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JACKSONVILLE, FLA. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have only taken you since January, but it seems like several years.

Yesterday I took your October number to school, and before I had time to show it to the teacher, nearly every girl in the room was after you. When science period came I finally succeeded in showing you to the teacher. She was very interested in NATURE AND SCIENCE FOR YOUNG FOLK; so much so that she asked me to tear out the application blank for her little grandson.

I read every word in your magazine each number, and when I saw that there were to be sixteen more pages-why, nobody ever had a bigger surprise!

Your constant reader,

ELINOR KENDALL (AGE 12).

BENTON, ILLINOIS. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have taken you for the last four years, and my sisters took you when they were small, so I have most of the copies since 1909. They are my most treasured possession.

The town where I live is in the largest coalmining center in the world. There are twentyfour mines within a few miles of each other. Many thousands of men are employed, many different nationalities of people come here, and many tongues are spoken.

It gives one a queer feeling to know that the ground beneath your home is only a few feet thick. I am very much interested in THE LETTER-BOX, especially the letters from foreign countries.

I had a pet lamb last summer and it learned to follow me everywhere. Its chief delight was to steal into the house and examine the furniture. With best wishes,

FRANCES HICKMAN.

PARIS, FRANCE.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I think you may be interested in the travels of a bottle.

Last June I crossed the Atlantic on the army transport Somme with my father and mother and two brothers. It took us thirteen days. On the twelfth day we were in the English Channel and finished eating our last bottle of candy. When I was about to throw the empty bottle in the water to see it splash, my father said, "Let us play we are shipwrecked sailors and put a message in the bottle.'

On a piece of white paper we wrote: "U. S. S. Somme, English Channel. If any one finds this bottle and sends this message to the following address in Paris, I will send them a United States dollar." Then we threw the bottle overboard.

Of course, none of us ever expected to hear from the bottle again, for we thought the Gulf Stream might take it to South America, or some boat break and sink it.

About six weeks later, to our surprise, a letter came from a lady in Cornwall, England, saying that she had received our message. She had been hunting for wood to cook some prawns for a picnic supper, when she found our bottle. She said that she would like to have the American dollar, as she had never seen one. Father did not have a silver dollar to send her, but instead we sent her a one-dollar greenback.

In acknowledging the letter, she said her husband was a member of the House of Commons, and if ever we came to London she would like to show us over the Houses of Parliament. She sent us back our message all stained and brown and so wet by the salt water that on misty days it still gets quite damp.

ST. NICHOLAS comes to me every month and is much enjoyed over here, where many things are so different from what they are in America.

Yours very truly,

FRANCES MORSE (AGE 11).

TOLEDO, OHIO. taken you A boy

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have only about a year, but I love you just the same. next door to me has been reading my ST. NICHOLAS and looks forward to its coming as much as I do. I have just graduated into high school, and he is in the seventh grade. To-day, when a ST. NICHOLAS came, he said, "Jiminy crickets! Won't you let me have your place for a while?"

I went for a long ride the other day in a submarine, and inside it was the hottest place I ever saw. The room which you landed in after you came down the ladder was the torpedo-room. In the front of this room were four tubes through which torpedos went. They had one torpedo which was over seven feet long. On one side of this room were three bunks or beds in which nine sailors slept, three sleeping in each bed.

The

The next room was the steerage-room, where more bunks and things for steering were. next room was the kitchen, where everything was cooked by electricity. The last room was the engine-room, which held motors which would not compare with a 240-horse-power engine, the sailor told us. It took twenty-one sailors to run the submarine. I could not begin to tell you all the things I saw.

Wishing your success always, I remain,
Your devoted reader,

MARGARET QUIMBY (AGE 13).

LAKEVILLE, CONN. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have taken you for nearly three years. My great-uncle took you when you first came out, then my mother, then my aunt and then my cousin; so we have in our family nearly every number since you began.

I have all Mother's old ones and have read a lot of stories such as "Jack and Jill," "June's Garden," "The Land of Fire," "Little Lord Fauntleroy," and the "Spinning-Wheel Stories."

I have two brothers and they like you as much as I do and look forward to you every month.

I live in Lakeville, Connecticut, among the Litchfield hills. My father is a master at the boys' school located here. The school grounds border on two lakes, and the school buildings are about a mile and a half from the village. There are woods which we explore, and we go in swimming often.

