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Lovingly, your little friend, HELEN A. KELLER.

In obedience to Mrs. Richards' suggestion, the grateful girl wrote also this graceful letter to the Messrs. Bradstreet.

TUSCUMBIA, ALA., July 14, 1890.

MY DEAR, KIND FRIENDS: -- I thank you very, very much for naming your beautiful new ship for me. It makes me very happy to know that I have kind and loving friends in the far-away State of Maine. I did not imagine, when I studied about the forests of Maine, that a strong and beautiful ship would go sailing all over the world, carrying wood from those rich forests, to build pleasant homes and schools and churches in distant countries. I hope the great ocean will love the new Helen, and let her sail over its blue waves peacefully. Please tell the brave sailors, who have charge of the HELEN KELLER, that little Helen who stays at home will often think of them with loving thoughts. I hope I shall see you and my beautiful namesake some time.

With much love, from your little friend,

HELEN A. KELLER.

To the Messrs. BRADSTREET.

The following response from the owners of the vessel gave Helen great delight.

SOUTH GARDINER, Me., Aug. 4, 1890.

DEAR HELEN: -- We were very glad to receive your letter, and to know that you were pleased to have our new vessel named for you.

The new Helen was safely launched, and has your name, in bright new letters, on her bow and stern, and on her flag.

We will give your kind message to the captain and the sailors; and think they will be proud to have it, and that they will try to be worthy of your loving thoughts, and to sail the new vessel safely for many years.

Yours truly, J. S. & F. T. BRADSTREET.

Helen's mental versatility is well illustrated by this letter to her mother.

SOUTH BOSTON, MASS., New Year, 1890.

MY PRECIOUS MOTHER: -- I wish you, father, Mildred and my brother, at home, a very bright and happy New Year. I received your nice letter this morning, and I was so glad to hear from home! I wish I were there to enjoy the lovely flowers and the pleasant weather. I think Charlie would be happy to take us to ride when it is so pleasant. You must pat his soft nose for me. I am sorry that my white pigeon does not come to the house any more, but I hope she and her little family have a cosy home at the stable.

Poor Daisy cannot learn to sing; but next spring she will lay some pretty eggs and sit on them till her babies come out. Then she will carefully tend them until they grow up.

Did Pearl and Jumbo hunt the birds with Simpson? Mr. Wade says I may call my puppy Lioness, because I do not like Eversham at all. If I knew how large Lioness's neck was I would send her a lovely collar, with her name on it. I had some new building blocks Christmas, so you may give my others to Mildred, if she would like to play with them. The Christmas box from home came all right, and when teacher told me it had come, I danced, and hopped, and skipped into the hall to see it. I think my wrapper is beautiful and warm, and I thank you, dear mamma, for it.

We all enjoyed the delicious cake and cream candy very, very much. Teacher wants me to thank you for her nice gift, and she will write when she is better. Poor teacher is sick in bed, and Doctor Belt says she must not get up until she is stronger.

Miss Marrett's flowers were wilted. It was too far for them to travel. Mr. Wade's did not have so far to go, so perhaps they kept fresh. Yesterday I received a little box of flowers from Lady Meath, all the way from England. They were so wilted I could not tell that they were violets.

I am glad you all had a pleasant Christmas. We had a very merry time. A kind man brought me a pretty cedar-tree from the forest, and we put it in the parlor. Do you suppose the little cedar was grieved to leave its friends and companions in the forest, and be taken to our parlor? Perhaps trees do not know about grief and sadness. I hope it was very happy to stay with us.

Mrs. Hopkins popped some corn and strung it, and we trimmed the tree with it, and hung bags of candy and oranges all over it, to make it look pretty. Then dear old Santa Claus hung gifts on every branch; and he had some which were too large to hang on the tree, so he put them under the tree.

Christmas morning we had great fun, finding the gifts and giving them to our friends. I had a pretty rose-jar, filled with dried rose-leaves and spices; a dainty handkerchief case, and four beautiful handkerchiefs, with my initials embroidered in the corner; a lovely doll from Eva (I call her Little Red Riding Hood, because she is dressed in red, and has a pretty red bonnet); a cunning little basket, to keep my worsted in when I am knitting, so that it will not roll on the floor and get soiled; three bottles of perfume; some building-blocks from Mr. Endicott, and a beautiful rocking-chair. I love to sit in my chair, and rock gently to and fro, while the warm, beautiful sun comes in at the window, with a bright "Good-morning, little maid!" for you know the sun loves everybody, and sends his little sunbeams to warm and gladden everything in our world.