other crows followed me home, and made a most
dismal noise, as if they could not trust me.

Here the squirrels are quite small and not at all wild. I saw a
little boy, the other day, walking along with a saucy little
squirrel perched upon his shoulder.

In the schools in the villages here, the boys sit upon the ground,
write upon wooden slates, and study aloud. They have wonderful
memories and commit everything, though they do not understand very
much of it. It is much better to understand every lesson as we go
along, isn't it?

Nearly all the little boys in India wear only a long coat which
comes down to their knees. It is so very warm here for most of the
year that the very little folks go without any clothing at all.

There are 60,000 soldiers in India, sent from England. One of the
regiments is in Sitapur, where I live, and they have a brass band
which makes first-rate music. They also have bagpipes.

In India there are persons from almost every nation--Hindus,
Arabians, Chinese, Englishmen, Scotchmen, Irishmen, Frenchmen,
Americans. There are twenty-three languages native to India. A great
many Indians speak English, which is taught in all the schools, as
Greek or Latin or French is taught at home.

But, although this is a great country, there is no place like
America, especially to Americans. Three cheers for the boys and
girls of America!

J.E.S.

* * * * *

Nauvoo, Ill.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: Here is something about my sister Lu and a
strange pet she had: Her childhood was spent in a wild, new country.
I cannot remember that she was ever amused with dolls and
baby-houses. She made amends, however, by surrounding herself with
kittens, dogs, fawns, ponies, squirrels, opossums, 'coons, and
various birds, which, in turn, she petted and loved.

She lived in the Red River country of Louisiana. The climate there
is so warm that out-door play may be had at any season.

The summer she was thirteen, with an older brother and other
friends, she went fishing on the lake, whose waters were dark and
still, studded here and there with cypress-trees in close ranks.
Heavy timber filled the valley surrounding the lake.

After catching a full supply of fish, some of which were cooked on
the spot, brother Ed., in wandering about, captu