LITTLE HOUSEKEEPER.--The common pea, which is a favorite vegetable at this season, is not a native of the United States, but was brought from Europe by the early settlers. It was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, but was not introduced into England until the beginning of the sixteenth century. It would take too much space to give you directions for preparing this vegetable for the table, but in all good cook-books you will find recipes for several kinds of delicious soups, omelets, and other savory preparations. * * * * * E. A. DE LIMA.--The home of Miss Louisa Alcott is in Concord, Massachusetts. * * * * * A GREEN-MOUNTAIN BOY.--Washington is probably the most common name for towns in the United States, and we believe Union to be the next. There are about two hundred and fifty towns and cities bearing the name of Washington, and about two hundred and twenty that of Union, and many States have counties known by those names. Adams, Lincoln, Warren, and many other names are also very common, and are often repeated over and over in the same State. Our young exchangers who read this paragraph will perhaps realize the importance of always adding the county to their address. For example, if your letter was addressed to Washington, Ohio, it might make a very long journey before it reached you, for there are more than forty post-office stations in Ohio named Washington, and if the letter waited at each one until it was discovered that that particular little boy or girl did not live there, it might be many months before the letter reached the town where you were impatiently waiting for it. * * * * * A READER, AND OTHER EXCHANGERS.--We have no rule forbidding any boy or girl from sending an exchange to the Post-office Department more than once. Where the space is limited, the preference is always given to those whose name and address have never been printed before; but if there is room, we print a second exchange from the same correspondent, provided it is for something good and new, and not a mere repetition of his first request. If any one wishes to make a second offer of exchange, he should be considerate enough not to send it too soon after his first has appeared. Some boys send a new one nearly every week, which has but little chance of being printed, as a large number of new names are always waiting their turn, and must have the first place. If your exchange is neatly written and correctly spelled, it is much more likely to receive attention than if it is on soiled and rumpled paper, and so badly expressed that the editor is doubtful about the meaning. Then, too, if you are so disorderly in your offer of exchange, you are not likely to be neat and punctual and careful when making your exchange with other correspondents. Always remember to mark your specimens, and to give your name and address. * * * * *