first time you're able to step on that foot. Jolly! what times we'll have!" When, after a long, long while, word came over the sea from Giuseppe, proving that the organ-grinder had kept his promise, Lester wrote back, "I didn't understand the people ORIGINAL DIALOGUE. TRY AGAIN. BY JOSIAH TRINKLE. er. JENNIE WHEATON, ABBIE FORBES, and KATE TERRY, Scholars. SCENE. A School-Room. JENNIE WHEATON sitting alone, slate in hand. at all when I first came here. I thought they | CHARACTERS. - MISS AUBREY, a School Teachwere rude and vulgar, with no hearts at all; but I've been sick since then, and found that I had judged them too soon. The boys are just as good to me as they can be; and I guess, on the whole, that I shan't come back just yet, Giuseppe; for this is my native land, you know, and though I love Italy just as well as ever, I'm beginning to like this country pretty well too." SPRING-TIME. BY MARY N. PRESCOTT. EE, the buds are peeping, peeping, SEE Listening if the sun does call; While the grass goes creeping, creeping Down the lane and garden wall. And the bluebird, sure as summer, Little brook, your heart does quiver When the sun dissolves your chain. Of thy patience, buds, pray lend us, Teach us, bluebird, in our sorrow, For the winter turned to spring. And may we, when freed from trouble, In a clear, exultant bubble, THE term philippics was applied to the orations of Demosthenes against Philip of Macedon. The word is now used to express a personal invective. Fennie. O, it's well enough to keep saying all the time, Try again, Try again; but it's quite a different thing when one comes to try. I know I can't do it, and there is no use of my attempting it. It's a real shame, I say. What does she care, though? I told her that I couldn't do it, and that I had invited a lot of girls to a party this afternoon; and all she said was, that I might go as soon as I had finished this horrid old sum. O, dear! here it's past three o'clock already, and I haven't got any nearer to the answer than I was when school was dismissed. Let me see: six times four are twenty-four two to carry; six times seven are forty-two-set down the two and carry four; six times There, I knew it wouldn't come right! it's too bad! O, I see! Six times four are twenty-four; six times seven are thirty-five, and two make thirty-seven; now, that's worse still. I can't do it, and I won't try any more; so, here goes the old slate! (Throws it on the ground, and goes to the window.) O, there's Abbie and Kate! I'll call them up here. Ahem! Hem! Abbie! Hem! Kate! come up! Kate. (Without.) No, we can't. Miss Aubrey would catch us. Jennie. No, she won't. She isn't here. She said she was going out, and would be back in about an hour, when I should by that time probably have my sum done. Pretty consolation for me isn't it? But do come upplease. Kate. (Without.) Well, we will. [Enter KATE and ABBIE.] Fennie. Now, let's see what shall we do to pass away the time? (ABBIE goes to the board and draws a caricature, writing Miss AuBREY'S name underneath.) Ha, ha! That's good! Kate. Make her nose a little [Enter MISS AUBREY.] Miss A. So, so, Miss Wheaton! and this, I suppose, is the very hard way in which you have attempted the solution of that problem. | child; remember always that there is nothing I confess I should find it quite difficult, under you cannot accomplish if you will only set these circumstances, myself. (Looking at the your mind upon it, and resolve that it shall be drawing.) And that, I suppose, is intended done. Things which look the most difficult to make the solution easier for you. The new at first sight, oftentimes prove to be very patent multiplier, I suppose. And you, Miss easy upon close inspection. And in passing Forbes, are the inventor of it, I should ima- through life you will surely be successful if gine. And Miss Terry was about passing her you only remain steadfast to the principle imjudgment upon the nose. Continue your sen- plied in the two words, Try Again. [Exeunt. tence, if you please, Miss Terry: "Make her nose a little What? Kate. (Blushing.) I am sure I don't know. Miss A. Come, give