en he read the printed slip. And the Little
School-ma'am--bless her!--actually gave a nod of satisfaction when she
heard it. As for me, no word would be too strong to express my feelings
on the subject.

But I'll be content now with giving you what the Deacon calls "two plain
facts" about this fashion, and letting them speak for themselves. "You
must know then," says the Deacon, "that a single collector of ornamental
feathers in this country has declared that he handles every year about
_thirty thousand_ bird-skins, almost all of which are used for millinery
purposes; and that another man collected from the shooters in one small
district within four months, about _seventy thousand_ birds!

"Now, Jack," adds the Deacon, "tell your young hearers to ask themselves
and their parents, whether this slaughter shall continue? The Audubon
Society says 'no!' Its membership is free to every one who is willing to
lend a helping hand to its objects. And its objects are to prevent as
far as possible, first, the killing of any wild birds not used for food;
second, the destruction of nests or eggs of wild birds; and third, the
wearing of feathers as ornaments or trimmings for dress. And certainly
women and girls can do much, in fact everything, for this third object."

All the older readers of ST. NICHOLAS will remember the army of
bird-defenders which it established years ago. The Deacon says that
there is a call for a new army, and all that you need do to join it, my
girls, is to refuse to wear feathers on your hats or dresses. If all the
women and girls who now follow that cruel fashion would but abandon it,
the needless slaughter of the birds would soon be at an end.

ABOUT LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY.

"FELIXSTOW," BRIGHTWOOD (NEAR WASHINGTON).

DEAR JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT: I am a little boy just six years
old. I live in the country about six miles from Washington.
I am very much interested in reading "Little Lord
Fauntleroy," because Mrs. Burnett, the lady who wrote it,
was out at our house last spring, and told us the story, and
I want to see if she changed it before she put it in the
book. I tell you, her own little boys, Lionel and Vivian,
are nice fellows to play with! I have a nice pony named Joe,
lots of chickens, a dog, and two cats, but I like digging in
the ground most. I raised a lot of pop-corn last year.
Somebody is writing this for me, but I am