We have a small saddle-horse and we like to ride him. I am very fond of climbing trees and sitting in them to read. Sometimes my brothers and I take our suppers and have a picnic in a tree. Your loving friend,

MARGARET CREELMAN (AGE 10).

RIDDLE

THE

BOX

.E. THEODORE NELSON

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE FEBRUARY NUMBER

CROSS-WORD ENIGMA. Henry W. Longfellow. TRANSPOSITIONS. Miles Standish. 1. Rome, more. 2. Time, item. 3. Nile, line. 4. Veer, ever. 5. Stop, spot. 6. Last, salt. 7. Meat, tame. 8. Dais, aids. 9. Amen, name. 10. Lead, dale. 11. Skin, inks. 12. Mash, sham. 13. Shot,

host.

DIAMOND. 1. J. 2. Mob. 3. Joker. 4. Bee. 5. R. ILLUSTRATED ACROSTIC. Second row. Candlemas. 1. Acorn. 2. Eagle. 3. Angle. 4. Adder. 5. Elbow. 6. Melon. 7. Ament. 8. Tabor. 9. Aster.

A TIMELY ACROSTIC. Initials, St. Valentine's Day. From 1 to 8, February; 9 to 15, Tuesday. Cross-words: 1. Sable. 2. Taunt. 3. Value. 4. Abyss. 5. Lapse. 6. Eager. 7. Nancy. 8. Tansy. 9. Icing. 10. Noble. 11. Etude. 12. Sight. 13. Depct. 14. After. 15. Yacht.

CHARADE. Washing-ton.

ENDLESS MYTHOLOGICAL CHAIN. 1. Ismene. 2. Neptune. 3. Nectar. 4. Ariadne. 5. Nephele. 6. Leda. 7. Dana,

PI.

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8. Ægean. 9. Andromache. 10. Hebe.
Cenomani. 13. Niobe. 14. Beroe. 15. Eta.
The birds have been singing to-day
And saying, "The spring is near."
The sun is as warm as in May,

And the deep blue heavens are clear.

The little birds twitter and cheep

To their loves on the leafless larch;

But seven feet deep the snow-wreaths sleep,
And the year hath not worn to March.

Lincoln.

NOVEL ACROSTIC. Initials, America; third row,
Cross-words: 1. Allow. 2. Maize. 3. Ennui. 4. Recur. 5.
Ivory. 6. Calyx. 7. Annoy.

ZIGZAG. George Washington.

Cross-words:

1. Ginger.

6. Change.

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2. Herald. 3. Shower. 4. Shares. 5. Charge.
7. Scrawl. 8. Breaks. 9. Wisdom. 10. Thread.
13. Figure. 14. Winter.

12. Infant.
son.

TO OUR PUZZLERS: To be acknowledged in the magazine, answers must be mailed not later than March 29, and should be addressed to ST. NICHOLAS RIDDLE-BOX, care of THE CENTURY Co., 353 Fourth Avenue, New York City, N. Y.

SOLVERS wishing to compete for prizes must comply with the LEAGUE rules (see page 557) and give answers in full, following the plan of those printed above.

ANSWERS TO ALL THE PUZZLES IN THE DECEMBER NUMBER were duly received from Olga F. Joffe-Stokes Quentin DickinsRosalie Bailey-John F. Davis-"The Three R's"-Peter T. Byrne-Helen H. McIver-The Days"-Charles Eugene Smith"Kemper Hall Chapter"-Charles Eugene Smith.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE DECEMBER NUMBER were duly received from Dorothy Marshick, 10-June M. Hinman, 10-Frances Grier, 10-Vera A. Skillman, 10-Jeanette A. Nebel, 10-Rosalind Howe, 10-St. Anna's Girls, 9-No name, 9-"Two F's," 9Ena L. Hourwich, 9-Bettina Booth, 8-Lucy Sperry, 8-Richard B. Evas, 7-Dulany Terrett, 6-Eliza Smith, 6-Hortense A. Doyle, 6-John Hopkins, 6-Elizabeth Tong, 5-Sarah Murray, 5-Marion Crockett, 4-H. Seko, 3-Rosalind Fried, 3-Kingsley Kahler, 3-R. Denison, 2-Holland Park, 2-M. E. Outerbridge, 2-V. Thompson, 2-F. Coppage, 2-J. Haight, 2-A. Marvin, 2C. Harwood, 2-C. Kurtz, 2-G. Bullard, 2. One puzzle: C. Guthrie K. Furze S. E. Randall-H. E. Young-D. Smith-J. P. Mason M. Sanders-E. Bowman-E. K. Hubbell-R. A. Hunt-M. Innet-D. Armstrong-E. Paul-E. Ivins-M. Healy-E. Strauss-W. Irwin-R. A. Worth-I. Nyby-M. W. Jones-H. Bennett-D. Airey-L. Brigham-R. Barr-D. Kerr-M. Bull— E. Huskey-E. Hamlin-L. E. Pinney G. Friedman-M. Goldsmith-B. Cole-D. Bloch-D. Eggleston-M. Freund-M, M. Lovett C. Turpin-J. L. Rehor-E. Shaw--C. Kramer.

