We have also been to see the Tower, where the little princes were murdered; they do not take you into the room where they stayed; but ST. NICHOLAS gave us a fine picture of that in January of 1874.  We shall start for Paris soon.—­From your little friend,

    MAMIE CHARLES.

* * * * *

“MOTHER.”  Unpainted, strong and really amusing playthings, such as you inquire for, are to be found, we think, in almost any large toy-store.  Animals, wagons, and various amusing things cut out of plain wood, abound nowadays, and they can be sent you by express from your nearest town.  In our experience, however, we have found building blocks of most lasting interest to the little folks.  Crandall’s are the best, for they admit of an endless variety of combination.

* * * * *

    Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR ST. NICHOLAS:  I have a little sister, named Josie, who is six years old.  She can read only a little, and she does not like to do it at all.  She has plenty of toys, and a nice baby-house, but often she gets tired of playing and then comes to me to know what to do.

    Now, I want to know if you cannot tell me something for her to do
    that will keep her quiet?  I have another sister who is nine years
    old, but no brother.—­Your loving reader,

    ANITA R. NEWCOMB.

Anita may find a satisfactory hint in the answer to “Mother” given above.  Also, the Kinder Garten games that are now used in many schools for very little folks may be of service to Josie.

* * * * *

    London, Eng.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS:  I have just arrived in England.  When we were fairly out at sea, the first thing I did was to explore the great ship.  It was four hundred feet long, made entirely of iron, and sank twenty feet deep in the water.  The masts were of hollow iron, and seventy feet high.  It took nine furnaces and forty tons of coal a day to keep the ship going.  The crew numbered a hundred and thirty-five.  It seems very wonderful that a great heavy iron ship should not sink; the reason it does not is that it is lighter than the water it displaces.

When we were a few days out, a flock of land-birds rested on our ship.  We fed them with crumbs, and brought dishes of fresh water on deck for them, but after a day or two they disappeared.  A little further on, a hawk alighted on the vessel, and one of the sailors caught it when it was asleep.

To find out how fast we were going, the sailors threw the “log,” which was no log at all, but a long thin rope with a small three-cornered canvas bag at one end.  They throw out the bag, and it catches in the water and keeps the end of the rope steady.  The rope runs out as the ship goes.  One sailor stands with a time-glass, which holds as much sand as