DEAR ST. NICHOLAS:  We thought perhaps you would like to hear about our pet sparrow “Bob.”  We have had him since last July, and he is just as cunning as he can be.  He was so young at first, he could not fly, and slept in a little box, with a piece of flannel over him; but now he roosts on a nail in the sitting-room bay-window.  We do not keep him in a cage, but he goes all over the house, and does just as he pleases.  He has had plenty of chances to fly out, but seems to be happy and contented, and makes himself perfectly at home.  When we are eating, he helps himself to anything he wants, and is not a bit bashful.  He loves honey, and will eat all he wants, and then wipe his bill on any one’s dress or on the table-cloth.  He will jump on papa’s whiskers, and pull mamma’s hair-pins out of her hair, steal her needle, and do many other mischievous things.  He has chosen one of the gas-globes for a nesting-place, and carries bits of cloth, strings, or any such thing that he can find, and puts them there.  He tries to sing, and has learned several of the canary’s notes.  We catch him sometimes, and put him under a hat, to tease him.  He then gets angry, pecks the hat, and scolds at the top of his voice.  We have a rabbit and a guinea-pig, too; but if they come into the room where Bob is, he will fly at them and peck them till they run out.  Every one who sees him thinks he is a wonderful bird, and we should feel very sorry if anything should happen to him.—­Yours truly,

    ELLA AND EDWIN H.

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DEAR ST. NICHOLAS:  I have a little sister named Pet, because we love her so.  A few days ago our papa had a narrow escape from being burned, and Pet asked me if I thanked God for taking care of him.  I said, “Yes.”  “And did God say, ’You’re welcome’?” asked Pet.

    Now, don’t you think that was a funny idea?—­Your affectionate
    reader,

    R.L.P.

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GULLIVER’S TRAVELS AND THE MOONS OF MARS.—­A correspondent writes that in Gulliver’s “Voyage to Laputa,” an imaginary flying island, Dean Swift, the author, describes some over-wise philosophers, and, among other things, says: 

“They have likewise discovered two lesser stars, or satellites, which revolve about Mars; whereof the innermost is distant from the center of the primary planet exactly three of his diameters, and the outer-most, five; the former revolves in the space of ten hours, and the latter in twenty-one and a half; so that the squares of their periodical times are very nearly in proportion with the cubes of their distance from the center of Mars.”

Now, these two satellites were not discovered really until August 16th, 1877, but Dean Swift’s book appeared it 1726, more than one hundred and fifty years before!  But, although the Dean’s guesswork is not exactly correct, he comes very near the truth when he states the time taken by each moon in going around the primary.  This you will see by comparing his words with the following letter, which we have received from Professor Asaph Hall, the actual discoverer of the moons: