Editorial Notes
The little story, “A Strange Pocket-Book,” on page 221 of this number, is a true account of an actual incident which took place during the Civil War. It will add to the interest of all readers of this contribution to know that the small heroine of the story was the mother of Mrs. Alice Hegan Rice, the well-known author of those two popular books, “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch” and “Lovey Mary.”
The author of “A Thrilling Fact,” on page 219, asks us to say that she is indebted for the inspiration of her rhyme to a lecture delivered at the Wagner Institute, Philadelphia, by Mr. Reid, who made the remarkable assertion which Mrs. Joy has put into amusing verse.
The entertaining paper in this number by Miss Bertha Runkle, author of “The Helmet of Navarre," will not fail to please all young folk who are interested in the life of the Island Empire of Japan. Miss Runkle’s article gives many fresh glimpses of the every-day experiences and pleasures of the boys and girls of that far-away land, as well as of the child life of China and Korea. Several of the photographs accompanying the article are also novel and unusually interesting.
Perhaps no recent character in St. Nicholas stories has been more popular than little “Jimmie Dandy,” the boy hero of Mr. Elliott Flower’s capital story published just a year ago, entitled “An Officer of the Court.” We are sure, therefore, that all af our readers will welcome Mr, Flower’s account, in this number, of further developments in the life of Jimmie Dandy, and will be glad to read the story of how he came to be also “An Officer of the School.”
The Letter-Box.
Dear St. Nicholas: Though it is now nearly nineteen years since I first began to look forward to the first of each month as being the earliest date at which you might arrive, yet I have never once written to tell you how much enjoyment you have often brought me. Five of the nineteen years have been spent in Germany and Italy, and the bit of fresh American life and thought which you carried between your pages was very welcome to an American girl, who, in spite of admiring and greatly enjoying the art and music which one finds in these Old World countries, yet misses the energetic, wide-awake life of her own country, and has been often very homesick
Wishing you a very long life,and great success in the future, believe me, your grateful reader and well-wisher.
Dear St. Nicholas: I was about eight years old when I first took you, and am now a League member.
I would like to tell you about the delightful summer I had. Next to our house is a large ficld which was full of weeds and rubbish. Our school is opposite the field and we decided to rent this and clean it out and have a school vegetable-garden. So in about three weeks the field was Converted into sixty gardens with sixty happy owners. Then we planted the seeds, which soon sprouted, and we took care of our gardens in the most interesting way. We had four division superintendents and over these was a head gardener.
I was the head gardener. At the end of the summer, when school started again, our principal awarded two prizes: four dollars, first prize, and two for the second.
I got the first prize and our neighbor’s boy got the second prize.
Now they are all cleaned out and the field is in perfect order, ready to give it back to fits owner.
Your sincDorothy Haake.
Dear St. Nicholas: We have had you now for a year, and we want to tell you how we love you. We think you are the best children’s magazine in the world. We have the first year of St. Nicholas that was ever published. Our uncle had you, and then you came to mother for years when she was Christine Halsey. Our aunt, Dycie Warden, had you when she was a little girl, and used to send a great many puzzles to your Riddle-Box. Our cousins, the Gabains, sent me two volumes, and they have you. So a great many people in our family have loved you for years. We lived in South America eight years before we came to England. Here we have been nearly four years. Buenos Aires was mach sunnier than here. John, our three-year-old baby, is the only Englishman. Mother and grannie are American. We hope to go to America some day soon and see all our relations.
We all wish you a very happy New Year
Your lovinEleanor Warden (age 11).
Your lovinBertha Warden (age 9).
Your lovinEdwin Warden (age 7).
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