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I. UPPER, LEFT-HAND DIAMOND: 1. In tossed. 2. A small end. 3. Exhausts. 4. A fondling. 5. In tossed. II. UPPER, RIGHT-HAND DIAMOND: 1. In tossed. 2. A diocese. 3. To minister to. 4. The period immediately preceding some important event. 5. In tossed.

III. LOWER, LEFT-HAND DIAMOND: 1. In tossed. 2. A unit. 3. To inspire a sudden fear. 4. A fixed period of time. 5. In tossed. IV. LOWER, RIGHT-HAND DIAMOND: 1. In tossed. 2. A masculine name. 3. To choose for office. 4. Frigid. 5. In tossed.

WILLIAM WISMAR (age 10), League Member.

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In this puzzle the words are pictured instead of described. When the thirteen objects have been rightly named and written one below another, one of the rows of letters, reading downward, will spell a certain day celebrated in March.

Designed by EDNA M. ROYLE (age 15),
League Member.

PI

Wehn swon si heer, nad het retes kool drewi, Dan eht keldknuc swigt era vogled thiw strof; Wenh eht thrabe canelgos ni eht drevor's bread, Dan het dol thawyap ot teh bran si slot; Henw eht torroses wroc si ads ot hare,

Nad het smapt fo eth slatbed shore si avin, Dan eht note fo het cwo-blel grivese het eraO, hent si het item rof a baver nearfir!

JANET WATSON (age 14), League Member.
WORD-SQUARE

1. A kind of fuel. 2. A great lake. 3. Helps. 4. Trial.

ALONZO CHURCH (age 14), League Member.

DIAGONAL

(Gold Badge, ST. NICHOLAS LEAGUE Competition) All the words described contain the same number of letters. When rightly guessed and written one below the other, the diagonal (beginning at the upper, left-hand letter and ending at the lower, right-hand letter) will spell the name of a great king of the eighth century.

CROSS-WORDS: 1. Result. 2. The inhabitants of a region of central Germany. 3. The name of a line of English kings. 4. Amusements of the Middle Ages. 5. Evolution. 6. A French village in the department of the Oise, famous for its castle. 7. Small groups of homes in a new country. 8. A name given to a kingdom of western Europe. 9. Bridges that can be raised or lowered. 10. Fundamental changes in the government of a country. 11. The time of the revival of classical learning and art, in Italy and elsewhere. MAYLINE DONNELLY (age 16).

DOUBLE ACROSTIC

All the words described contain the same number of letters. When rightly guessed and written one below another, the primals reading downward, and the finals reading upward, will each spell the same beautiful city, famous for its flowers.

CROSS-WORDS: 1. The appliance by means of which a boat is steered. 2. A place in which business is transacted. 3. A covering for the

floor. 4. Wandering troops or gangs. 5. To breathe out. 6. To parch or shrivel by heat. 7. Heart-rending. 8. One of a race inhabiting arctic America. 9. An instrument used for cleaning or erasing.

RUTH E. THULIN (age 13), League Member.

ADDITIONS AND SUBTRACTIONS

1. Net-et+ave-e+igag-g+tie-e+on =? 2. Party-y+here-re+none - e = ?

3. Lead-ad+open-en+lard -1=?

4. Papa - pa + win-i+brim - im+oak -a+ ear-a =?

5. Define fine + velvet- vet +elope - ele + mental - al = ?

6. Today -day +more -e+brow-b=?

7. Dice -e+tide-de+one-e+diary - di = ? 8. Debit-bit + vastly - ly+ate-e + iron-r

= ?

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THE RUMFORD PRESS

CONCORD

CARLAN S. MESSLER (age 14).

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"BUT DON'T YOU THINK ALMANACS MAKE MISTAKES SOMETIMES?' ASKED POLLY" (SEE PAGE 610)

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