Iht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
285 
makes the curves just the same. It is a 
comfort to all who need it. It runs at 
night without any light, and still does 
not break the law.” 
Books to Read 
Last month we began to give you a 
list of books and poems that every boy 
and girl ought to try to read. A number 
wrote, saying that they had read one or 
more of those mentioned. Keep the list 
and add to it those given each month. 
Then be on the watch for chances to read 
them. Whenever you read one, write to 
your editor and tell him about it. The 
list for this month is as follows: 
“Two kittle Confederates,” by Thomas 
Nelson Page. 
“Heroes of Today,” by Mary R. Park- 
man. 
“Among the Forest People.” by Clara 
I). Pierson. 
Poem: "A Hoy’s Mother,” by James 
Whitcomb Riley. 
We also suggested that it would be in¬ 
teresting to have short descriptions of 
these books and poems. In 150 words 
you can give an idea of what one is about, 
and perhaps interest others to read it. 
Several descriptions came in for two of 
last month's list. I have selected one of 
each to print. Perhaps the other two 
will come before next month, as well as 
the new ones just given. 
JATTIi: WOMEN 
By Louisa M. Aleott 
Meg, .To, Beth and Amy Marsh were 
sisters. Their father went to war as a 
chaplain, not being strong enough to be 
a soldier. Meg was a governess, but 
sometimes got cross because she did not 
like the children. Jo wear every day to 
help and amuse her aunt. Being too 
timid t<> go to school like Amy. Beth did 
her studies at home. While Mrs. Marsh 
was away caring for Mr. Marsh, who was 
sick, Beth nearly died of scarlet fever. 
She somewhat recovered, luit never got 
real well. Mr. Marsh came home and 
Meg got married. Amy went abroad, and 
while gone Betli died. Before Coming 
back. Amy married Laurie, the grandson 
of Mr. Lawrence, who was a neighbor of 
the Marsh’s. Jo’s aunt died and left her 
a place called Plum field. Jo married 
Among the Sugar Canes 
Professor Bhaer. intending to live at 
Plainfield and have a school for poor 
hoys. GLADYS FELDBERG. 
New York. 
0 CAPTAIN ! MY CAPTAIN ! 
By Walt Whitman 
This is a beautiful poem. It describes 
a ship which has entered the harbor and 
the people exulting because it has come. 
But the captain lie* still on the deck, lis¬ 
tening not to the rejoicing of the people, 
lie is in a happier land, 
Lincoln is referred to in tin's poem. 
After freeing the slaves and doing all he 
could for the good of the people, he was 
killed by a man who knew not or did not 
realize the honor due to him. 
EMMA KEIDEL. 
New York. 
Our Drawings and Pictures 
It is always interesting to know where 
the pictures come from that we find on 
Our Page each month. They are sent by 
readers and friends, and it is proper that 
these kind helpers should he given credit 
and thanks. 
The drawing of a boy shoveling snow 
was made by Robert Thorburn, a 18-year- 
old reader in Massachusetts, who said: 
“1 haven’t ever attempted anything like 
this before. I hope you like ray drawing.” 
We do like it. don’t we? It is full of life 
and action. It gives the real feeling of 
the storm—the great drifts of snow, the 
mighty gusts of wind. We hope Robert 
will make other attempts, now that he 
has begun. 
The sea that you look at iu the little 
picture is the Pacific Ocean. A 17-year- 
old boy named Lafe White sent it from 
California, and he wrote: “I am from 
the good old State of New York. This is 
my second trip here, but I would much 
rather live on a farm in New York. We 
came here for father’s health. This 5s a 
Nancg Starts to Slide 
good place, and we have a good harbor 
and lots of fish. I am a caddy at the 
golf links. I am sending you a snapshot 
of the shore.” Many of our readers 
have never seen the sea except in pic¬ 
tures. I hope that some day each one of 
yotl may see it. It is one of the great 
sights of nature—that vast body of wa¬ 
ter, with the waves forever rolling to the 
shore, sometimes quite gently, at other 
times with raging fury. 
