California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



VThat Iiittle Tot Does. 



Monday I take my little tub, 



And till with soap and water; 

 And my dollies' clothes I rub, rub, rub, 



Ma culls me ber good daughter. 



Tuesday I heat my tiny iron. 



And smooth my dollies' dressee; 

 Dress them up nicely in clean clothes. 



And comb their silken tresses. 



On "Wednesday mamma cuts some work 



And I sew it neat and tidy. 

 And mamma comes and Kisses me 



And says I'm a little lady. 



Thursday I to the kitchen go, 



Help mamma do the baking; 

 And bread or cakes, or pies or tarts, 



I make what she is making. 



Friday I give my dolls a feast. 



Then take them all out walking; 

 You'd laugh to hear the funny things 



They say when they are talking. 



Saturday we have a merry time, 



Some game or merry frolic, 

 Unless a dolly is taken sick 



With toothache or the colic. 



Sunday I read some little book 



Until the bells are ringing, ■ 

 With mamma go to church and hear 



The sermon and the singing. 



— [Rural New-'Jorker. 



The Caged DCouse. 



I'm only a poor little mouse, ma'am! 

 I live in the wall of your house, ma'am! 

 With a fragment of cheese, and a very few peas, 

 I was having a little carouse, ma'am! 



No mischief at all I intend, ma'am! 



I hope you will act as my friend, ma'am! 



If my life vou should take, many hearts it would 



break. 

 And the trouble would be without end. ma ami 



My wife lives in there in the crack, ma'am! 

 She's waiting for me to come back, ma'am! 

 She hoped I might flud a bit of a rind. 

 For the children their dinner do lack, ma'am! 



'Tis hard living their in the wall, ma'am! 

 For plaster and mortar will pall, ma'ami 

 On the minds of the young, and when especially 



Ky, upon their poor father they'll fall, ma'am! 



I never was given to strife, ma'ami 

 (Don't look at that terrible knife, ma'ami) 

 The noise overhead that disturbs you in bed, 

 'Tis the rats, I will venture my life, ma'am! 



In your eyes I see mercy, I'm sure ma'ami 

 Oh, there's no need to open the door, ma'ami 

 I'll slip through the crack, and I'll never come 



back. 

 Oh, I'll NEVER come back any more, ma'am! 



— [Laura E, Richards, St. Nicholas. 



OUR CORNER. 



ERE WE ARE, with Our Comer 

 stuffed full of letters and contribu- 

 tious. There is so much that Aunt 

 J Y. Polly wants to say, that she hardly 

 ■{y-jf knows what to write. 



At this holiday season of the year, 

 everybodies' hearts are full of good feel- 

 ings. Some are thinking what to do to 

 make others happy, while others are 

 planning and guessing what they can 

 have to be happy themselves. Of course 

 those who try to make others happy will 

 thoiiiselves be happiest, because they 

 doubly enjoy. Those who think only of 

 self generally have a very mean self to 

 satisfy, and are likely to be cross and 

 dissatisfied, no matter who makes them 

 presents. 



But all the readers of " Our Corner " 

 are going to do something to surprise 

 somebody, something to make some- 

 body happy! 



Perhaps we may be too poor to make 

 rich presents, the most of us, but we 

 can nil be able to give some trifle, the 

 work ot our own hands, if ever so sim- 

 ple, that will be equally as acceptable as 

 the offei'ings of the rich, because coming 

 from our hearts as well as our hands. 



"We can all do some little acts of kind- 

 ness to show our regard for those we 

 love and for those who need and can aji- 

 preciate our regards. 



Aunt Polly cannot take you all by the 

 hand, really, but as your eyes glance at 

 these pages you can imagine how she 

 would like to do so, and how she will 

 think of you all, hoping you will be as 

 good and happy as you can be. 



A MEEEY CHKISTMAS 



From Aunt Polly. The new year will 

 soon be here. Now let every one of our 

 circle write something to " Our Corner," 

 that we may have a Happy New Year al- 

 together! 



Of course you all enjoyed Thanksgiv- 

 ing. Aunt Polly did, and so did the 

 little ones around her. Bead Nell Van's 

 Thanksgiving story. It really belonged 

 to our corner, but the naughty editor 

 put it iu another part of the paper. But 

 its just as good for all that. 



And now for our bushel of letters. In 

 the first place, here is what Lulu says 

 about 



LINDA AND HEE PETS. 



" I promised to tell you more about 

 our little girl and her pets, when I wrote 

 about her ' Orphan Asylum.' First, I 

 will tell you what biippened to the chick. 

