TO OUR READEES. 



Every oue must have had that temper-trying personage, a plain-spoken friend — one wlio is aptly 

 described as " always calling a spade a spade," and as aptly might it be added, " and always using 

 it as a spade " by digging with it^unmercifully. We have such a friend, and you, our Eeaders, know 

 her too ; but so many months had elapsed without her delving into us that we began to hope — we 

 think we did not hope that she was dead — but we began to hope that she had given us up as incor- 

 rigible. The cherished delusion is dissipated, for we have the note following — 



" Cackleion' Hall, 



"Innocent6' Day, 1S6'J. 



"Miss Penelope Pomeroy's compliments, and wishes to know what improvements the Editors 

 intend to make in their Journal. They were very prone to changes at one time, and had a change 

 of office, change of publishing day, and change of name ; but now when other journals are makiag 

 changes the Editors remain stagnant. Why don't they print the Journal on toned paper, or alter 

 its type, or add some such department as ' Pug Dog and Parrot Chronicle ' to its many titles ? 

 Miss P. P. knows both the Editors from their photographs, and begins to call them ker ' old Goose- 

 bemes ;' and by way of distinction she calls one her ' smooth old Gooseben-y,' and the other her 

 ' haiiy old Gooseberry.' " 



We shall not gratify Miss P. P. by revealing whether oue of her ' old Gooseberries ' became 

 more red and the other more pale upon perusing that note. They have not even posted to her a 

 reply, but they here priut it. 



" The Editors' compliments to Miss Penelope Pomeroy, and they do not purpose making any 

 change in the Journal, and for that most satisfactory of reasons — there is no occasion for it. Their 

 Keaders are satii^fied, their Correspondents are satisfied, and the Editors are satisfied ; and they are 

 quite contented to be called ' her Gooseberries,' because they hope it intimates her intention to 

 preserve them. " 



Our Eeaders wiU appreciate the concluding sentence ; and we have purposely omitted any 

 allusion to the senility of the Gooseberries, because we feel there is no occasion for it. 



