you fear, for my heart is bold:
I'll watch my captain, do what I'm told--
Sing ho! the ready sailor boy.

"If a foe should come--in such a plight,
What would you do, brave sailor boy?"--
Run up the "Stars and Stripes" in his sight,
Stand by my captain, wrong or right,
And give the foe an up-and-down fight--
Sing ho! the gallant sailor boy.

I am the lad in the blue and white--
Sing hey! the merry sailor boy.
I carry my country's flag and name;
I never will do her wrong or shame;
I'll fight her battles and share her fame--
Sing ho! the gallant sailor boy.

[Illustration: Music]

[Illustration: OUR POST-OFFICE BOX.]

EVERETT STATION, GEORGIA.

I want to tell you about a pet squirrel I had. My uncle was having
some trees cut down, when the men found three young squirrels in
one of them. One of the squirrels got killed, and one ran away, but
my uncle caught the other and put it in his pocket, and forgot all
about it. After a while he put his hand in his pocket for
something, and the squirrel bit him. We tamed it, and it would run
all over the trees in the yard, until one day some boys passing by
shot it, thinking it was wild. My little brother cried, and I came
near crying too. We buried it in the flower garden.

CHESLY B. HOWARD, JUN.

* * * * *

_February. 15, 1880_.

I am nine years old. I was born in Boston, but for the last three
years I have been living on a farm in Lakeville, Massachusetts.
There are a number of lakes near here, and some of them have long
Indian names, such as Assawampsett and Quiticus. Yesterday was a
warm, spring-like day, and I saw two robins, and I heard the
bluebirds singing.

LOUIS W. CLARK.

* * * * *

MACHIAS, MAINE.

I like YOUNG PEOPLE very much. I have a summer-house, and
in the summer I found a little humming-bird, with its wing broken,
all tangled up in the flowers. I took it into the house, and fed
it. It ate sugar and water. It had a funny little narrow tongue,
and it put it out when it ate. It lived in the house two days, and
then it died.

NELLIE LONGFELLOW (8 years old).

* * * * *

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

My papa told me of a pretty way to designate the long months from
the shor