LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 51

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

a High School boy, though judging from your letters it ought to bs the height of my ambition to become one; but '-as "loyalty is 'to be commended " I shall not quarrel with you about that. Have all the 0.H.5.8 's a mania for nnsae car-dug ? For my part; I cannot see anychitsg m«niy in ruakiug your "mark "in that way, and I am sure nothing would ever psrEuacle me to mutilate pchool furniture in such a manner, though should you be following my "Footprints on the sands of time" you will find my initials cswved in more places fcnsn one.

I agree with your suggestion, Harry, re the sign board for those viofcima incurably affected wiih the mania for name o&rvksg. ' I am the happy possess'-r of a knife — and stick a kaife ! Dot hes already started a afeauap exchange in these columns ; now, how woald a knife exchange do ? lorn willing to exchaDge mine— a two-bladed rorfcoiseehell-handle one — for 8.0.8.'a on condition that it is not ornamented with his 'initial.',' as mine is quite free from any such blemish. I have lived in the country all my life, and am very fond of shooting, football, cricket, tennis, fishing, and cycling ; though as yet I am not an fcdepfc in any of these. How do you think the war will end ? Ait. revoir, boys. — Youra truly,

Nat Leigh.

[I presume Nat's question ie addressed to 8.0.8. find Harry, so Dot need not sprees her opinion on the possible end o£ the war. This ia a relief,' for war matters a-e not much, in my line. I welcome Nat's adveufc to this page, and trust we shall hear from kitn cow a«d again. — Dot.]

Deab Dot, — I am going to tell you about our concert. It was -held on 'the 6ch inst., and there were a great many people at ifc. My little bro'hiir and sister gave a recitation, wbich w»3 very much thought of. There were plenty of c&.keß and oranges and many o^her things. I had evor so many dano*s wfth my Uncle Cliff I am 11 yeara eld. and I am in the fifth Standard at school. I have three sisiers and three brothers, whose names are Maud, Kate, Alice, George, Joseph, and Walter. One of our schoolfellows got special mention for his niip afc t*ie Jubilee Exhibition — Youis truly,

Mossbarn, May 15.

Lizzie Eeeb

[With plenty of cukes and oranges and other good thit'ga jou must have spent a kappy night, Lizzie. Did you not give a recitation as well as your trother and sister ? — Dot ]

Dear Dot, — I am a>s Old Dog. Jof tea go out rabbiting, and catch a g<-eat miuy c&bbite. Sometimes too boys take them from me. If you coma to Orepuki, Dot, I will go out with you, and we will catoh some ane fat rabbits. I rrusfc t)top now, &n my paw is nob used to writing. — Yours truly, An Oid Dog (aged 8 yt&rs).

Orepnki, May 16.

[Weii, that is an inducement to visit Orep'lki, Old Dog. Have you not got a uame ? I don't like spepkirg to you in print as " Old Dog "—-it doe&n't look respectful, and I am Bare jou deserve consideration after eight i'cars of more or less hard woik. — Dot.]

Dear Dot, — I "like reading the little folks' letters. 1 have one dog and a Hfcfcle white kiiten. We have t.wo football clnbs ab school and we intend to play Koromiko School Home day soon. - There- ar.e two rooms ia our school, and there aye about 180 pupils. We bave three teacher?. Mr Your.g, cut natter, is vt-.iy kind, and when anyone is ill or hurt they always s«nd for Mr Young. Our teacher (Mjss M'Williams) is leaving. She has been here about four years. — Yourss truly, Cecit, (aged 9 years).

Orepuki, May 16.

[You will be soiry to part with your teacher, Cecil ; but ifc is a teacher's lot to change from school to school in order to better her position. —Dot.]

Deab Dot,— l do neb like going to ecbool in the winter time. I have three dolls. One is a very big one. Will you please give me names for them. I lu»ve only been a year afc sohoo], and this is Bay fksfc letter, — Yours truly, Floerie Reid (aged 6 yeara). Orepuki, May 16. [Call the dolls Rosie, Lily, and Pansy. — Dot.l

