THE POSTIE'S BAG

Evening Star, Issue 21138, 25 June 1932, Page 5

THE POSTIE'S BAG

Waiwetu road, Lower Hutt, Wellington. Dear Brother Bill,—l greatly enjoy reading your page, which is sent up to me every week by my grandparents. 1 also enjoy listening to 4YA, Dunedin, on our radio. As 1 was horn in Dunedin and most of ipy relatives live there, I feel as if Dunedin is my home town. I go to Eastern Hutt School and am in Standard VI. 1 am twelve, and my birthday is on January 12. Wo have five canaries and two cats. One cat we call Nigger, and ho is a big black cat. The other one is Toot, which is a little grev Persian kitten. I have a brother Bill, but 1 am older than he. Next time 1 come to Dunedin I would like to come and see you. Now I will have to close, but just before I do I will ask you if 1 could please join your happy family. With love to you and all the bairns.—Adair Bcid. [Many thanks for your letter, Adair Reid. 'You are very welcome to the family. You will belong, of course, to the section that lives abroad. Brother Bill means by that that you will belong to that section that lives away from Dunedin. There are members of the family who live in foreign parts—lndia, Australia, America, England—and there is one bairn who now lives in China, not to mention one or two who live in the Pacific Islands. So you will see that our columns really go a long way found the earth. But we are all one "family, and the members from afar sometimes write to Big Brother Bill, and their letters tell of their longing to be back in lovely Dunedin. Brother Bill is glad to know that your thoughts turn to your own home city sometimes. He will bo delighted to make arrangements to meet you the next time that visiting your relatives brings you to Dunedin. There seem to be many black cats who get the name Nigger, there is one at Brother Bill’s home. Two, indeed, because Nigger the father has now an exact likeness of himself, even to the little white “ parson’s necktie ” under his chin in the shape of Nigger Junior, his son. But tbe son is not nearly as well behaved as the father, and Brother Bill expects that father very frequently “ wonders what the younger generation is coming to ” in the manner of fathers all the world over. They very often have words (you know the sort of growly, spitty words that cats indulge in), and on occasions Nigger pere has been known to use his paw in the good old-fashioned way. Brother Bill likes the sound of Toot, the grey Persian kitten. Ho seems to be a very playful sort of chap judging by his name. You must write and tell me more about him.] 4 Burke street, Mornington. Dear Big Brother Hill, —I have been going to write to you for some time to ask if I may become one of your happy family, and I am hoping you will say “ Yes.” Wo have not a wireless set at our home, but my auntie has one, and I often listen to the children’s hour at her place. I am in Standard V. at Mornington School. We have a new teacher just now, and I like her very much. We have some bantam pets at home, which arc very tame. They like to sit on my knee and eat their wheat out of my hands. How did you like the snow, Brother Bill? Didn’t everywhere look beautiful, but wasn’t it cold, especially when it came time to got up in the morning? I have not tried any of the competitions before, but I am sending in this week’s, and 1 hope some of the answers will be correct. Anyway, there is no harm in trying, is there, Brother Bill? Well, I must close now, as it is time to go to bod. So good-bye. With much love from Rose A. Exlcr. [Many thanks for your letter. Rose Exler. You arc very welcome to the family. Brother Bill is glad to receive your letter, and to know that you enjoy the bairns’ hour and the ‘ Evening Star ’ columns. Tbe snow was verynice indeed, especially in the early morning, when little piles could he seen hero and there along the lines of the trees. They looked iik'- good oldfashioned Christmas trees. But it was not so beautiful to walk about hi as you say. There were a good many cold feet on that day, especially when the snow' began to thaw. Brother Bill ox-

