wood,” and “lever wood,” as the wood is used to make levers.  This old tree has all its branches at the top, umbrella-wise, as if the lower branches had been destroyed in some way, for it is not the nature of the tree to grow in this fashion.  I could barely reach one little twig of pale, discolored leaves, to bring home as a memento.  Prudence is the largest of the four islands, Patience, next in size, lies a little north of it.  Hope, on the west side, is a picturesque mass of rock; and Despair lies just north of Hope, a solid rock, nearly or quite covered at high tide.

    ADDY L. FARNUM.

* * * * *

    DEAR ST. NICHOLAS:  I have a question to ask you, and if you will
    answer it you will greatly oblige me.  This is the question:  May
    leaves be of any size to make a folio or quarto?—­Yours truly, K.

A sheet of paper of any size, folded in two equal parts, makes two leaves of folio size; folded evenly once more, four leaves of quarto size.  But book-publishers use these words arbitrarily.  With them a sheet about 19 by 24 inches is supposed to be the proper size, unless otherwise specified.  A folio leaf is, consequently, about 12 by 19 inches; a quarto leaf, about 9 by 12 inches:  an octavo leaf, about 6 by 9 inches.

* * * * *

    Fordham, N. Y.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS:  I have a Polish rooster, I wonder if you have ever seen one?  If not, I will describe it.  It has a very large top-knot, very much larger than a duck’s, although it is not at all like it.

    WILLIE A. RICHARDSON.

* * * * *

Here is a letter that was sent to Santa Claus, last Christmas: 

    MR. SANTA CLAUSES,
    NEW YORK CITY.

    I don’t know your number, but I gest you will get it.

MY DEAR OLD SANTA CLAUSES:  I know you are awful poor for Mama sed so but I do want so Many things and when I Commence to Writting to you I feel like crying.  Cause you know my papa is dead and mama is auful poor to but I do want a Dolly so bad not like they give of the Christmas tree but a real Dolly that open and shut it eyes but O I want so many other things but I wont ask for them for you will Think I am auful selfage and want to Take evythink from others little Girls but when you ben all around if you have one picture Book left pleas send it to me.  Dear Santa Clauses plese don’t forget me because I live in Perth Amboy.

    From

    GRACE L.T.

* * * * *

    New York City.

    DEAR ST. NICHOLAS:  I am reading a history of the late Civil War,
    and often come across names of different parts of an army.  I would
    like to ask you two questions: 

    1.  How many men usually are there in a corps, division, brigade,
    and company?