like to ask you two questions:

1. How many men usually are there in a corps, division, brigade,
and company?

2. How many guns are there in a field-battery?

If you will answer these, you will greatly oblige your friend and
reader,

GRANT SQUIRES.

In the United States service, the "company," in time of war, contains
98 non-commissioned officers and privates, and 3 officers; total, 101.
The regiment consists of ten companies. A brigade usually consists of
four regiments, and, if the ranks are full, should contain about 4,000
men. It sometimes happens that five or six regiments may be comprised
in one brigade. A division contains usually three, sometimes four,
brigades, and with full ranks would number from 12,000 to 15,000 men. A
corps contains three divisions, and should number, say, 45,000 men. In
actual conflict, these figures will, of course, widely vary; regiments
being reduced by losses to, perhaps, an average of 300 men each, and
the brigades, divisions, etc., to numbers correspondingly smaller. A
field-battery has either four or six guns, in the United States service
usually the latter number, and from 150 to 250 men. The English and
French Armies are not very dissimilar from our own in the matter of
organization; but in the German army the company contains 250 men, and
the regiment 3,000, and they have but two regiments in a brigade.

* * * * *

Pittsburg, Pa.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I want to tell you What a nice time I had on
vacation. I enjoyed the holidays so much that it makes me happy to
tell everybody. Our Sunday-school gave a treat on Christmas night,
and the church was very handsomely decorated. Above the center, in
amongst the evergreen wreaths, was a shining star made by jets of
gas. The pastor, Mr. Vincent, said this was to represent the Star
of Bethlehem. Then the large Christmas-tree was loaded with gifts,
and when lighted up I pretty near thought I was going to see
Aladdin's wonderful lamp and Cinderella from fairy-land. I am sure
every one felt happy, and we sang the Christmas carols louder than
ever, so loudly that the church trembled. But may be it was the
organ made it tremble.

LILLIE S.

* * * * *

MR. EDWIN HODDER, the author of the new serial, "Drifted into Port,"
which begins in this number, is an English gentleman, and he w