would seem ungrateful to the writers who have taken so much trouble for us. Now, dear Editors, I hope I have n't done wrong to tell you all this, and that, if there is any truth in what my companions say, you will be good enough to ask your contributors to be more careful; for I assure you it is very hard, when one is far away from one's own country, to hear it criticised in this way without being quite sure there is no ground for it. "Your little exile, Mrs. Isaac A. P. Thanks for your letter, as well as for the specimen of verse. Herbert F. R. has written "A Child's Wish," which is so pleasant in its way, that we print it here: "O, if I were a butterfly, I know what I would do: "I'd fly about among the flowers, Without a thought of ill, Through the long summer day; and when, Behind the western hill, "The great round sun had sunk at last, "The cool light winds would rock my flower, There 'neath the apple-tree, And the brave fire-flies would keep watch That no harm came to me. "I would I were a butterfly Amid the sweet wild-flowers; "(4.) Is it dishonorable to be a flirt? "(5). Is it not better to have a quiet marriage than a fashionable wedding, especially if one marries a poor man? "(6.) Will Willy Wisp' tell us his true name? "I have taken the Magazine since it was first published, and of course agree with every one in thinking it unrivalled; and certainly 'Our Letter Box' is one of its pleasantest features. "(7.) Won't you give a set of Geometrical, Algebraical, Arithmetical, Astronomical, Grammatical, or some other ical questions? "Your true friend. "P. S. (said to be the most important part of a letter, and it probably is in this case at least). "In the Letter Box' in the September number of last year there is an inquiry from a large family of children: 'Who can tell us how to make the largest and most splendid soap-bubbles?' "Glycerine in the water used to make the bubbles will make the bubbles stronger, and when stronger they can be blown larger and they will last longer. "I do not know the proportion of glycerine used, but I think it is a few drops of the liquid glycerine to a common bowl of soapsuds. "Probably one of the chemical soaps referred to is 'glycerine' soap. "Glycerine does not make the hues of the bubble more brilliant, for that hardly seems possible." (1.) We do not know; she is probably from thirty-five to forty years of age. (2.) Her best poem is probably to be considered "The High Tide"; of her philosophical poems "Divided" is the finest, we think, while her best lyrical writing is in the "Songs of Seven." (3.) We cannot tell you. (4.) We have already printed a good deal on this subject, of which some of our readers think altogether too much. (5.) Decidedly. (6.) No. (7.) If we can get first-rate problems. C. A. B. (Philadelphia.) Please to try a long rebus. Your geographical ones are excellently sketched, but rather short. It is Gibraltar, not ter. If you have all guessed that last month's puzzle was "Throw physic to the dogs," you are quite ready to try your skill at another one. And here it is, drawn by Mr. Day, directly from the First Scene in the Fifth Act of Shakespeare's "Hamlet." ROMANCE. FROM THE PEN OF MISS NETTIE ASHFORD. No. V. HERE is a country, which I will show you when I get into Maps, where the children have everything their own way. It is a most delightful country to live in. The grown-up people are obliged to obey the children, and are never allowed to sit up to supper, except on their birthdays. The children order them to make jam and jelly and marmalade, and tarts and pies and puddings and all manner of pastry. If they say they won't, they are put in the corner till they do. They are sometimes allowed to have some, but when they have some, they generally have powders given them: afterwards. One of the inhabitants of this country, a truly sweet young creature of the name of Mrs.. Orange, had the misfortune to be sadly plagued by her numerous family. Her parents required a great deal of looking after, and they had connections and companions who were scarcely ever out of mischief. So Mrs. Orange said to herself, "I really cannot be troubled with these Torments any longer, I must put them all to school." Aged half past six. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by TICK NOR AND FIELDS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Mrs. Orange took off her pinafore, and dressed herself very nicely, and took up her baby, and went out to call upon another lady of the name of Mrs. Lemon, who kept a Preparatory Establishment. Mrs. Orange stood upon the scraper to pull at the bell, and gave a Ring-ting-ting. Mrs. Lemon's neat little housemaid, pulling up her socks as she came along the passage, answered the Ring-ting-ting. "Good morning," said Mrs. Orange. "Fine day. How do you do? Mrs. Lemon at home?" Mrs. Orange's baby was a very fine one, and real wax all over. Mrs. Lemon's baby was leather and bran. However, when Mrs. Lemon came into the drawing-room with her baby in her arms, Mrs. Orange said politely, "Good morning. Fine day. How do you do? And how is little TootleumBoots?" "Well, she is but poorly. Cutting her teeth, ma'am," said Mrs. Lemon. "O, indeed, ma'am !" said Mrs. Orange. "No fits, I hope?" "No, ma'am." "How many teeth has she, ma'am?" "Five, ma'am." "Shall we lay them "My Emilia, ma'am, has eight," said Mrs. Orange. on the mantel-piece side by side, while we converse?" "By all means, ma'am,” said Mrs. Lemon. "Hem! "" "The first question is, ma'am," said Mrs. Orange, "I don't bore you ?" "Not in the least, ma'am," said Mrs. Lemon. "Far from it, I assure you." "Then pray have you," said Mrs. Orange, “have you any vacancies ?" "Yes, ma'am. How many might you require ?" "Why, the truth is, ma'am,” said Mrs. Orange, "I have come to the conclusion that my children,” — O, I forgot to say that they call the grown-up people children in that country, "that my children are getting positively too much for me. Let me see. Two parents, two intimate friends of theirs, one godfather, two godmothers, and an aunt. Have you as many as eight vacancies ?" "I have just eight, ma'am," said Mrs. Lemon. "Most fortunate! Terms moderate, I think?" "Very moderate, maʼam.” "Diet good, I believe?" "Unlimited." "Most satisfactory! Corporal punishment dispensed with?" 66 Why, we do occasionally shake,” said Mrs. Lemon, "and we have slapped. But only in extreme cases." "Could I, ma'am," said Mrs. Orange, "could I see the establishment?" "With the greatest of pleasure, ma'am," said Mrs. Lemon. Mrs. Lemon took Mrs. Orange into the school-room, where there were a number of pupils. "Stand up, children!" said Mrs. Lemon, and they all stood up. Mrs. Orange whispered to Mrs. Lemon, "There is a pale bald child with red whiskers, in disgrace. Might I ask what he has done?" "Come here, White," said Mrs. Lemon, "and tell this lady what you have been doing." Betting on horses," said White, sulkily. "Are you sorry for it, you naughty child?" said Mrs. Lemon. 66 "No," said White. Sorry to lose, but should n't be sorry to win." Go along with you, sir. This is Brown, Mrs. Orange. O, a sad case, Brown's! Never knows when he has had enough. Greedy. How is your gout, "Your stomach is the "What else can you expect?" said Mrs. Lemon. size of two. Go and take exercise directly. Mrs. Black, come here to me. Now here is a child, Mrs. Orange, ma'am, who is always at play. She can't be kept at home a single day together; always gadding about and spoiling her clothes. Play, play, play, play, from morning to night, and to morning again. How can she expect to improve!" "Don't expect to improve," sulked Mrs. Black. "Don't want to." "There is a specimen of her temper, ma'am,” said Mrs. Lemon. "To see her when she is tearing about, neglecting everything else, you would suppose her to be at least good-humored. But bless you, ma'am, she is as pert and as flouncing a minx as ever you met with in all your days!" "You must have a great deal of trouble with them, ma'am," said Mrs. Orange. “Ah! I have indeed, ma'am,” said Mrs. Lemon. "What with their tempers, what with their quarrels, what with their never knowing what's good for them, and what with their always wanting to domineer, deliver me from these unreasonable children!" "Well, I wish you good morning, ma'am," said Mrs. Orange. "Well, I wish you good morning, ma'am," said Mrs. Lemon. So Mrs. Orange took up her baby and went home, and told the family that plagued her so that they were all going to be sent to school. They said they did n't want to go to school, but she packed up their boxes and packed them off. "O dear me, dear me! Rest and be thankful!" said Mrs. Orange, throwing herself back in her little arm-chair. "Those troublesome troubles are got rid of, please the Pigs!" Just then another lady, named Mrs. Alicumpaine, came calling at the street door with a Ring-ting-ting. "My dear Mrs. Alicumpaine," said Mrs. Orange, "how do you do? Pray stay to dinner. We have but a simple joint of sweet-stuff, followed by a |