THE POSTIE'S BAG

Evening Star, Issue 20328, 9 November 1929, Page 9

THE POSTIE'S BAG

26 Canongate. Dear Big Brother Bill, —You must be a very busy brother, having to answer ail the brothers’ and sisters’ letters. I have been very busy lately, helping my mother to spring clean. lam wondering where I am going for ray Christmas holidays.- Last year I went to Waitati, and I had a lovely time. There were three cows and one little calf. The cows’ names were Pauline, Bonnie, and Terry, and the little calf is Tiki. Have you been out to see the aeroplane yet? It was flying out to-day, looping the loop, and it looked very nice.—Yours truly, Gwen Booth. [Thank you for your letter, Gwen Booth, Brother Bill is a busy brother, as yon remark, but, being busy isn’t a had thing when what keeps you busy also makes you happy. You will have discovered that whilst helping mother to spring clean th© house. A very wise and good man hag said: “ A bird of happiness sings in my heart when I am doing kind things.” Brother Bill hopes the bird keeps singing in Gwen Booth’s heart all her life. It sounds to be very near Christmas when one begins to „ wonder about Xmas holidays. You won’t mind if it happens to be Waitati again, will you? There will be four cows this year, because Tiki will have grown up without doubt. There may be other little calves, however, , It is no small part of the joy. of tho earth, Gwen Booth, that, whilst tilings that are born must grow- old, other young things are born to fill the vacant places* Brotjjex; Bill did not

go to see the aeroplane, although he received many kind invitations; but the aeroplane did come to seg Brother Bill. It was winging its way through the blue sky dike a lovely silver bird one morning, almost directly dyer Brother Bill’s head. You must write again soon.]

91 High Street. Dear Big Brother Bill, —This is the first time I have written to you. I hope there is space in the circle for me. lam nine years old and in Standard 111. W© have not got a radio set, but I am always glad when Saturday night comes> to read the interesting page in the ‘Evening Star.’ I have got four other sisters and two brothers, and I would very* much like to claim you as one of my brothers too. As misfortune would have it, X was in bed on Labour Day, because of a cold, and so.I missed a joyful day at tho beach with my friends. As it is nearly tea time, I will have to close this letter.—l remain, yours truly, Edith Lunam.

[You are more than welcome to claim Big Brother Bill as another brothr in your family, Edith Lunam, although you seem to be fairly well supplied. There is certainly a place in the family circle for you. Brother Bill is very glad ty) know that you like the bairns columns in the * Evening Star.’ Misfortune is the right word to use if you had to b© in bed with a cold on such a day as Labour Day; still, you were not in bed very long, little sister, which is something to be grateful about. There are bairns in the family who remain in bed day after day, lovely though the weather may be. When we compare our misfortunes, Edith, with those others suffer, our own certainly become a great deal less. To be sure, that kind of comparison is an old story, but it is true, none the less. Thank you for your letter. Brother Bill hopes that your cold is better when you read this answer.]

612 Cumberland street,

Dear Big Brother Bill,—Please may I become a member of your happy family? I am fourteen years of age, and go to Albany Street School, and am also a member of the band. I like to read your interesting stories, which are in the 1 Evening Star ’ every Saturday. I have a bantam rooster named Charlie who likes music, and likes to listen to the radio. With love to you and all your happy family.—l remain, yours truly, Leslie Gray. [A nice little letter, Leslie Gray. Your bantam is a precocious little chap. What kind of music does he like? Is he fond of jazz or does his taste soar to classical heights? By the way Charlie illustrates the fact that animals and birds, reptiles and insects, do like music, although they behave most peculiarly when showing their enjoyment. Mice like music, but run round in circles whilst listening to it; snakes like music, but lift their heads as though angry when they hear it; spiders like music, but run up and down their webs as though very busy spinning; and bees give more honey if music is played near the hive, A very careful observer has gone so far as to say that plants show more growth when music is played near them. So Charlie is not original after all, although it must be fine to have a bantam with . such interesting habits. Thank you for your good wishes. Brother Bill returns them a hundredfold.]

153 Macandrew road.

Dear Brother Bill, —Please may I become a member of your happy family? I read with interest the letters that appear in your columns every Saturday night. Did you go to the dirt track racing to-day? I did. It was stunner. The aeroplane beat the motor bike by a lap. 1 think that is a good idea of Bruce Jones’s—pen pals. Will you print my name in the “Pen Pals’” column, please? lam going in for this week’s competition, and 1 hope to win the prize. I am going to write to Percy Sinclair, as I have nothing to do, and mum and dad are away to the pictures. We have no pets, but the people next door have about as many cats as there are animals in the Zoo. As this is all 1 have to say I will close. With love to all the other aunts and uncles, especialy yourself.—Yours truly, Glynn M'Goldrick,

