Dear Sir.—Every year the cry for books increases. "Tell us what to read," is the constantly repeated demand, and parents, teachers, and publishers are often at a loss to keep the active brains of our young people supplied with sound, wholesome, and interesting literature.
Science, art, history, and zoology are presented to the little ones in varied and attractive forms, and now The Great Round World has come forward to fill a long-felt want by giving the boys and girls clean, healthy, and concise accounts of what is taking place in their own and other countries.
It has always seemed strange to me that so few parents place in their children's hands that beautiful story entitled the "Carved Cartoon." It is a book of breathless interest, containing the adventures of a young artist and a boy musician during the great London plague and fire.
The story is founded on fact, and the author's pen holds the reader entranced as it vividly pictures the stirring scenes of those thrilling years.
The noble character and brilliant talents of the young hero shine star-like through the surrounding darkness of greed, avarice, and poverty.
Trusting that no boy or girl will let an opportunity to read this fascinating book slip by, I am very cordially your interested reader,
Would you kindly tell me what books to read? I am eleven years old, and the books I like best are Miss Alcott's "Little Men," "Jack and Jill," "Eight Cousins," and "Under the Lilacs," and Miss Sydney's "Five Little Peppers," and I like books of that style. I remain,
Your devoted reader,
Walter L.S.
P.S.—I read "Jack and Jill" six times.
New York, March 20, 1897.
"Beautiful Joe: the Autobiography of a Dog," by Marshall Saunders; "Black Beauty," by Sewell; "The Wonder-Book" and "Tanglewood Tales," by Hawthorne; "Greek Heroes and Greek Fairy Tales," by Kingsley; "Jackanapes," by Mrs. Ewing; "Ten Boys Who Lived on the Road from Long Ago," by Jane Andrews.
This list has been made for you by two very nice little girls named Clare and Eleanor. They have read and liked all the books in the list.
Editor.
I like The Great Round World very much, and have just finished reading it. I would like to ask a few questions.
Do you think that Cuba will ever be free?
Do you think that the United States will help Cuba?
I was very much interested reading about the Inauguration.
I was very sorry about Dr. Ricardo Ruiz being killed in Cuba.
I was very much interested in the article about wheels.
I must now stop, and success to your paper.
Your affectionate reader,
Tom M.A.
March 20, 1897.
My Dear Tom:
Thank you for your nice letter. In answer to your questions: We do think that Cuba will be free, and that she will gain her freedom before very long. We do not think that this country will help Cuba. It hardly seems necessary now that we should help; the Spaniards are losing ground every day, and it will probably be best for the United States to wait until the brave little island has fought her last battle, and then let Uncle Sam come forward and help Cuba to re-establish her commerce.
The Editor.
I enjoy The Great Round World very much indeed, and wish the dreadful war with Cuba would stop; but I do not want the Cubans to give up; it is just like the Revolutionary War with us; we did not give up, and I hope Cuba won't.
I have a little black and tan dog, and call him Jack. He is very cunning indeed, he has a hard rubber ball he plays with. There also is another black and tan dog in the house whose name is Gipsy; she, also, is very cunning.
I remain your affectionate reader,
Helen A.S.
New York, March 20, 1897.
Many thanks, dear Helen, for your letter. We are quite of your opinion, and hope most sincerely that Cuba will not give up until she has won her freedom.
Editor.
The stories published in this little volume have been issued from time to time in the Philadelphia Times, and it is at the request of many readers that they now greet the world in more enduring form. They have been written as occasion suggested, during several years; and they commemorate to me many of the friends I have known and loved in the animal world. "Shep" and "Dr. Jim," "Abdallah" and "Brownie," "Little Dryad" and "Peek-a-Boo." I have been fast friends with every one, and have watched them with such loving interest that I knew all their ways and could almost read their thoughts. I send them on to other lovers of dumb animals, hoping that the stories of these friends of mine will carry pleasure to young and old.
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Show the paper to your friends, and you will soon find one hundred people who will be glad to subscribe. Send the subscriptions in to us as fast as received, and when the one hundredth, reaches us you can go to ANY dealer YOU choose, buy ANY wheel YOU choose, and we will pay the bill.
Six-months' subscriptions will be counted as one-half, three-months' as one-quarter.