Dear Sir,—I hasten to reply to your letter, which is inspired by such a touching idea. I should be happy if these few lines, which you request, could contribute, in some slight degree, to the success of your charitable undertaking. I believe that I have in your country many friends, unknown but sincere, judging from the letters I receive. This will afford me an opportunity to pay my tribute of gratitude to them, and I beg you to accept, with my entire sympathy, the assurance of my sincere regard.
Jules Verne.
The Table much appreciates the gentleman's kind act, and warmly thanks him. The original of the letter is to be used in an exhibition of other similar letters, and at the close of that exhibition will, with some other rare manuscripts, including one by James Russell Lowell, kindly given to the Fund by Professor Charles Eliot Norton, and original letters by Sir Walter Scott, Victor Hugo, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Dickens, William M. Thackeray, Louis XV. of France, and Emperor Napoleon I. and others, all belonging to the Fund through the kindness of its friends, be offered for sale to the highest bidders.
Our Fund grows slowly. Have you helped it along yet? We reprint the Mite for your use. Any one of any age may contribute. Write plainly that no errors may be made in the Honor Roll.
Amount, $.....................
...............................
Contributor.
If you use this Good Will Mite, simply pin it to your letter, in order that it may be detached for filing. If the amount is given by more than one contributor, add blank for their names, but attach the added sheet firmly to the Mite, that it may not become detached and lost. Include a given name in each case, and write plainly, to avoid errors on the Honor Roll.
John Frame, 926 Main Street, Stevens Point, Wis., wants to trade pressed flowers and to correspond about botany. G. Edward Harrison, room 708, Fidelity Building, Baltimore, is interested in amateur journalism and wants samples. Similar requests are made by Claude Reno, 399 Chew Street, Allentown, Pa., who wants to contribute essays and funny paragraphs; and by F. R. Pyne, 717 Grove Street, Elizabeth. N. J., who wants to join a Chapter that publishes a paper and that trades stamps. Bert Segal sends money for a badge, but sends no address.
We should like to oblige Lantie V. Blum by telling the Table about his store, but cannot well do so. Josephine Moulton Shaw sends a diagram about the familiar bird-case and bird illusion. She also sends "Kink" answers which are correct. She may write again.
This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.
It is stated that Germany issued a special postal card to commemorate the birthday of Bismarck. Some think the cards were issued by private parties, as was the case of the Columbian cards issued at Chicago.
The new stamps of Mexico were given to the public on April 2d, there being thirteen adhesives in the set, of which two are here illustrated. Four of the designs represent the different modes of carrying the mail in Mexico, and the other design shows the statue of Montezuma.
L. Dorr.—The United States stamps of current issue break when folded, because the paper is brittle. The thirty-cent State Department stamp is sold at $4, the fifteen-cent Justice at $3.
James Edmonds.—The Confederate States 1862, ten cents, is sold at $3, the others have no value.
Edward Tatnall.—The Hartford die of the United States Centennial envelope has a double line under the word "Postage" The Philadelphia die shows only a single line.
S. H.—The set of Columbian postal cards is sold for about fifty cents.
E. P. Tripp.—The blue Special Delivery stamp was brought out again after the orange color was retired from use. It is the same plate as formerly used, and is practically the same stamp as was issued before the orange color.
A. S. S.—The stamps used at the period of the celebrated "Stamp Act" were for the collection of revenue. The stamp dealers may be able to supply them, but it is hardly probable.
On this Continent, have received
from the great
Unlike the Dutch Process, no Alkalies or other Chemicals or Dyes are used in any of their preparations.
Their delicious BREAKFAST COCOA is absolutely pure and soluble, and costs less than one cent a cup.
Dingy carpets can be cleansed and brightened on the floor. Sweep thoroughly, spread a stiff lather of Ivory Soap over a small surface at a time, scrub with a clean scrubbing brush and wipe off with a damp sponge.
Not of the preparations of coloring matter and essential oils so often sold under the name of rootbeer, but of the purest, most delicious, health-giving beverage possible to produce. One gallon of Hires' is worth ten of the counterfeit kind. Suppose an imitation extract costs five cents less than the genuine Hires; the same amount of sugar and trouble is required; you save one cent a gallon, and—get an unhealthful imitation in the end. Ask for HIRES and get it.
The celebrated and effectual English Cure without internal medicine. Proprietors, W. Edward & Son, Queen Victoria St., London, England. Wholesale of
Fun for the boys, a complete disguise. Fine hair goods. As Sample of our 1000 Novelties, we send one of each with large Catalogue for l0c.
to sell the EUREKA MARKING TAG for marking hats, etc., now and in Summer vacation. Sells at sight. Send 10 cents in coin for samples. Address Eureka Marking Tag Co., Cedar Falls, Iowa.
CATCH 10 TIMES AS MANY with CAPE COD COMPOUND; used for fresh or salt water, put a little on your bait and it attracts fish quickly. We have received hundreds of testimonials; $100.00 Guarantee that it is as we claim, try a p'kge, will last all Summer. SURPRISE EVERYBODY by your big catches. A 50 CENT PACKAGE will be sent postpaid for ONLY 10 CENTS, (silver or st'ps) if you mention this paper. ARGO MFG. CO., Box 1207, BOSTON, MASS.
Sets any name in one minute; prints 500 cards an hour. YOU can make money with it. A font of pretty type, also Indelible Ink, Type Holder, Pads and Tweezers. Best Linen Marker; worth $1.00. Sample mailed FREE for 10c. stamps for postage on outfit and large catalogue of 1000 Bargains.
SEND for Catalogue of the Musical Instrument you think of buying. Violins repaired by the Cremona System. C. Story, 26 Central St., Boston. Mass.
