flowers. The first thing to do, after you have gathered them, is to
lay them smoothly between tissue-paper; then you must have felt
drying-paper to put each side of the tissue-paper. The felt must be
changed every day. The tissue-paper must not be changed at all, only
the felt. Then you must have two pieces of smooth board, to put the
papers between, and a box full of stones for a presser. We used a
common soap-box, and put in stones to the weight of about
thirty-five pounds. The handles were made of rope. I have found this
a splendid way to press flowers, as it absorbs the moisture from the
flower and does not leave it at all brittle.

Will you publish this, so that all the little girls who take ST.
NICHOLAS may have the opportunity of pressing flowers?--and I hope
they may enjoy it as much as I did.--Your little friend,

ROSIE S. PALMER.

* * * * *

We have received letters in answer to Frank R.M.'s question about an
English painter, printed in the May "Letter-Box," from Carrie Johnson,
M.S. Bagley, Alice Lanigan, Lillie M. Sutphen. Seth K. Humphrey, Hannah
I. Powell, Frank R. Bowman, James Hardy Ropes, Grant Beebe, Isabelle
Roorbach, and H.A.M.

Some say the name of the painter is Sir Joshua Reynolds; others say it
is John Opie, who, also, was a great painter; and one or two think that
while Frank R.M.'s anecdote about the reply "With brains, sir!" belongs
to Opie, all the rest of the description concerns Reynolds only. And
this last seems to be the fact.

John Opie was born at St. Agnes, near Truro, in the county of Cornwall,
England, in the year 1761; and died in the city of London, April 9th,
1807.

* * * * *

Several of our young correspondents seem to have taken to writing poetry
of late. The two following letters and poems--printed just as they came
to us--will serve as samples of those received:

Winchester, Tenn.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS, Seeing so many writing to you of my age I thought
I would send you a letter. I am ten years old, and am advanced for
my age. I like to read you very much, &c.--Your constant reader

ALBERT MARKS.

P.S.--Please publish this poetry, which I wrote.

1. I looked o'er the
Place where Xerxes
Massed his millions
Before the grecian army,

2. I looked where Xerxes
Massed his hundred