peets that you have played snowballs and made snow men, but have you seen a snowflake under a microscope? It is a wonderfully beautiful thing over which old Mother Nature must have worked lovingly to make it so lovely. When it falls with a little soft, wet tap, like a fairy’s touch, on your face, you would scarcely think it to be composed of the most beautiful crystal designs; but the microscope tells the story quite plainly. The bantams do make delightful pets, and Brother Bill is glad to know that you get so much fun out of yours. There is a bantam family at Brother Bill’s house, and they are quaint wee things. Write again soon.] 5 Neidpath road, Mornington. Dear Brother Bill, —I wish to join your family. I am fourteen years of age, and am in Form 111. Wo have no radio, but I read your columns in Saturday night’s ‘ Star.’ I find that the competition is not easy, as you say it is; but, as the saying goes, “ Better luck next time.” I tried and tried, but each time failed. I thought of King Bruce of Scotland watching the spider. I tried to follow his example.—l remain, your loving bairn, Lewis Grant. [Many thanks for your letter, Lewis Grant. You are welcome to the family. Brother Bill is sorry that you find the competitions so hard, because he really does feel that they are sometimes quite easy. But you have the right idea about them, Lewis. To try and try and try again, and oven though the third attempt be a failure to keep on trying is not alone the way to solve Brother Bill’s puzzles; it is the only way to solve any difficulty. Robert the Bruce was a brave king and very wise. The story of the spider is an excellent little parable for everybody, young or old. Brother Bill tried once to see if the spider was as patient and persevering as the story suggests. He broke a spider’s web with a small stick, and the spider set to work and rebuilt it. Brother Bill broke it again, and the spider rebuilt again. A third, fourth, and fifth time the spider set to work with its marvellous spinnarets to rebuild the damage; then Brother Bill let it alone. Ho once tried the same thing with a small red Australian ant. The wee thing was dragging a beetle larger than itself by many times toward the doorway of the ant city. Brother Bill placed a stone directly in its way. It dragged the beetle, with tremendous toil, over the obstacle. Then Brother Bill placed a large piece of stick a little beyond the stone. The wee red chap dropped the beetle, climbed over the stick as though investigating the sort of thing it had to'climb over, then went back to the beetle again and dragged it over. Brother Bill then made a small hole and filled it with water, but the ant laboriously dragged the beetle round the lake. Nothing could make the ant give up other than killing the little chap, and Brother Bill didn’t think that the right thing to do. Finally the ant dragged the beetle through the gateway into the ant city. Now, Lewis Grant, if a spider and an ant can show such tremendous patience and perseverance. Lewis Grant and Brother Bill will at least do as well. Keep on keeping on until success crowns our efforts, no matter what wo be trying to do. Write again soon.] 9 Richardson street, St. Kilda. Hear Big Brother Bill, —May I join your happy family? I am ten years old, and in Standard 11. at Forbury School. 1 have three brothers and two sisters. My birthday is on October 30. Last year I had a long illness in the hospital. I had fever and took a relapse, and that has kept my schooling back. I enjoyed the term holidays very much. 1 have a litle garden of flowers. I have planted some more seeds, but they have not come up yet. I do not expect them to come up now till spring. Some of the children at our school are in a choir, but I am not. I shall close now, Big Brother Bill.—Phyllis Shaw. [Many thanks for your letter, Phyllis Shaw. You are welcome to the family. Brother Bill is glad to get your letter, but sorry to hear about that long illness. It is a wee mite disappointing when illness prevents our doing as well at lessons as the other bairns, but we cannot help it, and wc have to be patient, Phyllis. Brother Bill knows that teachers are usually very kind in those circumstances and do not unduly press the bairn. Brother Bill does not think that you should worry about it, little sister,' because you will catch up a< r ain as your strength increases. Brother Bill is delighted to hear about the small garden of flowers, and hopes that the springtime will make you very happy in its enjoyment. Brother Bill is quite excited, too, because the green spears in his tulip bed are pushing their way through the soil. It means that spring is on the way, and the little brown bulbs are working hard getting their brave and beautiful spring dresses ready for show. You must write and tell Brother Bill more of the garden and the flowers that grow in it.]