us your opinion of the nose. Kate. I beg your pardon, Miss Aubrey, for my impertinence. I am very sorry, I am sure. Miss A. Ah, but why not continue your sentence? However, I suppose it is somewhat embarrassing for you. And you, Miss Forbes, what have you to say for yourself? THE true name of Voltaire, the celebrated French philosopher and poet, was François Marie Arouet. Why he assumed that of Voltaire was long a puzzle to his biographers; but within a few years it has been discovered to be simply an anagram or transposition of Arouet, l. j.; the letters l. j. standing for le jeune, or junior. U and v, it will be remembered, were formerly regarded Abbie. I am sure I didn't mean any harm, as the same character, and were freely interMiss Aubrey. changed in writing and printing. So, also, i and j were used indiscriminately, the one for the other. Hence we have "A 'ro 1ue 't, 31. j. Miss A. Ah, that is just it didn't mean any harm! That is the way a great many of us attempt to excuse ourselves; and a very poor excuse it is too. However, I really believe it was a thoughtless act, and that you will not be guilty of it again. So, now go home, and trouble yourselves no more about it. Kate. (Aside.) Well out of this scrape, any [Exit. Abbie. (Aside.) How easily I got out of it! I hope she won't say anything to my father about the picture. [Exit. way. Miss A. And now, Miss Wheaton, I suppose, of course, you have finished your lesson, as you have had so much time to play with your two friends. Let me see your work. Fennie. I can't do it. I've tried for a long time, and I really can't get the answer right. Miss A. Can't! Why, that word, they say, is not in the dictionary. Let "Try again" be your motto - not "I can't." = Uoltajre = Voltaire. W. THE JUMPING JACK. Our young readers are all familiar, no doubt, with this "redoubtable" gentleman, and delight to have him "on a string." They may not know, however, that he is of quite antiquated parentage. In the tombs of ancient Egypt figures have been found whose limbs were made movable, for the delight of children, before Moses was born. In the tombs of Etruria similar toys have been discovered. During the reign of George IV., Jumping Jacks, attired as Turks, sailors, &c., were exhibited in the streets of London, and were known as Fantoccini. Their performances belonged more to the legitimate drama than did the performances of the Punch puppets. S. ANSWERS. 474. 463. Harrowgate. 464. Cowpens. 465. Uncle Sam. 466. A. Crayton. 467. Clarence Clayton. 468. Forest Pearl. 469. Josiah Trinkle. 470. George Gimney. 471. Harry Hastings. 472. Riddler. 473. Jack Sprat. Sally Mander. 475. Osceola. 476. Jackson. 477. I. Cologne. 2. Huron. 3. Armstrong. 4. Tyrol. 5. Himalaya. 6. Arabian. 7. Maryland CHATHAM, England. 478. (Awl) (men) (can) (bee) (pole) (light) - All men can be polite. 479. Alexander Hamilton. 480. Avilla. 481. It is Mascat (ma's cat). 482. Bad Axe. 483. St. Helena. 484. New Holland. 483. Sumatra. 486. Iceland. 487. Cyprus. 488. Hayti. 489. Long Island. 490. Cake. 491. Acid. 492. Kite. 493. Eden. 494. Washita. 495. Oneida. 496. Cowslip. 497. Espinel. 498. Prune. 499. Atone. 500. Prime. 501. Rag-e. 502. Rat-e. 503. Arm-s. Tea-r. 505. Shove-l. 506. Mode-1. 507. Winter Cherry. 508. Mouse ear. 509. Chickweed. 511. Palm. 512. Nightshade. 514. Mississippi. 515. Lucre, cruel. 516. Psalm, palms, lamps. 517. Levi, vile, evil. 518. He is a Mussulman (muscle man). 519. They are separated by Sunda. 520. Tan, Nat, ant, can't, scant. 521. It has a bark. 522. It has leaves. 523. It has a trunk. 524. It has limbs. 525. D lighted. 510. Oxeye. 513. Potato. 504. BCMWOOD 528. My first is not old; my second grows on a bush; my third is a kind of wine; my whole is a city of New England. BAY STATE. 530. 1. An adverb. 2. A Latin pronoun. 3. What you would die without. 