In the schools in the villages here, the boys sit upon the ground, write upon wooden slates, and study aloud.  They have wonderful memories and commit everything, though they do not understand very much of it.  It is much better to understand every lesson as we go along, isn’t it?

    Nearly all the little boys in India wear only a long coat which
    comes down to their knees.  It is so very warm here for most of the
    year that the very little folks go without any clothing at all.

    There are 60,000 soldiers in India, sent from England.  One of the
    regiments is in Sitapur, where I live, and they have a brass band
    which makes first-rate music.  They also have bagpipes.

In India there are persons from almost every nation—­Hindus, Arabians, Chinese, Englishmen, Scotchmen, Irishmen, Frenchmen, Americans.  There are twenty-three languages native to India.  A great many Indians speak English, which is taught in all the schools, as Greek or Latin or French is taught at home.

    But, although this is a great country, there is no place like
    America, especially to Americans.  Three cheers for the boys and
    girls of America!

    J.E.S.

* * * * *

    Nauvoo, Ill.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS:  Here is something about my sister Lu and a strange pet she had:  Her childhood was spent in a wild, new country.  I cannot remember that she was ever amused with dolls and baby-houses.  She made amends, however, by surrounding herself with kittens, dogs, fawns, ponies, squirrels, opossums, ’coons, and various birds, which, in turn, she petted and loved.

    She lived in the Red River country of Louisiana.  The climate there
    is so warm that out-door play may be had at any season.

The summer she was thirteen, with an older brother and other friends, she went fishing on the lake, whose waters were dark and still, studded here and there with cypress-trees in close ranks.  Heavy timber filled the valley surrounding the lake.

After catching a full supply of fish, some of which were cooked on the spot, brother Ed., in wandering about, captured a young alligator, and led it along to where sister Lu was seated, saying:  “I’ve brought you a new pet, Lu.”  She adopted the little monster at once, and it was carried home, and turned loose in the creek below the house.

In a few days the alligator was quite at home.  It would eat anything which was brought to it, and soon learned to come to a call, seeming more delighted with notice than with what there was to eat.  It whined and barked like a dog, and wagged its big tail when pleased.  It enjoyed being patted on the head, and would caper around, the most awkward thing that ever attempted a frolic.

In a few months, the pet became so large