MR. ROBERT MERRY: SIR,--We take pleasure in declaring to you that your name and the fame of your periodical have at length reached us here in the far south-west. And from the spirit of kind good-nature which seems to mark all your communications with your young friends, we are ready to think that you will not spurn the salutations of your new acquaintances in Louisiana. Though this may be the first voice from the “Creole State,” we hope it will not be the last. We would have you and all your readers down east, and north, and all other parts of our great country, understand that we are not exactly in a barbarous state--nor approaching it--as we mean to show by patronizing the Museum. That good old gentleman, Peter Parley, has long since become a favorite among us; and it was only necessary to be informed that you were his near kinsman or intimate friend, that you enjoyed his confidence, and are even intrusted with all the precious relics left by him,--to secure you the most ready reception and all that generous hospitality in which the people of our state abound. We have often heard of that place “away down east,” called Boston; and especially how many fine schools, and books, and all such useful things, our young friends there enjoy; and since we found out the characters of Peter Parley and Robert Merry among others of your distinguished citizens, our curiosity is more excited, and, no doubt, many of us will be led to come and see that part of the land if we live to grow up. But if we do, we wish very much not to appear behind others of your black-eyed and blue-eyed friends in intelligence. Therefore we mean to have your interesting and instructive publication, which, with other improvements that are being made in our means of instruction, we think, will help us to keep up with the age, and prepare to act our part as well as the Yankee boys and girls. Now we don’t like to make promises, any more than yourself; but just to encourage you we will give you a _hint_ at _least_. You know we raise _sugar cane_ in this state; and we are told that you and your northern readers know nothing about _making_ sugar, but only _eating_ it. Now, if you have a sweet tooth, (for we hope you havn’t become toothless yet,) you wouldn’t despise a barrel of the finest sugar or the best _sirop_ from some plantation in this vicinity--if you should happen to find one on some of your Boston ships, _especially_, should it be accompanied by a description of the process of making it, for the benefit of all your little _sweet-loving_ readers. Hoping, then, that you will punctually furnish _us_, as well as your older and nearer admirers, with all the good things you are wont to distribute, we make our bow as