Harper's Young People, January 11, 1881

    Downieville, California.

I thought I would try to describe a trip I took with auntie to a little town called Eureka. After a short ride we came to the main trail leading from Downieville to the northern part of Sierra County. The trail winds in and out, following every curve and bend of the mountain. In some places it is quite steep, and in others almost level. How tired I was when we got to Eureka, having been two hours in the saddle! When we reached the ridge, we heard some one playing on some instrument, and it sounded so sweet that we stopped a few minutes to listen to it.

Uncle tells me that Eureka used to be quite a large place, with hotels, stores, private houses, a school-house, and a Masonic Hall; but now it consists of only half a dozen dwellings and the school-house.

A little girl has written to Young People that she found two peach blossoms in September, and she wants to know if any other little girl has found any so late. Now I want to know if any little girl or boy has ever picked ripe peaches near the 13th of November, as I have.

    Mary A. R.

    Vicksburg, Mississippi.

I have only been taking Harper's Young People a short time, but I think it is a very nice little paper. I saw that one of the little girls said that she had seen a peach blossom in September. Here we often have figs in December.

    Lily V. F.

    Brooklyn, Long Island.

I am eleven years old; but my eyes are not strong, and mamma has not thought it best to send me to school till this fall, so that I can not write very well. I would like to tell Reba H. that there were apple blossoms on our tree in Oil City, Pennsylvania, in September, 1879.

    Winifred C.

    Bath, New Hampshire.

I have just finished the embroidery of Fig. 12 in Young People No. 59. I received the paper Tuesday night, and if I had had all the crewels, I could have finished it on Thursday. But I had to send to Boston for some of them, and wait nearly four days before they came.

The day I began the embroidery mamma went up garret, and found an old quilt of my grandmother's, all embroidered with the same stitch. I have done a table-cover in the South Kensington stitch, but I think the New England stitch is prettier, easier, and takes less time.

I did pattern No. 12 on a bureau-cover of Russian crash. I am very glad you print the articles on embroidery. They are a great help. I enjoy fancy-work very much, and do a great deal of it. I was fourteen last July.

    Helen C.

This is the first report on embroidery, and, according to promise, the old embroidery pattern has been sent to the writer.

    Sullivan, Indiana.

I am almost eight years old. I do not go to school. I have two little sisters. My papa prints a newspaper. I take Young People, and I think it is the best paper in the world, except papa's. I get papa to read it to me, and then I send it to a little boy who has no money to buy it.

    Harald C. H.

    East Canaan, New Hampshire.

I am only six years old, but I can read all the stories in Young People alone. I have some very playful kittens, and one night they tipped over the big rocking-chair. I had six white geese, but one died.

    Lester O. B.

    Passaic, New Jersey.

I am ten years old. I have two pretty kittens, exactly alike. They are yellow and white. The other day I got a pretty dove from the dove-house, and kept him in a large cage; but I felt sorry for him, and one day opened the window and let him out. He flew to the top of the carriage-house, and all of the doves came to meet him and kept flying around him. I like Harper's Young People so much that I can not wait patiently until it comes.

    Willie G.

    Foster Brook, Pennsylvania.

I am spending the winter very pleasantly out among the Red Rock Mountains. Our cottage is in a valley, surrounded by high hills, which are covered with wintergreen berries from one year's end to another. During the winter months the berries swell very large, and they are delicious fruit in the spring. There is a great deal of iron ore here, and also a great deal of snow. We live in a very small house, with only four rooms; but, for all that, it is very cozy. I look forward with much pleasure every week for the coming of Young People.

    M. Ada T.

    Clanton, Alabama.

My brother and I take Young People, and like it very much. We had a pet 'coon, which got very thirsty one day, and crawled into our big glass water-pitcher head first. After helping himself to water, he turned round in the pitcher, and came out again. Afterward the cat killed him.

    St. Clair T.

    Brookhaven, Mississippi.

My papa takes Harper's Magazine, and I take Young People, which I like very much, especially the letters written by the children. I wish all the boys and girls in the South could get your paper.

I am eight years old, and go to school. There is a great deal of cotton shipped from here to New Orleans, and a great deal of lumber to St. Louis and Chicago. I have two little sisters younger than I.

    Archie McM.

    Windsor Heights, Maryland.

I have taken Young People since the story called "Who was Paul Grayson?" began. My brother and I have for pets a flock of pigeons, which are quite tame, two pair of rabbits, and two dogs, named "Duke" and "Terry." Duke will go into the corn-patch, select a soft ear of corn, and husk and eat it. He sometimes goes to the blackberry bushes, and holds down a branch with one paw while he eats the berries. He is also very fond of persimmons.

    James S.

    Moberly, Missouri.

I will send a nice recipe for ice-cream in the winter. Take a glassful of snow, and put in just enough cream to make it thick, with some sugar, and just a little extract of vanilla or lemon. My brother and I have ice-cream all summer, and winter too. I am nine years old.

    Maggie B.

Pearl A. Hare, of Lynchburg, Harris County, Texas, accidentally omitted the little word "for" in her letter published in Young People No. 56, which made her appear to offer birds' eggs and postage stamps for exchange, when she wished to obtain them in exchange for Texas snail shells. Our readers will please note the correction.

I am a boy eleven years old. I was born in Cairo, Egypt, and came to America in 1876. I am living on a farm now, and like it very much.

I have some Egyptian stamps I would like to exchange for any other foreign stamps.

    Ambrose Strang, Lincoln, Tennessee.

The following exchanges are also offered by correspondents:

Postmarks.

    M. P. Rich,
    50 West Thirty-eighth Street, New York City.