each time by having my name on the roll of honor. I have now mounted the first round in the long ladder to literary success I have had my work printed in a good magazine. I shall persevere in my efforts, writing, if possible, each month until at some future date (it may be in the far future) either I shall have won first place twice, thus entitling me to the cash prize, or I shall have proven to the satisfaction of myself and friends that it is an impossibility.
Again thanking you for thus encouraging me, I remain,
Helen J. Simpson
by Robert W. Foulke, age 17.
Dear St. Nicholas: My grandmother received as a wedding present a large tract of land-which she turned into a park. As there were lots of weeping willows, it was quite a beautiful place. She made two lakes and one pool, One lake was double or cut in two by a dam of rocks with gates. In each lake there was an island full of flowers and plants. The other was a larger lake and lengthened into a channel which ended in a pool shaded by willows. There was a small pool with a rock castle ia the center. Grandma put over a hundred goldfish in the center lake, She was, given some beautiful swans, who live on the boundary river. She bought some fifteen black ducks, and they live on the river also.
There is a large house for the fantail turbit and other kinds of doves. She used to have an owl and some squirrels. She was offered a bear, but she did n’t accept it.
There are flowers all over and it is an altogether lovely place.
Leah Louise Stock (age 11).
Dear St. Nicholas: My gold badge came last night and I think it is a perfect beauty. I was so surprised when I saw I had won it, as I had never had anything higher than roll of honor No. 2 from the League before.
I shall certainly keep on trying in the hopes of winning a silver badge also, and possibly even a cash prize.
Agnes R. Lane.
Dear St. Nicholas: My gold badge arrived to-day; and the happiness of that moment in which I realized it was wholly mine I shall never forget.
During the seventeen months I have been a League member I have not missed a competition; yet six of those times 1 have known the utmost discouragement, not even reaching the honor roll. And this is my reward.
Greatly as I thank you for the encouragement you have given me, I thank you much more sincerely for the discouragements: for each defeat only renewed my ardor and made me more determined to win.
I almost envy the newer, members who still have their prizes to work for when I think that can never rewin my gold badge.
Thanking you once more for my prize, I remain,
Blanche Leeming.
Dear St. Nicholas: About a month ago our neighbors heard a queer noise in their kitchen, and they thought it was a rat and a few nights ago they heard a noise in the ceiling. and saw two pieces of plaster and am ivy leaf fall from above them. They saw a flying-squirrel come down from a crack by a sliding door. They captured it and put it in a cage. They think it was living in the walls all that time. After it eats it washes its paws, and it curls its long, flat nail over its eyes when it goes to sleep. It was a great little pet, especially as they are rather scarce around here.
Dear St. Nicholas: Three years I ’ve been working for that which I received last Saturday—the silver badge; so. perhaps youcan realize to some extent how overjoyed I was to get it.
Although I have contributed very irregularly at times, I ’vealways been greatly interested in the League.
As I was looking over the St. Nicholas for October, I was very much disappointed not to find my name on the roll of honor: but I kept on looking at the magazine, and oh, I was so delightfully surprised to see my poem! Wishing you a long and prosperous life,
Frances Benedict.
Dear St. Nicholas: The badge which came day before yesterday has certainly pleased me very much. It is so pretty! and, now that I have won that, I will work harder and try for something better.
I appreciate the picture, in the October number of the St. Nicholas, entitled “An Incident in Real Life,” greatly, since I myself have so often started to arrange my numbers, and two or three hours later suddenly realize that the whole afternoon is gone.
Thanking you again for the badge, I remain,
Mildred C. Jones.
Other interesting and appreciative letters have been received from Burwell Newton Kilbourne, Mary Thompson, J. Curran Rogers, Margaret Flint, Hugh Spencer, W. R. De Lappe, Marion W. Pond, Mildred Stanley Fleck, Sophronia M. Cooper, Elma Joffrion, Catherine E. Campbell, W. Clinton Brown, Mary Henderson Ryan, Eleanor Myers, Ruth G. Lyon, Valerie Marbury, Dorothy G. Gibson, Helen Whitman, Marie Armstrong, Marie Holt Greene, William S. Innis, and Elizabeth Marvin.
Chapters.
During the holidays is good time to form League Chapters, also for old chapters to elect new officers for the coming year. League Chapters should have many pleasant meetings between Christmas and New Year’s and after.” Winter is the time for getting together whether for work or play, and the League means both. Don’t make your meetings all work or all play. Reading, games, and refreshments—that is a good program, and is subject to all sorts of variations, because the reading may he of any sort, the games may be just what you like, and the refreshments whatever you happen to find easy to get. Nobody will be dissatisfied, we are sure, after an evening or an afternoon of employment and recreation.
“Playmates.”
by Irene Gaylord Farnham, age 12.
