_Queen Charlotte_ the fair To a ball did repair In the city of _Aire_, And met all the _Adams_ carousing there, Sweet _Alexandria_, _Sydney_ the swell, And noble young _Ellsworth_, who pleased her right well. They praised her fine _Cashmere_, with _Brussels_ to trim it, But found it _Toulon_(g) and _Toulouse_ the next minute. Her shoulders were _Chili_, she thought she should freeze, But a warm _Paisley_ shawl put her quite at her ease. Her rich _Diamond_ jewelry sparkled and shone; Her shoes were _Morocco_, of smallness unknown; And her kerchief diffused a sweet smell of _Cologne_. A _Superior_ dancer, she floated around, With _Washington_ great or _Columbus_ was found. With _Madison_ flirting or dancing a jig, _Montgomery_, _Raleigh_, she cared not a fig For them, or for _Jackson_, who stared in surprise When she said she was _Hungary_, coolly did rise, And was borne off by _Quincy_ from under his eyes. At _Table_, _Elk_, _Sandwich_, and _Orange_ she ate, Sat drinking _Moselle_ and _Madeira_ till late; Then, after an evening quite _Pleasant_, she said _Farewell_ to her hostess, and went home, they said, With gallant _Prince Edward_, a gentleman bred. LIZZIE E. T. * * * DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I saw in the January number a recipe for "chocolate creams." I have a very good recipe for chocolate caramels. It is: Half a pint of rich milk, a square and a half (or an ounce and a half) of Baker's unsweetened chocolate, softened on the fire. Let the milk boil; then stir in the chocolate very hard; add half a pint of best white sugar, and three table-spoonfuls of molasses. Boil until very thick, taking care not to burn it. Pour on buttered tins, and, when nearly cold, cut in squares. If you think this is a good recipe (which I am sure you will, as I have tried it many times, and have never known it to fail), please put it in the "Letter-Box," and oblige, your interested reader, MARY WHARTON WADSWORTH. * * * Butte Creek, Cal. DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am ten years old, and live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and my papa belongs to a mining company--mining for gold. I have a hydraulic mine of my own, but I don't get any gold out of it. I have a dog whose name is Flora, and a wooden sword and dagger, and I play soldier with her and get cleaned out sometimes. We have no school here, but I study my lessons every day, and papa hears me recite at night. I study arithmetic, geography, spelling, U. S. history, and writing. I may write to you again some time.--Yours truly, SCOTTIE HANKINS. * * * Philadelphia, Pa.