We are in the Yellowstone Valley, and the river runs right by our camp. The boats land here in the summer when they can not get up to Fort Custer, and each summer an officer is sent down here to take charge of the government stores which the boats bring. This summer it was papa's turn to come, and although our quarters are not so handsome as at the fort, still we were all glad to have a change. We have large cottonwood-trees here, and beautiful green grass running down to the river, which is very pretty. The water is clear, and we have nice fish. My sister Nan and I have fun hunting flowers, and moss-agates and other stones. We are going East on the first boat, and I expect to have lots of fun with Nannie, as she has never been away from Custer, and she will see so many wonderful things. When she saw the first "Mackinaw," she clapped her hands, and said, "Oh, here is the boat to take us away!" and she cried when it went past. E. M. G. * * * * * GARDINER, NEW YORK. I am almost nine years old, but I have never been to school. My mamma has taught me at home. I have no brothers or sisters, but Jessie, my cat, is a nice playmate. She sleeps up stairs in papa's store, and this morning she did not come down to breakfast as usual, so I thought I would go and see what was the matter. I hunted for her, and at last I looked into a barrel, and what do you think I saw? Three lovely little kittens! Oh, how proud their mamma was! I excused her from coming down to breakfast, and carried her up a cup of milk. Now what puzzles me is to find names for my kittens. I have a family of thirteen dolls, and they have each a name, and there does not seem to be any pretty names left. EMMA M. DUB. * * * * * LONDON, ENGLAND. The first thing to interest me after we arrived in London was the Zoological Gardens, where we saw many monkeys. One was very funny, and swung himself by his tail to a branch that was fastened into his cage. I think he was handsomer than any monkey I ever saw. He had long black fur, and did not look so horribly like a shrivelled old man as most monkeys do. We afterward went into the antelope house, and saw some large and some small ones; the small ones were the prettiest, and had slender legs, and gentle brown eyes. We saw sea-lions, bears, lions, and tigers, pretty little birds, and more animals than I can tell you about.