 One night Linda had tucked him up 

 warm in his chip bed, for the night, 

 when her big sister (not knowing him to 

 be there) set a heavy basin of water on 

 the poor little chick, and, after a short 

 sickness his eventful life was over. Next 

 day there was a grand funeral. All the 

 relations and friends were invited to at- 

 tend the ceremonies, after which he was 

 laid in his last bed under the lilac bush. 

 There he will enrich the ground, and 

 bloom out iu great purple clusters of 

 flowers, or make beautiful green leaves. 

 Linda has a new pet now, that engages 

 her whole attention. It is a young dog 

 which she calls " Queen." She is very 

 I^layful, and follows her mistress all 

 around, like the little ' dorg ' .Johnnie 

 had. Did you ever hear about him'? I 

 will tell you one verse: 



.lohuuie had a little ' dorg,' 

 His hair was black as jet. 

 And everywhere that Johnnie went, 

 That ' purp ' went too, you bet! 



A little white-headed boy used to like to 

 recite that when I went to school in 

 your tov.n. Aunt Polly. Linda's dog 

 likes to go with her to the spring for 

 water, but she has to watch him or he 

 puts his nose in the bucket, and then 

 she has to go all the way back tor more! 

 He has one bad habit. He will chase 

 the chickens, but we hope to break him 

 of that soon. It is amusing to hear 

 Linda try to scold him. She says (try- 

 ing to be" cross) ; ' Have you been after 

 chickens, you naughty dog?' Then, iu 

 another minute, she calls, 'Here, Queen!' 

 and oflf they go, bound for a race through 

 the clover fields. Sometime, I will vrrite 

 you something more. Perhaps — oh 

 well, you'll find out when the time 



have not been answered, to write and 

 say in which number of the paper they 

 appeared, and also to say which of the 

 four chromos, "Romeo and Juliet," 

 "Waiting at the AVell," "The Birds," 

 or " The Chick," they desire to have as 

 premiums for puzzles not answered. She 

 has so many cares upon her just now 

 that she can hardly keep track of them 

 all. Also if any one entitled to a chro- 

 mo has not received it, pilease write at 

 once, and it shall be attended to. 



2-2, 12, 



CANDY FOE CHKISTMAS AND NEW YEARS. 



Deae Aunt Polly;— I was sorry to 

 hear that there was sickness in your 

 family, and equally so to miss the good 

 letters from our bright circle of children, 

 that is widening each month, showing 

 that they are gaining interest in " Our 

 Corner." That's right, keep on writ- 

 ing, and do please tell us what Santa 

 Clans gives each one of you. That 

 would be a splendid entertainment, to 

 hear how each child spent Christmas. 

 And right here, remember that each of 

 you must make one other child happy in 

 some way, if you would truly enjoy 

 your own presents and blessings. Your 

 old toys would be new to other children, 

 and very acceptable, if .they are poor, 

 and have nothing better given them. 

 But I want to tell you about a good lady 

 I know, who lives near me on Ninth 

 street, next to the Quaker church, who 

 is making the nicest, sweetest, purest 

 candy you ever tasted of; it is made of 

 pure sugar, colored and flavored with 

 perfectly harmless articles. She has 

 Centennial rock ; fruit cream, that melts 

 in your mouth; chocolate cream; chew- 

 ing' candy — and such a variety — that you 

 will "ivant some of all kinds. Only forty 

 cents for a whole pound! Santa Clans 

 should be sure to till his bags, as it eon- 

 tains nothing harmful to make children 

 sick. Remember the place. Ninth street 

 between St. James and St. John, next to 

 the Quaker meeting house. Mrs. G. G. 

 Chase is the lady's name' Yours, 



Jewell. 



My 21, 5, 16, 12, 7, 4, ! 

 is aii American peninsula. 



My 17, 21, 13, 14, 19, 3, 18, is a whole 

 number. 



My 9, 8, 15, 20, is a famous bridge. 



My 19, 12, 1, 2, was the home of Go- 

 liah. 



My whole is rich in silver. 



Fanny Bakkway. 



anothek fikst lettee. 

 Hill's Feeey, Oct. 9, 1876. 



Deae Aunt Polly: — Here is a puzzle 

 I send to the Ageictltueist, if you 

 think it worth publishing. I am twelve 

 years old, and it is my very first attempt 

 at such a thing. I don't know whether 

 it is correct or not, as I had no help in 

 composing it. If you think this is 

 worth putting in your paper, I will try 

 and do better next time. 



I remain as ever your little neice. 

 Fannie B. 

 the puzzle. 



My first is in bird but not in bee. 



My second is in flower but not in tree. 