4. A boy's nickname. The initials and finals form something that all the readers of OUR BOYS AND GIRLS are fond of. M. C.CRANT JOHN ου ETTER BAC CHINAMAN, Cincinnati, O., gravely declares that he thinks "the day in which the first number of our Magazine made its appearance was a joyful one to Young America." Spare our blushes, John. Since he pronounces his puzzles "stuff," we pass them to the kitchen department. Correspondents, address as above. - Warren is excusable for the non-appearance of the rebuses, but not for the ungrammatical expression, "must have fell out." The geographical rebus has a letter, and the other, though very good, is not quite credible. - Fred J. A., we have received Hayti, Canton, and Washington, in rebus form, about two hundred times. We accept no geographical rebuses except those which contain no letters. No. 5 is accepted. - Dot has taken a partner, and the firm is hereafter to be known by the name of Sam Weller & Co., to whom our regrets that their contributions have been sent before. The subject of W. R. C.'s enigma is about used up. Phi Delta's answers are quite correct, and reflect much credit upon his brains. - We select No. 3 from G. W. L.'s elaborate specimens of rebus drawing. Charley K., Lock Box 48, Dayton, O., is a printer, and would like to correspond with all the printers. His conundrum is old. Charles D. S., the characters are all true to life. - W. H. Lex, puzzle is second-hand. - Billy W.'s enigmas are not within the rule. - Black Hawk forgot to send the answer to his enigma. - Lorain Lincoln reports the death of Calliope. quies-cat in pace." Though gone from among her kindred, her plaintive "mews" will long be remembered. Head work very acceptable. Ada's rebus is accepted, but we are too truly her friend to comply with her request. Harry C. "would like to correspond with Jerry Jingle or any other man." He does not think his rebus very good, and we agree with him. "Re Patience Pays us many compliments, which we are human enough to enjoy, and really wish we could use her rebus. Have patience, Patience, and try again. Willie Willow and some less than five hundred other contributors have sent a rebus on "Cincinnati." - George H. S., we have a puzzle on hand upon base ball.-E. Pluribus Unum has a bad cold. He wonders if Job ever had one. "Look at his character," says E. P.; "Job never could have sustained that character with such a cold as mine." It must be a shocking cold, for the head work he sends is not worth printing. Hoky Poky, yes, if they buy each number. We have given the rules again. First rebus acceptable. Clarence Clayton's metagram is accepted, but the other contribution is fairly crowded out. We can offer Potomac no encouragement to send the manuscripts he mentions. Our drawer is running over. Olive will find just such a dialogue as she wants in Nos. 64 and 65, written by a popular dramatist of Boston expressly for "Our Girls." - B. Harris must have made several mighty efforts to produce a letter with such outrageous writing and spelling. North Star, Anoka, Min., wishes to open a business correspondence with Punch the Printer. - Atlantic's address can be found in No. 60. - We did Skiff the injustice to give his address at No. 78 Ontario Street, Cleveland, O.; it is No. 70. F. B. B., yes. - Uncle Ossian's puzzles are all excellent, but we take the enigma. Bob, they are paid for. Double acrostic declined. "The dinner party" to which we are invited by Tarquinius Superbus is on a larger scale than we enjoy, but we may consent to partake of a few of the dishes and make the acquaintance of some of the guests. Bob, send on the reports. We are very sorry to see an ancient puzzle in Dead Beet's letter. In Jerry Jingle's three letters we do not find anything quite good enough to publish. We have the most unbounded respect for the parents of Rita. When she has a "Little Thirteener" she will be as wise as her mother-perhaps. We have published a square word quite similar to hers. - Fred Forrest is right in his conjecture. H. H. C., Jr. did not make use of all the letters in composing his enigma. - Percy K. and Jimmy Wilson write with a pencil. - From Sagittaw's five letters we take an enigma and a transposition. The other name is too long. Krow Kay says he can guarantee all the puzzles he sends are original. He would scorn to steal things. How does it happen, then, that he sends that antiquated puzzle about John Underwood?