the middle basin, and joining to this a larger reed which ran
beneath the board, and was let into the barrel near the bottom. The
spring was finished in the same manner, with this exception, that
there was no upright piece in the middle. We now searched the woods
for moss, bits of twigs, and even some tiny pine and cedar trees,
which we planted with other things in the earth banked upon the
board. We arranged a small rockery with vines trailing over it; we
made paths covered with sand; and laid out tiny dells, and hills and
plains. We lined the fountain-basin with shells and the "spring"
with moss, and made little water-courses for the overflow; and,
after it was all completed, we filled the barrel with water; and,
lo! we had the prettiest little garden imaginable, with a fountain
spurting and plashing in the center, and a pretty little mossy
spring in the corner.

LILLIE F. FALES.

* * * * *

Sitapur, Oude, India.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: The people here live in little mud huts clustered
together in rude villages. They worship grotesque idols, wear very
odd clothing, and eat strange food. Carpenters, and tailors, and
shoe-makers, use their toes almost as much and as well as they use
their fingers, and men do the sewing and a great deal of the
cooking. Little girls very, very seldom go to school, and are
betrothed when they are babies. Little boys do not play ball or such
games, but they are very fond of flying the kite.

There are monkeys here by hundreds. They live in groves and eat
fruits. These are not monkeys which hang up by their tails at night
to go to sleep,--they live in the mountains,--but great big fellows
like plump dogs, only their fore-legs are short and their "feet" are
hands.

The other day I saw a fight between some monkeys and about a hundred
crows. The monkeys wounded one poor crow, and it hopped about upon
the ground unable to fly. Then the crows settled around it and tried
to carry it off; but they could not. The monkeys charged down upon
them, and then the crows charged the monkeys. It was an exciting
time. Seeing the crows were getting the worst of the battle I came
to their rescue, but the monkeys charged upon me, and I had to run.
At last, I carried off the poor crow, hoping to cure it, but it died
the same day. The