Daniel’s mother, Mrs. A. J. Ritz of 
New Jersey, sent the picture of the boy 
feeding his chickens. IIow many are 
there? What do you see behind David? 
In the distance there are two-. 
May belle Lane is 12 years old and lives 
in Central New York. “Out for Exer¬ 
cise" shows her mounted on her three- 
year-ohl colt. It is a fine animal. What 
good times they must have together! I 
wonder what its name is? 
We have been to California and looked 
at the ocean. Now we are in Florida, 
looking at something else. Beulah Felts 
wrote: “I am sending a picture of our 
sugar caue farm that made 1.050 gallons 
an acre. In the picture are my brothers 
and sisters and mother and our hired 
man. I thought it would interest the 
Northern hoys and girls.” 
How many of our readers have ever 
been on skis? It is an exciting sport. 
Nancy Wright, the New York girl in 
the picture, seems to know how. but I 
suppose she doesn't miml a "spill” now 
and then. Go it. Nancy! 
Dorothy Middleton of New York made 
the drawing of the young gentleman with 
the mighty hatchet, and suggested the 
lines to go under it. It is very good for 
this month of February, besides being 
well drawn. Dorothy said : "I am very 
much interested in the pictures and draw¬ 
ings. and hope to see a page ‘chuck full’ 
next time.” 
It seems that we go from one end of 
the country to the other this month. The 
last picture on the page comes from 
Maine, with the following letter, which 
you will be interested to read. Who will 
answer about (he proverb? 
This is my first letter to the Boys’ and 
Girls’ page in The R. N.-Y. I like Our 
Page very much; am eager to read it. 
There is a proverb that 1 don’t under¬ 
stand. and I hope that you, Mr. Tuttle, 
> - others, will explain it to me. It is 
“The longest way round is the shortest 
way home.” I should think that the long¬ 
est way Tound is the longest way home. 
Enclosed is a picture of myself and my 
little calf that I raised last Fall. On the 
sled is one of my friends and my only 
brother. Carroll. T myself wasn’t dressed 
up very pleasant then, hut many farmers, 
as you Know, don’t dress up on work 
days, so I didn't. It was February when 
it was taken. See the snow ! 
Hoping success to Our Page, 
Maine. Rufus fisher. 
Spring Plans 
The following letter was written a year 
ago, but it sets us thinking of what will 
be happening again. 
I love the Boys’ and Girls’ page in The 
R. N.-Y. I guess by the time this letter 
icaches you Spring will he nearly here 
again. Then everything will get new life, 
the birds will come and sing, and many 
other things make us happy in the Spring¬ 
time. I expect to keep a list of the signs 
c>f Spring this year. 
Not very long ago Dad saw a robin, 
and I have seen some, too, in the last few 
days. Well, it will soon be time to get 
the birdhouses ready for the Spring birds. 
I have eight bird boxes. Four of them I 
have left out all Winter. I expect to 
take these down to clean them out and 
then hang them up again. I have one 
five-room martin house not rented last 
year. In one chickadee house which I 
put up late in the Spring last year, in¬ 
stead of chickadees a pair of crested fly¬ 
catchers built and raised their young. I 
was watching them closely wlten they 
were about ready to leave the nest, but 
missed seeing them go. I saw these young 
birds in a woods not far from their hatch¬ 
ing place a few days later. 
I have one bluebird house not rented 
last year, and four wren houses. Two of 
them were occupied. In one a pair of 
wrens raised their young, and in the 
other, what do you think, a pair of mice 
built their nest! Of course they must 
have a place to muke their nest, but I 
don’t like them. In another wren house 
the wrens did not stay very long. I think 
the reason they did not stay is because it 
was e’use to the flycatcher’s house, and 
flycatchers frequently chase smaller birds, 
but do not attack larger ones. The fly¬ 
catcher reminds me a little of the king¬ 
bird. They are not the same color. The 
flycatcher is brownish green, with a yel¬ 
low breast and a crown on his head, while 
the kingbird is black, with a white breast, 
and the feathers on its tail are tipped 
with white at the end. SIMON snyber. 
Pennsylvania. 