- E. H. S. sends answers. Atlantic's puzzles have been sent in many forms before. We hope you will think better of us by and by. naughty boy (not one of Our Boys) might see it, and write to you, and sign a girl's name, and you could not know that it was not some good girl. You would write to him; and by and by, when he had become a baď man, and you had grown to be a good woman, how sadly you would regret that such a man had your letters in his possession! If you do not understand this, your sisters will explain it to you. Sally S. S., it has been used before. Harry Hastings, they certainly come under the head of "Head Work." If Tommy Toots sends us $20, he will receive eleven copies of OUR BOYS AND GIRLS for one year; if his ten subscribers each pay $2.50 per year, he can easily reckon his profits. Sic Dyer, Hannah took them all. — Ike, 138 North Fifth Street, Reading, Pa., would like to subscribe for a paper edited and printed by boys under fourteen years of age, if there is any such paper in cir culation. The following named subscribers would like to correspond with the family: Paul Kendall, 222 State Street, Albany, N. Y. (with Chip, Hautboy, Junior, and Bob); Fred Harrison, Box 284, Woburn, Mass.; Harry Homer, Salem, Columbiana County, O.; Krow Kray, Box 4327, New York P. O., N. Y.; Sam M. Conklin, P. O. Box, 151, Williamsburg, N. Y.; Jimmy Wilson, Box 52, Newtonville, Mass.; Fred Graham, Box 59, Cumminsville, Ohio; Fred Willard, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; Charlie Percy, Jr., Jacksonville, Morgan County, Ills.; Don Quixote, 195, Toledo, O.; J. M. R., 4012, Pine Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Yorick, 830 North Sixth Street, Philadelphia, Pa. We put the following into OUR ACCEPTed Drawer. Puzzles - Corn City, Bob, Clarence Clayton, Elmwood, Harry Hastings, Tommy Toots, and Hoky Poky; transpositions - Harry Hastings, Herbert Hall, Lillian B., Oriental, Bumble B., and Yorick; cross-word enigmas - Fred Forrest and Poppledepolly; charades Howard and Ernest Thornton; enigmas from Bunny and Hautboy; a rebus from Bessie Bly, and sans-têtes from Sancho Panza. Favors from the following named contributors are respectfully declined for want of room: Little Mexican, Paul Kendall, Percy Vere, Fred Harrison, Harry D. O., Opoponax, Harry, Knutmeg Ike, Ague S., Boots, Lynn C. Doyle, Charlie Percy, Jr., Willis A. R., Rondo Hall, James A., Howard H. R., R. V. W., Harry C., Henry Bee, Corry Spondent, Tumble Bug, Vici, W. H. P., Fairy, Sam Weller & Co., L. C. S., Junior, M. B. L., G. Green. | DEAR OLIVER OPTIC: Already you are exceedingly welcome. I don't want to seem too familiar at first, but I desire very much to join the "family," if they will admit to their number a "reconstructed" "reb." I'm not at all dangerous, and wish to cultivate friendly feelings with all Yankee boys and girls who are generous enough to forgive my once being a "reb." Our country (the South) is nearly ruined now, and the future is yet dark and gloomy; but if the North will extend the hand of friendship and brotherly love, we will not be backward in returning the compliment. We are conquered now, and I believe that it is the wish of every true southern soldier to see the "Stars and Stripes" waving over the whole country; and in all just wars they will support the "dear old flag" as warmly as the Northern boys. But we won't discuss politics. We boys down here need something better than politics. During the war we couldn't go to school, and the close found us so impoverished that we had to go to work; and the consequence is, we need instruction in all the branches of knowledge and learning, and, of course, we have to look in a great measure to the North to help us. I hope to see the day when the North and South will be as much attached to each other as they were before the war. Now, Mr. Optic, please excuse this poor attempt at a letter. I hope to have something more acceptable to send you in a few weeks, viz., a club for OUR BOYS AND GIRLS; but I desire very much (as I said before) to join the "family," and correspond with some of the members. |