My third is iu weak^but not in strong. 



My fourth is in blade, but not in prong. 



My fifth is in bad but not in good. 



My whole is in some kind of food. 



AN UNREASONABLY SMAET BOY. 



Natividad, Oct. 18, 1876. 



Dear Aunt Polly: — I see that you 

 have published the little piece that Jo- 

 seph Riordan sent up, so I will send you 

 a few lines, as it is recess now. 



Natividad aint a very large town, but 

 it contains a very smart boy, -who, with- 

 out looking at any book can tell you all 

 about it, and what's in it also. His 

 name, Charley Bates, A. M. He is very 

 unreasonable smart. He is now study- 

 ing on examination for the next teachers' 

 examination in Salinas City. By the way 

 he is only 13 years old. How is that for 

 Natividad? Some people think the rea- 

 son he is so smart is that ho has never 

 had his hair cut since he was born. It 

 almost touches his heels. Yours, A'C, 

 Harry ct Geoehe. 



and another one. 

 Saratoga, Nov. 12, 1876. 

 Dear Aunt Polly:— I am a little girl 

 eleven years old. I live in the moun- 

 tains near Saratoga, 'and uncle takes the 

 Agriculturist. I often read the letters 

 in "Our Corner," and thought I would 

 write a letter to Aunt Polly, and hope it 

 will be well received. I am learning to 

 ride on horseback, which is very neces- 

 sary for us who live in the mountains, 

 for in Winter the roads are so bad ■we 

 cannot go in any other manner. We 

 have just received the Agriculturist. 

 I am sorrv there was no "Corner," and 

 that Amit Polly had sickness in the fam- 

 ily. This is my first attempt to write 

 fo"r a paper. Will try to do better next 

 time. 



Maud C. 



and still another. 

 Salinas Valley, Monterey Co., Cal., ( 

 September, 1876. ) 

 Dear Aunt Polly:— I live in Salinas 

 Valley, near Salinas City. I have three 

 sisters and one brother. Mama takes 

 the Agriculturist. Good by. 



Annie Williams. 

 p. S. — I forgot to tell you how old I 

 am. I am ten years old. 



Lulu. 



MiLPiTAs, Oct. 29, 1867. 

 Dear Aunt Polly: — In my last letter 

 I sent you any answers I could guess to 

 the puzzles. I do hope no one will 

 guess my two puzzles, as I am very anx- 

 ious to get the premium. I do not 

 know which of the puzzles to call best; 

 they so fairly puzzled me that I was more 

 than satisfied with them. Is there any 

 particular age over which we cannot get 

 your premiums. I am fourteen. I hope 

 I am not too old, for I certainly am very 

 small. Your Neice, Tillie. 



ABOUT THE PUZZLES AND CHROMOS. 



Aunt Polly requests her nephews and 

 neices who have sent puzzles 



A FIRST LETTER. 



Bio VisTA, Sept. 28, 1876. 

 Deak Aunt Polly:— This is the first 

 time that I have written to you. I am 

 only ten years old, so you cannot expect 

 great things of me. I have been to 

 school six months this Summer, and 

 studied, reading writing, grammar, ge- 

 ography, arithmetic and sentence-build- 

 I have commenced 



ing. 



which 



to make out 

 some of the puzzles iu the .Agricultur- 

 ist, and think they are very interesting. 

 Here is a puzzle that I assisted iu com- 

 posing: 



I am composed of 23 letters. 



My 4, 10, 13, 18, 8, 6, is a kind of 

 melon. 



My 6, 3, 16, 23, 11, 23, is a Western 

 State. 



Here is a letter, a puzzle and some 

 poetry, from a neice who promises to be 

 a poet one ot these days. Aunt Polly 

 thinks she is real smart for one so 

 young : 



Dear .^.unt Polly:— I thought I 

 would write you a small letter. I am 10 

 years old. jly father takes the Agei- 

 fULTUEisT, and I like it very much. I 

 could not make out the puzzles, or I 

 would have written before. I will send 

 you a small puzzle and some pieces of 

 poetry that I have made all myself. If 

 it is not too much work will not you 

 please correct the mistakes in my work, 

 I wish to join the cousins in Our Cor- 

 ner, and be your neice. Here is my 



PUZZLE. 



Y. B. X. St. Ream 

 L. Y. jL 543 



1419 

 MY UTTLE SISTKE. 



I have a pretty little sister 

 With eyes of a very bright blue. 



The color of her hair is oubnrn. 

 And her cheeks of a delicate hue. 



Now is it not a great pity 



We can tlnd hor no pretty name? 



