"OUR BOYS" IN ENGLAND
By MARJORIE SELIGMAN

PERHAPS the readers of ST. NICHOLAS
would be interested to hear how some of
our boys are getting on in England.

A few miles away from our village are two large flying-camps, where there are over two hundred Americans.

All winter long, Irish workmen have been busy there, building, and even now their task is nothing like finished. On a recent visit to one of the aerodromes we were shown all over it and found it most interesting. The buildings were scrupulously clean, and looked very much as if they were intended to be permanent. The men live under canvas on the opposite side of the road to the hangars and offices. The contrast of this bustling mushroom colony with the quiet country road of a year ago is very striking.

The people were very much pleased with the idea of seeing men from the States, and determined on giving them a good time as long as they stayed here. So

a committee was formed, and the members began to discuss all sorts of plans. Finally it was decided that a dance would be the best way of welcoming the new-comers.

One of the members very kindly threw open her house and garden for this purpose, and the date of the dance was fixed for the second Wednesday in May. The weather at that time was very cold and windy, but, to our joy, the day proved. bright and fine, with a glowing sun. We arrived early at Mrs. H-'s house, and found a large room, built especially for dancing, with a spring floor. About sixty of the men came that day, and there were about the same number of girls. They very soon made friends, and when the music began there was a rush to the dancing room. What a crowd there was in there as they gaily fox-trotted along to the tune of "Arizona"! But it was warm work dancing, although great fun, and we were glad to find in the garden refreshing

the point that afternoon, all were excellent partners, and every one danced well. Most of them had not been to a dance since they left home, so they enjoyed this one immensely.

As this proved such a success, a second dance was given just a month later, and the guests declared it went with "some pep"!

There had been a ball game that morning between our neighbors and a distant team; yet although these latter proved the victors, it was a good game to watch. The visiting team brought with them a jazz band composed of two drums, cymbals, and an accordion, and these, in addi

tion to a pianist, played for us to dance all the afternoon. They were wonderful, those men! on and on they played through the hot hours. Scarcely a minute were they allowed to rest. In one of the pauses a man shouted encouragingly: "Go on, Carol! Tickle the keys!" and we began again with renewed vigor!

At seven o'clock the men were drawn up in a body, and after we had sung "My Country, 't is of Thee," they gave three rousing cheers for our kind hostess, whose charming hospitality we one and all appreciated.

Cambridgeshire, England.

ONE MORE PROOF OF PATRIOTISM
Special Announcement as to the New Size of St. Nicholas

ALL ST. NICHOLAS boys and girls un-
derstand that there is scarcely a business
or an industry in the land that has not
had to make some changes in its methods
of manufacture on account of the war;
and magazines are no exception to this
rule. During the past few months, our
Government has had to issue orders de-
creasing the amount of paper that may
be manufactured during 1919, and has
advised all publishing houses that they
must be content to get along with the
least allotment that can, by every possible
effort, be made to suffice for their impera-
tive needs. "Paper-making requires labor,
coal, and chemicals that must be con-
served or used for immediate war-win-
ning purposes," as one periodical puts it;
and every magazine is called upon to
do its utmost in the general effort to
save or increase the resources of the
nation.

Right loyally, therefore, does ST. NICHOLAS respond to the restriction of the War Industries Board, cutting down our allowance of paper for next year. In order to provide against exceeding the limit

assigned, it prefers to lessen the width of its page by almost an inch, rather than to print fewer copies of the magazine itself in its former size. This change goes into effect with this November issue, which begins the new volume.

We welcome whole-heartedly this opportunity to prove anew our devotion to the cause for which the entire people of the United States is making sacrifices, as in duty bound. Fortunately, too, in this instance the necessary change in its proportions is so slight as hardly to affect the appearance of the magazine or the amount of material contained in it. In its general aspect, its cover-designs, and its literary and artistic contents, it will continue to wear the old, familiar look, grown dear to so many American schools and households through so many years.

So our good ST. NICHOLAS "reports for duty" in 1919, by drawing in his belt. a little, but with the same prompt and hearty salute that is the immediate, loyal response of his army of boys and girls (as of their parents) to any order or request of Uncle Sam.

hester.

by Florence

Boyce Davis.

ROM the quaint old town of Chester, that 's on the
River Dee,

Many a tale romantic has been handed down to me;
Some of them are fanciful, and some of them are true,
And one of them I have a mind to pass along to you:

WAS full a century ago (and that is quite a while!),
Napoleon had been sentenced to St. Helena's isle;
When lo, the tidings reached the king the isle was running o'er
With rats! a very plague of rats! a million rats or more!
Fleet-footed rats, ill-natured rats, obnoxious rats galore.

OW then," up spake His Majesty, "we have a problem here." N (And each respectful minister in silence lent an ear.) "There's one solution only-we must rid the isle of rats; To do so we should send at once a full ship-load of cats; So fare ye forth, good gentlemen, and bear the word from

All up and down went messengers to spread the king's intent,
And warn the people of a day, by order of His Grace,
When all who had a cat to sell should seek the market-place.

HE day arrived; 't was very fair (or so the story goes),

When curious crowds went hurrying along Old Chester Rows;

They strode with sacks upon their backs and baskets on their arms,

And issuing from their parcels came the wildest of alarms!

What wonder that the people's nerves were goaded fit to