athers, to keep them warm.

[Illustration]

The old gray cat comes in the morning, and jumps up on the children's
bed. Then she creeps towards them, and rubs her soft fur on the little
boy's face, and wakes him up. She would like to say, "Good morning!" but
she only says, "Mew, mew!"

W. O. C.

[Illustration]

MY LITTLE SISTER.

GOOD folks who read "The Nursery," this is my little sister;
The picture shows you truly how I caught her up, and kissed her:
She is so sweet, so very sweet, that I am quite decided
If you could see her as she is you would do just as I did.

BROTHER CARLOS.

A LETTER TO MINNIE.

The following is an exact copy of a letter found in little Minnie's
stocking last Christmas:--

SITTING ROOM, AT MAMMA'S DESK.

MY DEAR LITTLE MINNIE.

You must excuse my calling you by your pet name;
but you see I'm so fond of all good children that
I can't _Master_ and _Miss_ them, and they're all
Tommie, and Johnnie, and Fannie, and Minnie, to
me.

Your stocking is so small that I can't put much of
any thing into it: but if that piano, with the
nice white cloth on it, isn't for presents, then
I'm mistaken.

I shall put yours there, and I hope I sha'n't
crock that tablecloth; for your mamma wouldn't
like to find my sooty marks all over it. Though I
don't see how she could expect me to be clean when
she has had a soft-coal fire burning in her grate
all the evening, and that does make the chimney so
black!

If you will look at the picture of me in your new
book (they call me St. Nicholas there), you'll see
how fat I am; and how do you suppose I get down
such a small place? I never could if I didn't love
children so much, and if I hadn't done it for so
many hundred years. But I began, you see, before I
grew so fat; and so now I know the easiest way to
do it.

I hope you'll have all you wanted this year; but
you all grow so fast, and have so many wants from
year to year, that I sometimes fear that I sha'n't
always be able to satisfy you. Still, as it's only
the good little children that