[Thank you for your letter, Glynn M'Goldrick. You can most certainly become a member of the family. Brother Bill is glad to know that you like the columns, and find them interesting. Your name appears in the “Pen Chums” list, as you request. Your account of the cats in your neighbourhood is quite humorous. Perhaps your neighbour does not own them all, Glynn; cats have a way of becoming univited guests, not very welcome guests either when they arrive and sing carols in the middle of the night. Percy Sinclair will be glad to have letters from New Zealand, and especially from Dunedin. He is a Dunedin boy, and Brother Bill suspects that he becomes homesick at times. Brother Bill saw the aeroplane and motor cycle race at the dirt track races. There didn’t seem to be much racing in that particular cotatest; the aeroplane was master all the way. But it was a very beautiful sight td see the aeroplane like a great silver gnat flying low over the heads of all the people. Brother Bill expects, however, in a few years’ time it will be so common as to cause no comment at all. Motor cars were once wonderful; now they are sometimes a nuisance to pedestrians. And it will be the same with the great man-made birds of the air. Now they are wonderful. The time will not be long before people will ask for some sort of defence against the roaring sounds of their coming and going.]

110 Harbour terrace. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I am sending you my idea of the badge. You will find it at the end of my letter. I go to the Albany Street School, and 1 am a member of th© school band.- I am in Standard VI.A, and my teacher is Mr Alloo. We started our proficiency examination last Tuesday, and w© have had our reading, < poetry, arithmetic, English, composition, and letter. '.I do hope I shall pass 3 as I

want to attend the High School when I leave. Every Saturday night I look in the .‘ Star ’ to see the competition, because I have not won any of your competitions yet. I go to the, baths nearly every day, because I have a season ticket, and I can swim a little now. I shall he glad when the Christmas holidays come, so that I shall be able to roam about the town and have some good long bicycle rides into the country. My birthday will be on tho 15th inst.; then I shall be fourteen years old. We have just lost one of our school teachers at school. H© has been promoted to first assistant at Forbury, and the Forbury boys are in for a treat, because he is a very good teacher. He was sports master at our school, hut we have Mr Forsyth now. Well, dear Big Brother Bill, I shall have to close now. Hoping yoaand all your family are quite well —I remain, yours truly, Harold Looker. [Thank you for your letter, Harold Looker. A good number of the family are engaged in the serious business or proficiency examinations at the present time. They all have Big Brother Bill s very best wishes for a handsome success, which, by the way, comes not by anybody’s good wishes so much as real hard work. It is good fun at the baths, and there is the best of wisdom in learning to swim. Tho Christinas holidays are beginning to find their place in the thoughts of the family, of course, and Brother Bill hopes a happy time for all; but it is really a bit early to begin to talk seriously about Christmas good wishes. The badge competition has created quit© a large ol interest and excitement, Harold; jusi whether your attempt will win the prize remains for the judges to say. Thanh you for your letter; you must write to me again soon.]

426 Castle street,

Dear Big Brother Bill, —I am writ ing to ask you if_ I may join your happy band of bairns. We have not got a wireless, but I read your page in the Saturday ‘ Evening Star,’ and enjoy it very much. lam eleven years old, and 1 am in Standard IV. at school. My birthday is on December 17. As I am very fond of pets ray father has given me two pet rabbits, three goldfish for our fountain, a black terrier pup whom I call Tib, and every week my father brings 600 fluffy little chicks home. So you see, dear Big Brother Bill, I am one of a very big family, so please take pity on me and let me become one of your, bairns. I am sending in an entry for the badge. Well, I must close now, sending my love to all the aunties, uncles, and bairns.-—Sincerely yours, Mollie Skene.

[Thank you for your letter, Mollie Skene. Brother Bill is delighted to know that you enjoy the Saturday night .columns. You certainly are one of a very large family if the pets arc counted in. Six hundred chickens a week is a very large order indeed; but Brother Bill suspects the reason for this large number, because he has an idea who your father happens to be. At our house we have rabbits, a dog, a cat, a guinea pig. some pigeons, and some fowls. The mother pigeon has some, eggs, of which she is taking the greatest care; one day soon we anticipate hearing the noise that baby pigeons make, which will be quite exciting. Did you know that in Siam they have goldfish traiped to fight like pugilists, and that a fight between goldfish draws a great crowd of people like one of our football matches? Not as many perhaps, but certainly a big crowd. Your goldfish will not fight, of course, but they can be trained to do clever things. You can train them to pull a little string attached to a bell that hangs above the fountain. They will ring the bell also when they want food. You begin the training by tying a little food to the string, but you must bo careful not to scatter much food in the ordinary way on the surface of the water. Try training them this way, Mollie, and see what happens.]

42 Brighton street, Kaikorai

Dear Big Brother Bill,—l have not written to you for a long time. I-am going in for the competition this week, tor I think it will be very nice to see each one of the family wearing a badge. Christmas will soon be. with us again, and, of course, -I am looking forward to the night Santa Clans comes down the chimney. We will be getting our examination soon, and I hope 1 pass into Standard IV. next year. With lots of love to you and the rest of the family.—l remain, yours truly. Eileen Herd.