s with loving messages.

And now ST. NICHOLAS presents to one and all the sweet little card on
page 91, which was drawn by Miss L. Greenaway, a London artist, who has
drawn many beautiful pictures of child-life. A companion card will be
given next month.

* * * * *

We are sure all our readers will appreciate the very comical pictures
on pages 144 and 145, which illustrate the funny story of "The Magician
and His Bee." But some of our older boys and girls may be able to put
them to another use,--which, also, would cause much fun and
merriment,--for these pictures would form an admirable series of
magic-lantern slides. And all that is needed to make them is a little
skill with the brush and--patience.

Take an _outline_ tracing of each figure; arrange all the tracings for
each slide on the glass strip, according to their positions in the
picture; then, by a slight touch of mucilage, or by holding each one
with the forefinger, secure them in their places until the outlines can
be traced on the glass. Fill up all the space outside the tracings with
black paint, and, this done, put in the shadings of the figures (lines
of features, costumes, etc.) with touches of the brush, according to
the lines in the printed pictures, until the reproductions upon the
slide are true and complete.

Once done, the pictures, enlarged and thrown upon a screen, would be
very funny indeed; and if, when they are exhibited, some one will read
the story aloud, so as to describe the slides as they succeed each
other, you may count upon having a jolly time.

* * * * *

Kiukiang, China, August 18, 1877.

Dear St. Nicholas: I am not so far out of the world but that I can
receive and read your excellent magazine. I look forward to mail
day with much pleasure, especially the mail which brings the ST.
NICHOLAS. I read every number through. I enjoy reading the letters
from the little boys and girls, I suppose, because I am a little
boy myself. There are no American boys here except my three little
brothers. We would like to have a play with some of the boys who
write for your magazine. The little boys of China have no such
magazine as yours. I wish they had; it would make better boys of
them. The children of the better class of Chinese go to school.
There they learn to commit to memory the Chinese characters. In
repeating the