know I think you have improved in your hand-writing? I can assure you I am very much interested in the improvement of my nieces and nephews. Some of them do write beautifully, and I love to praise them when that is the case.

kiss, and tell her "Aunt Sue sent it in grateful recognition of her kind and loving messages."

Phebe. That "likeness" did appear a year or two ago. One gentleman said he thought it resembled Pope Pius IX.! In your charade you say the second is a game of chance. Uncle Frank and I don't think so. When he returned from Europe he spoke of that game, and said, "I think I can beat you now, for I have beaten a baron." "Ah! indeed." "Or at least I've beaten a man that beat the baron." It required skill to defend myself, I assure you, so I have taken the liberty of altering your word "chance" to "skill."

Here are

Ned. Here is a letter from which the signature has been cut, and I very much suspect that Uncle Frank's scissors have had a hand in it. He has cropped all the answers, and left me the letter merely. Why have I prefaced these remarks with the name of Ned? Because the writer says, "We resolved not to send any answers unless we could send all," etc., and further on I am led to suppose that one of the "we" is called Ned. Now all I want to say is, that I am glad you broke your resolution. "Half a loaf is better than no loaf." Julia J. H. Thank you for your nice long letter. What a dear, delightful "grandpa" you must have. I quite envy you, especially when you described the position in which you were found when the parlor-door opened; but don't tell "grand-gether in a word preceded by a c, the e is pa" I said so, or he might blush under his whiskers, as Emily says. I guess the dish which was to supersede the soda-biscuits was muffins. (?) I have a little commission for you to execute for me, and I know you will find a pleasure in the execution. I am sorry I can't attend to it in propria persona. It is to give your mother a sweet

Now I'm going to scold. some words which I wish the owners would pick out, take home, remodel, and then return: Magizine, ansers, evry, verry, pleasent, journy, wether, peice, and neice. Many of you will wonder what is the matter with the last words in italics, and let me tell such, that when e and i are to

placed first, as in received, receipt, etc., but when succeeded by a c, the i is placed before the e, as in piece, niece, etc.

I hope none of you will get out of patience at the last paragraph. Those to whom it does not apply I am sure will not, and those to whom it does apply I'm just as sure should not.

I wander, I sin, though a breath can make Enlivening and lifeful than ever before. All my frame an effeminate nature take,

HELEN.

ANSWERS TO ENIGMAS, ETC., IN THE JUNE NUMBER.

ANSWER TO REBUS No. 9.
AN X.-ANNEX.

Answered by William W. Young, C. and

Latham, Seth J. Axtell, jr., Kate C., Theo-H. Latham, and Adelbert Older.

Answered by O. L. Bradley, C. and H. 3. CHAMPAIGNE.

Latham, J. N. Hegeman, Wm. A. Hege-

man, T. B. S., A. E., jr., Georgina.

ANCIENT GODS AND GODDESSES.

CHILDREN, let us have a little talk about mythology. Do you

know what the word mythology means? I should not at all wonder if some of you did n't understand it; and I want all my young friends to know just exactly what I mean when I am talking to them. I don't often use long and hard words, as they are aware; and when I do, I want to explain them. The word mythology is made up of two Greek words, one signifying a fable and the other a discourse. So that mythology, as you see, is a discourse or treatise about fables. But when we apply the word to the ancient heathen, it means an account of their system of religion-all about their gods and goddesses.

The ancient Greeks and Romans had a curious religion. It would seem that their poets had a great deal to do with filling up the outlines of mythology. You think the people must have been very credulous to believe the nonsense taught by the priests. So they were, perhaps. But mankind must have some religion or other. No people ever did or ever can live long without something in the shape of religion. The Greeks and Romans had nothing else for religion but the fables of the priesthood. They adopted these fables as their creed. They believed them. They were, indeed, in their way, very devout. They gave, willingly, their money to build and endow costly temples for their gods. Many of the most interesting buildings of antiquity which are now standing are heathen temples. I have seen temples erected to Neptune, to Venus, to Vesta, more than two thousand years old.

I can't tell you about all the gods of the Greeks and Romans. It would take too long. You would all get tired, if I should tell you the whole story. I will, however, give you a short account of the principal of these deities.

Jupiter was a great character among the Roman as well as the Grecian gods. In Greece he was known by the name of Zeus. Sometimes he is called Jove. He was regarded as the chief of the gods. The Titans combined against him, and tried to drive him out of heaven. But he made some of his kindred gods drink of nectar and ambrosia, by which they were rendered immortal like himself; and through their help he overthrew the Titans. Almost all the ancient nations had their Jupiter, or chief god. There were Jupiter Ammon, in Libyia; Jupiter Serapis in Egypt; Jupiter Belus in Assyria; Jupiter Capitolinus on the Capitol hill, in Rome, and many others. He was regarded as the god of thunder, and often called the Thunderer. The worship paid to Jupiter was the most solemn of any rendered to the heathen deities.

Venus was the goddess of love or beauty. By the Greeks she was called Aphrodite. She was the daughter of Jupiter and Diane. The worship of this deity was universally established. Statues and temples were erected to her in every kingdom. The ancient pictures of her which I have seen in Rome and Naples frequently represent her as rising from the ocean. The Greeks had a fable that she was born of the white foam of the sea. Sometimes, (as in the picture I have had engraved for you,) she is represented in a shell, which constitutes her chariot.