Several have asked this year about the 
“Signs of Spring” lists. Keep them, by 
all means. Watch for the signs that are 
not usually noticed. Get your bird houses 
Teady. Let every boy and girl try to 
have one, at least. Plan your garden and 
order your vegetable and flower seeds 
soon. Get all ready for Spring. It will 
soon be here. 
Nuts to Crack 
One hundred and ninety of you sent the 
correct answer to the nut puzzle, which 
was: 1, walnut; 2, almond; 8, peanut; 
4. pecan; 5, chestnut; G. coeoanut; 7, 
hazelnut; S. hiekorynut. I‘ was easy, 
wasn’t it? One girl said: "I didn't find 
the ‘shells’ very hard.” Your editor real¬ 
ly thinks that we ought not to take the 
space to give the names of all who 
answered. The puzzles are just for fun: 
you enjoy working them out and making 
up others. We might have one or two 
each month if you will keep them sup¬ 
plied. We want them to be about coun¬ 
try life, or something in connection with 
Our Page, nere are a couple of new 
ones: 
1 Isabel Henry, New York, says: 
“The letters of this puzzle, when proper¬ 
ly arranged, spell the name of one of our 
dear f-boids. Here it is: TCM TREAD 
DWELT.” 
2. Mildred Slater. New York, asks: 
“How would you plant It) apple trees so 
as to have five rows with four in a row?” 
All Kinds of Things 
As your editor reads the many letters 
that come to him he runs across all kinds 
of interesting things. Here are a l’ew: 
From Leonard White, Vermont: “I 
would like if you could tell me where the 
snow fleas come from and where they go. 
because they vome so quickly and go so 
quickly. When it is warm they are here. 
and when it is cold they are gone.” Who 
will answer? 
Margaret Schneider, New York, says: 
“I think it would be a nice idea for read¬ 
ers of Our Page to remember their moth¬ 
ers on their birthdays, if only with an 
extra big hug and kiss.” It would, indeed 
The same letter ends this way: “My 
teacher says we must sign ourselves 
‘yours truly* when writing to a stranger, 
but you don't seem to be a stranger to us 
hoys and girls, so I will sign myself, ‘your 
friend.’/’ I am very glad you feel that 
way, Margaret. 
“I think you will be tired reading my 
letter, hut I have been hoarding up things 
for so long that they all had to come out 
now.”—Sarah Farr, New Hampshire. I 
am not tired at all. Sarah. 
Gracious, I almost forgot about that 
picture to test your eyesight last month. 
Some of you found Sarah ; others said they 
could not find her. All you can see is 
her head, in the very top of the tree, di¬ 
rectly above her sister. It is quite plain, 
once you find her. 
“Last night I read the boys’ and girls’ 
page for the first iu The R. N.-Y. It 
was so interesting and beneficial that I 
thought I would like to have a share in 
Here's to the hatchet which holds a high 
place. 
Forever distinguished by fame! 
making it so. I would like to have my 
name included with the other hoys and 
girls very much. If there are any charges 
or dues, I will gladly pay if notified.”— 
Helen MaeNainara, Pennsylvania. 
Now. what do you think of that! Helen 
is willing to pay to belong to Our Page. 
Well, Helen, as all our readers know, the 
dues are these: ll) That you will read 
Our Page each month, take an interest 
in it. and help it all you can with letters, 
pictures, suggestions, and other things; 
<2> that you will tell other boys and 
girls about Our Page. >o that our big 
family will grow and grow: aud (8) 
that you will try to live each day in the 
happy, friendly, generous spirit that is 
cur standard. Why. I really believe you 
belong to us already, Helen, and don’t 
know it. 
But, dear me, I really must stop or I 
shall run into these boys and their calf. 
You see, such a lot of things come in 
your letters it is hard to find an end. Rut 
keep them coming, keep them Coming, the 
more the merrier. I’ll he waiting aud 
every one will reach me that is addressed 
to Edward M. Tuttle, in care The Rural 
New-Yorker, 333 West 30th Street, New 
York City. 
Fun in the Snow. Is the Calf Enjoying it, toot 