BOYS & GIRLS ARE MADE HAPPY by sending their name and address on a postal card to BOORMAN & PARKER, 173 5th Ave., Chicago.
Dialogues, Speakers, for School. Club and Parlor. Catalogue free. T. S. DENISON, Pub. Chicago, Ill.
the best things in Prose and Poetry, always including good Songs and Hymns. It is surprising how little good work of this kind seems to be done in the Schools, if one must judge from the small number of people who can repeat, without mistake or omission, as many as Three good songs or hymns.
and accurate Memory work is a most excellent thing, whether in School or out of it, among all ages and all classes. But let that which is so learned be worth learning and worth retaining. The Franklin Square Song Collection presents a large number of
and Hymns, in great variety and very carefully selected, comprising Sixteen Hundred in the Eight Numbers thus far issued, together with much choice and profitable Reading Matter relating to Music and Musicians. In the complete and varied
which is sent free on application to the Publishers, there are found dozens of the best things in the World, which are well worth committing to memory; and they who know most of such good things, and appreciate and enjoy them most, are really among the best educated people in any country. They have the best result of Education. For above Contents, with sample pages of Music, address
The London coster has become a very interesting character, and many songs, and good ones too, have been written about his virtues and his weaknesses. Some of these street venders have made fortunes, and have retired to live the balance of their days in ease. One of these retired gentlemen was interviewed not long ago by a London newspaper, and in the course of the talk he showed how some of them had managed to grow rich so speedily.
"The costers wot sold plums made the money," he said, "an' a bloomin' big part of it came from wot they calls the iron plum. A fair take in that was. You wouldn't have known it from a real 'un—colored just the same, and with a good bloom on it. Course you took care to keep it close at hand, and at your side of the heap you was selling from. 'Come and have lumping weight,' says you, and you popped the iron 'un in among the others, and wallop went the scale, with p'r'haps no more than half a p'und instead of a p'und in.
"All you had to do was to take just one—the one, as being rather too much of a good thing in the way of overweight, just as you were handing the plums to the customer, and the trick was done. It was bowled out, though, in a rum sort o' way before it had been in use long enough to do any of 'em so much good. I had a pitch in Leather Lane at the time, and it being plum season, I was working the bullet, as we used to call it, and so was the woman who kept the stall next to me. There used to be a beadle sort of chap to keep order in the lane, and he was always uncommon handy at spotting the finest fruit on a man's barrow and whipping it into his mouth without so much as asking for it. Course you couldn't say anything against it, or you might set up his back against you. So one day he was coming round as usual, and he spies that particler fine black plum on the woman's stall, and before she could prevent it he had hold of it. I s'pose it was her pouncing on him so quick confused him, and prewented him feeling the extra weight of it. 'Don't take that 'un, Mr. Grabbum,' she said; 'it isn't ripe. Let me pick you out a ripe 'un.' But old Grabbum he only grinned and winked, and popped it into his mouth. But he didn't keep it there long. He made one bite at it, and then he began to dance and splutter, which, being an uncommon thing for a beadle to do, soon brought a crowd round him. But it was wuss than we had first thought it was. We didn't know that the greedy old warment had false teeth, but he had, and he broke 'em all to shivereens along with the iron plum, which fell with such a whack on the pavement that there was no mistaking what it was made for."
At a country school in England it is said that one of the examiners in a general exercise wrote the word "dozen" on the blackboard, and asked the pupils to each write a sentence containing the word. He was somewhat taken aback to find on one of the papers the following sentence, "I dozen know my lesson."
Spanish people seem to suffer from the stupidity of some of their servants as much as we do in America, if the following story, which appeared in a Madrid journal, is true. It seems that a lady ordered her butler one morning to tell all visitors that she was not at home. At night, when enumerating the persons who had called during the day, he mentioned the lady's sister, when his mistress exclaimed: "I told you, man, that I was always at home for my sister! You ought to have shown her in."
Next day the lady went out to make a few calls, and during her absence her sister came to the house.
"Is your mistress at home?" she asked the butler.
"Yes, madam," was his reply.
The lady went up stairs, and looked everywhere for her sister. On coming down stairs she said to the butler, "My sister must have gone out, for I could not find her."
"Yes, madam, she has gone out, but she told me last night that she was always at home for you."
Napoleon Bonaparte at one time contemplated an invasion of England, and so certain was he of success that he had a medal struck in Paris in honor of the event. Only one specimen has been left to posterity, because at the failure of the bold enterprise he expressly ordered the medals and dies to be destroyed. On one side is the Emperor's half-length portrait, on the reverse is the image of Hercules stifling the giant Antæus in his arms. On the top are the words, "Descente en Angleterre," and underneath, "Frappé à Londres" (Struck in London). This remarkable bit of coinage is said to be still preserved in the Paris Mint.
Here is an entertaining story about a Frenchman who was too proud to do things which were against his principles. The story is vouched for as an actual fact by the man to whom the incident happened. While travelling in Europe he stopped overnight at Caen, and noting that his hair was unduly long he went to have it cut by the local barber. He told the barber to take off very little, but before the scissors had been at work many seconds he noticed a favorite lock fall on to the calico jacket in which he had been arrayed. Whereupon he reproved the barber for not following his instructions, upon which the man observed, in mingled tones of reproach and dismay,
"Monsieur must permit me to do my work in the way which seems best to me; and what is more, I shall take off some more."
"Not at all," said the traveller; "I tell you I want very little taken off, and must insist upon your doing as I direct you."
The barber, however, was not to be put down in this way, and said, "Monsieur, it is possible that this is how things may be done in England, but here in France we are not slaves. I shall cut off as much as I please."