the albums of young collectors, if they are genuine
issues, have, with but few exceptions, done service on some letter or
package before they find their way to the collector's hands. Unless they
are too much defaced by postal marks they form as valuable specimens as
if they were new, and are perhaps more interesting. To obtain full
collections of new foreign stamps would be difficult and very expensive.

* * * * *

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

I like HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE very much. I have a paint-box, and I
am going to color all the pretty pictures. I have a pony named
Tiny, two cats, and a canary which sings delightfully. I am eight
years old.

EMILY T. H.

* * * * *

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Little "Wee Tot" wishes to say that she is getting a great many
requests for ocean curiosities. She can not possibly answer all
the letters, but whoever will send her a box of pretty curiosities
in minerals, insects, birds' eggs, skulls and skeletons of
reptiles, rare postage stamps, coins, relics, Revolutionary
mementos, ancient newspapers, or anything else that is of value,
shall receive an equivalent in things from the ocean.

Last week "Wee Tot" received through the Post-office a beautiful
Indian bow and three arrows from the Indian country, and yesterday
she received fifty-six baby water-snakes and some beautiful
butterflies.

With much love to you, dear YOUNG PEOPLE,

"WEE TOT" BRAINARD,
257 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

* * * * *

LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

I can give some good directions to Daisy F. for pressing
sea-weeds. The implements used are a dish of water, a camel's-hair
brush, sheets of paper, blotting-paper, and linen or cotton rags.
After cleaning all the sand and dirt from the weeds, put one in a
dish of water, and slip a sheet of paper under it. Then lift it
carefully nearly out of the water, and arrange all the little
branches naturally with the brush. Now lay the paper which
contains the weed on a piece of blotting-paper: over it put a rag,
so that the weed is entirely covered by it, and over that another
piece of blotting-paper, and on this in turn lay another sheet of
paper upon which a weed has been floated. Proceed in this manner
until