y
brother Bertie, by a well-known authoress, within five minutes, by my
father's watch, and with the alteration of but one word. I must tell you
we gave her the subject. Hoping you will print this poem, I remain yours
truly, CHARLES H. M.

BERT'S FUTURE WIFE.

Do you wish to see her--
Bertie's future wife,
The maid who'll share his fortune,
Brighten all his life?

This is how I see her,
In my fancy's eye:
Tall and fair and slender,
Cheerful, good and spry;

Eyes as deep as pansies,
Lips like cherries red,
And a wealth of sunshine
Growing on her head.

Kind her voice, and gentle,
Sweet her merry laugh,--
There, I've told you wonders,
Yet not told you half.

Nothing could be better
Than this lovely maid,
Now let's see him get her:--
Hard work, I'm afraid.

* * *

Monroeville, O.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have for some time been anxious to take the ST.
NICHOLAS, but did not have the money. I was told that if I would gather
hickory-nuts enough to amount to the sum, I might take it. I gathered
three bushels, sold them, sent for the magazine, and, last evening,
received two numbers, with which I was very much pleased.--Your faithful
reader, CLARA LINDSLEY.

* * *

Danbury, Ct.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: A party of us boys read about "Hare and Hounds" in the
October number, and we tried the game the Saturday after. We all spent the
day at my cousin's; he lives on a farm where there is plenty of room for
us to run. Our "hare" got a good start, and though we ran hard and
followed up the "scent" well, we did not catch him. We caught our next
"hare" though. We treat to apples instead of candy. We think the game is
great fun.

I have taken ST. NICHOLAS for two years and I think it is splendid. I
liked the "Bass Cove Sketches," and mamma laughed heartily when I read
them to her. I am ten years old, and I hope to take you till I am
twenty.--Your constant reader,
WILLIE H. ALLEN.

* * *

A CORRESPONDENT sends us the following account of some incidents of the
great flood in Virginia last November:

After