Dear Dot, — I am an old yellow and white cow, and tny name is Nanny. I got one of my horns broken off a while ago, when I was nghfciug with another cow called Dinah. My mistress was angry at the other cow, because she like* me. I v?ill tell you how I came to write to yon. One day I found a piece of paper with the little folks' page on it, and I saw where all sorts of animals had been writing to you, and so I thought I would write too. Another cow I know has a calf, and will you give her a name foe it, ami a yame foe my little mistress's yellow bitten. — Yonra truly, Nanny. Slope Point, May 13. [Ifc was very sad bavlog your beauty spoilt like that, Nanny, and" no wonder your mistress was anaoyed. Call the calf Norah and the kitten Sulphur. —Dot.] I Dbab Dot, — Afy holiday* are rapidly vanishing into t.fao silent pMfc far too quickly for me. Alas'! how many -thing* I have ief fc undone in n&y silent reflections just aci*? ! Oh, dear ! how awfully hard- the H. S. Msgazinois on the unfortunate " awatfi." who neither play cricket nor football ! What ought a fellow to do who h*a never played in one gam& afc either in Lis whole life time ? When calling for volunteers for the gamts they should add, "No duffers Deed apply." I believe in fellows entering heartily into either lessons or games. Bub " I'll never give my hand where my hear!; can never be." I hope the editor of the Mag. will be resore lenient on us little chaps next time. We are not all gifted alike. I am practising shorthard at intervals, and would very much like to learn typewriting. I hope B. O B. will lefc me know when he visits Dunedin, s.s I have a special invite for him. Tuesday morning was a red-letter day for my brothers and myself. I enjoyed the visit very much, and could ask more questions than anyone would find time to answer. "It" puzzles my brain not a little. I'm always getting teased by rev brothers over 7.30 a.m. Better a couple of hours too early than one <oo iate. I have just; had the quenlionable pleasure of being l»ffc at home in charge of the house and bojs. It's snore tiresome than enjoyable at sll eveuts, especially afe meal-timeß and bed hour. One half is s ; nging and the other is growiicg. That is the time that I envy the fellows who have big sisters. Some .fellows don't think half no mue!\ of a sister as they ought to do Yet they acS like the dog in the manger — they won't give one to a fellow who would appreciate one. Well, ib can't be helped. A aiefcedess boy has to make fche besfc of it a'l snd look on the snnnier side of life. There's no use looking on the shady side arid comttu^ vac fcso'-ihlcs, forgefcfui of our bless'ngs. Wiuiet is wiih us oiica more, and I'm twgcily looking out foe the snow. - 1 eujpy a scow-hall battle, especially with the Hou°-e boys. We went to & lecture on " Home and Foreign Missions," and enjoyed it very much. Dear old Gladstone has entered into his well-earned rest afc last. He is gone, but will cot bo forgotten. The flags were halfmast on the d«y that the noble eld statesman

crossed the h&v. Dea? Do 6, X tool? ijrj. youngest brother away to Eoelyn for tfeefreslj air yesterday, bui; he made a donkey of ma all tbe way home. It w«s great fun for him, bat' a* trifle hard on the donkey. My arnisi aiid shoulders ache with fcha exercise yefc. * I guess it w&s worse than having a bike rids. jf. aoi under panishißsnfc for reading, bub writing was nob tabooed, so I aui having royeoge. Football and cricket are all the rage. All fch'a papers have something about them, but W6S7 gentle little " swats "— " waste our sweetnesi pn the desert • air." We're not de9fc!ned ib b"a famoue, and I'm sure we don't bother our heads .very much about ifc. What a. row |h^ cricketers and. footballers' would make if th&y were as much ignored as we are. The " swata " will have fco maka an c-fforfc for their rights.— Yours truly, HakhyV

Dear Dot, — I see~ you suggest exchange of Hbamps between cbildreD,- I should be glad to get any New Zealand stamps (old or new issue) from and including 2£d upwards. I wsafc these, aa 'it is possible to exchange stamps wi6h children in other parts or' the world through " Little Folks," and can give'the same number in thooe from Europe, Aeia, Africa, or America. — Yours truly, A. B. Gubbin3. Kiwiftfch?, Auckland, May 9.

Dear Dot, — A gentleman gave me this stamp, but he dotsn't know what ib is. It iiime on a paper in Hebrew to hfro. Ib'a a blue sWmu, with fiwo 3's at the .top corners »nd t\f o 10's «tt the bottom comers. > Ifc has a man's head on ifc. On one side ie "Oesterr Post"; en the other side ia "Kais Kobniol." We cau'fc read tbe poßfc mark, bub ib enda wiih " Hische Past." Caa you find out for me wbat ifc is ? — Yours trul j, Fairlib, M»y 20: Bknbst GimNGHAar.

Dear Dot,— l lire about five, miles from Gore. I go to the' Farndsle SebooJ. Mr HaariUon is the teacaer, and I like him very much. I Lave -hree miles to walk to school, and it is dark before I got home at night. I have two kittens and a dbg. " We are milking three cows juefc uoir. Dear Dot, would yoa pieaase give me a nice name for our farm. — Ycnrs truly, Gore, May 19. Geoegb Nichol. [You will be glad when the winter is over, Gaps-Be, so thaf: you may get home before dark. In aeleciing * oa<ne for r farm special ciroumBfc&Eceo generally have most to do with the choice made. lam afraid anything I suggested would scarcely fcave much chance of proving satisf nctory. Fakabe» t the Maori name of the bros.dlea*', should ba a good name if any broadleaf trees are growing c-n the farm ; Toromiro if there ifi a mlro bree in the neighbourhood, or Toa-toa if -fcbere is a celeiy piae about. If you do not care about Maori n&mea perhaps Ferulea. would do as your nchool is at Ferndale. — Dot ]