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I am studying in Boston, with my dear teacher. I learn a great many new and wonderful things. I study about the earth, and the animals, and I like arithmetic exceedingly. I learn many new words, too. Exceedingly is one that I learned yesterday. When I see Lioness I will tell her many things which will surprise her greatly. I think she will laugh when I tell her that she is a vertebrate, a mammal, a quadruped; and I shall be very sorry to tell her that she belongs to the order Carnivora. I study French, too. When I talk French to Lioness I will call her mon beau chien. Please tell Lion that I will take good care of Lioness. I shall be happy to have a letter from you when you like to write to me.

From your loving little friend, HELEN A. KELLER.

P. S. I am studying at the Institution for the Blind.

H. A. K.

The following sketch ingeniously weaves fancy and fact together, and shows what an important place her dog occupies in Helen's thoughts.

THE DOG.

Come here, Lioness, I have many strange things to tell you about yourself. You may not believe it all, but it is true, and you must be still, like a good dog, and listen to what I have to say.

Of course you know that you belong to the animal kingdom. You never could have thought you were a plant or a mineral, and everything else in the world belongs to the animal kingdom. You have a backbone, and that is why you are called a vertebrate; and when you have some cunning little puppies, you will feed them with milk, as other mammals do, and that is why the wise men put you in the class Mammalia. Then, Lioness, you know perfectly well that you like raw meat better than anything else; and animals that eat raw meat are carnivorous.

How many feet have you? Can't you count four? See, here are your two fore paws, and there are your two hind legs; and animals which have four feet are quadrupeds.

Your legs are not as slender as Guy's, but they are very muscular. You are covered with pretty, soft, brown hair. It is straight, but generally dogs wear curled coats. Your chest is broad and deep, so that you can take a good breath when you wish to run swiftly. Your head is pointed, but not nearly so much so as Spoke's. Your mouth is filled with powerful teeth, similar in shape to the cat's teeth. You must not pull away your head so, for it is true! You are like Pussy in many things. Your tongue is soft, and you use it to lap up liquids. You never perspire through your skin as other animals do. When your body is heated, the moisture passes off from your tongue. That is why you always run with your tongue hanging out of your mouth. The under parts of your feet are padded, like the cat's. There are five toes on your fore feet, and five on your hind feet. The two middle ones are longest and equal. The fifth toes of your hind feet never touch the ground. Each toe has a strong, blunt claw, -- which is not retractile. Hence you cannot walk as noiselessly as the Kitty. Your claws are better fitted for digging and holding.

Your senses of sight, hearing and smell are very perfect, but your sense of taste is not well developed. If you are hungry, you will eat things which are not good at all. You can live a long time without food or drink. You have relations in all countries. Wherever there is a man, the dog is his best friend. You love people much better than the place where you live; but I am afraid, dear, you dislike cats. You turn round many times before you lie down. Can you tell me why? You prick up your ears, and bark at the least noise; and I am sure there never was such a brave and faithful dog as you are, my own Lioness.

HELEN KELLER.

The pleasure which these pets give her is shown in a letter written in September, 1890. Here is a part of it.

We are all very well and happy at Fern Quarry. I take long rides through the pleasant woods on my donkey's back. Neddy does not care much about the pretty wild-flowers or the buds, but he is very glad when I dismount and let him hunt for something to eat. My beautiful, strong mastiff, Lioness, always goes with us, and lies by a log while we rest.

Helen's feelings toward animals may be further seen in the following sketch from her pen.

JAN. 14, 1890.

PEARL AND HER PIGEONS.

WHEN Pearl was seven years old her brother Freddie gave her two pretty white pigeons. The little girl was as happy as a queen when she saw her pretty pets. She named one Dot and the other Phil. Pearl loved dearly to play with them, but she did not like to keep them shut up in a cage. Sometimes she would open the window, and say to them: "Fly away, my dearies, and play with other birds! I do not wish to keep you here this beautiful morning." They would flutter their wings joyously, peck her hand, and make a funny little noise, which sounded very much like "good-bye, sweet mistress! We will return soon, and tell you all about the sunny world, and what the birds are doing." When Pearl went out in the garden to pull flowers, or give her dollies a ride, the pigeons would come to her, and light upon her head; and sometimes they would poke their bills into her mouth for a kiss. She fed them with crumbs from her hand, and every morning she gave them some fresh, sparkling water to bathe in.