THE POSTIE'S BAG

Evening Star, Issue 21718, 12 May 1934, Page 5

THE POSTIE'S BAG

Broad April 28, 1934. Dear Big Brother; Bill, —May I join your happy family F I have just turned ten years of age, and 1 am in Standard IV. at Broad Bay School. We are very busy having our examination, so 1 have not much to tell you. We have a beautiful big grey cat, and his name is .Monty: A . number of times he has caught birds and brought them right up to the back door. When one of my brother’s friend’s dog comes up to mir place the cat runs up a tree, and the dog barks at the bottom of the tree. As I have no more news I will close.—Yours truly, Patricia Wilson. [You are very welcome to the family, Patricia Wilson. Your name is in the Honour Square because lof the neat writing of your letter. Brother Bill hopes that you ha,ve done very well in the examination. It’s a good thing that puss can run up a tree out of the dog’s way, otherwise there might be more tragedies in . the eat family. Write again soon.] 14 De Carle street, St. Kilda. Dear Big Brother Bill, —Please may I join your happy band of bairns? I am eleven years old. and am in Standard 111. at St. Clair School. My teacher’s name is Miss Gedney, and she is very nice. Our examinations will be starting very shortly, and I hope to do well this term. I have a ■sister Agnes, aged nine, who is in Standard 11.,, and a brother, aged six, who has just started school this year. We have not a wireless, but I listenin. at a neighbour’s house. I enjoy the children’s hour very much. 1 also read your column in the ‘ Star.’

I hope you enjoyed your holiday. 1 listened to you telling the family of your lovely holiday. 1 did not go away for the Easter holidays, but one day 1 went for a walk with my mother, father, sister, and brother, up the St. Clair hill, and past Cargill’s Castle. We had a wonderful view from the hilltop. On our left we saw down the harbour, in front of us we saw Anderson’s Bay, Tainui. St. Hilda, and St. Clair. On our right was the beach, with the breakers of the Pacific racing to tbe white shore. It really was a wonderful sight. Well, as that is all the news, I must close, with love to all the bairns, aunts, uncles, and yourself.— I remain, yours sincerely, Margaret Taylor. [You arc very welcome to the family, Margaret Taylor. Your name is in the Honour Square on account of the interesting letter that you sent Big Brother Bill. Brother Bill is glad to know that you enjoyed his account of the Easter holiday. Every minute of it was delightful until the last day, when the rain came. Then we packed np the camping gear and turned the car’s nose toward home. It would have been splendid if all the members of the family could have been there, too, but since the family numbers thousands Big Brother Bill would have been like the woman who lived in the shoe. There is a wonderful view from the place where you stood with your family, Margaret. Brother Bill has been there often. 1 He is glad to know that you enjoyed your family hike. Write again soon.] 20 Meadow street. Dear Big Brother Bill, —This is the first have-written to you. May 1 join your happy family of hairns? We have a little black kitten, and his name is Darkie. He is a playful little thing. I am in Standard IV. at the High Street School. The teachers’ name is Miss Morrison. On Good Friday we went to Port Chalmers for the day. On Easter Monday we went to Fraser’s Gully, and we had some jolly games. On Wednesday we went back to school.—Annie Borrie. [Thank you for your nice little letter. Annie Borrie. There is quite a deal of news pressed into it. Pets, school, and holidays all in one page; that is the way to write a letter. Brother Bill is glad to know that you had such a jolly time at Easter. Write again soon.] 13 Corunna street, St. Hilda. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I would like to tell you about my Easter holiday. We went down to Brighton and had a glorious time. The weather was beautifully fine, and wc were able to go swimming and boating on the river. I loved paddling in the brightly coloured canoes. They reminded me of the story of Minnehaha and Hiawatha. I would like to go to Brighton for another holiday.—With love from Beverley Paine. [lt is very kind of Beverley Paine to write in such an interesting fashion to Brother Bill about her holidays at Easter. Brother Bill quite agrees with vou about your trip to Brighton. It is a beautiful place for a holiday, with lots of safe things for hairns to enjoy and safe places for bairns to play. He hopes that Beverley Paine will get her wish and go hack again one day soon.] 33 Clyde street, Oarnaru. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I have not written to you since last year, so I thought I would like to write again. This is Auzac Day, and it has turned out a very wet afternoon. In one of my letters I told you my brother had a pony called Snappy. Now he has on© called Dolly, which we like much better. 1 have a kitten called Bettie, she is black, with very sharp teeth. 1 also have a white rabbit called Buntie, and a dog called Bob. Bob goes to church with mother and 1 each Sunday. One night at a concert he came right inside. In my first letter to you you said that the next time I wrote I was to tell you whether I could ride or not well I can, 1 am glad to say. I learnt to ride on Dolly, which is much quieter than Snappy. I have been home from school for nearly a fortnight, as I have had influenza, which has left me with a bad cough. Well, X think 1 have written

quite enough, so will close now.—With kind regards, Ruth Amies. [Thank you for your letter, Ruth Amies. Brother Bill was very glad to read the interesting things about your pets. There seems to be a great number of them, but in this case it is really “ tbe more the merrier.” Buntie ajifiears to be a very well-behaved dog, and it says a great deal for bis training and the kindly manner in which he is treated. Jf there was a nice quiet Dolly near Brother Bill’s place he also might learn to ride, but he may be too old for that to become true. Riding a horse is very like milking a cow, so people say; if you don’t learn when you are young you don’t make a very good job of it when you grow older. Write again soon.] 6 Scott street, St. Hilda. April 29, 1934. Dear Big Brother Bill, —After hearing you announce over the air one night about three boys in the United States wanting to exchange stamps with boys in New Zealand, 1 wrote to them, and sent them some New Zealand stamps, I received a reply a few days ago with some very fine American stamps. I thought I would write to you and let you know that I had written to them and had received a reply.-*-! remain, yours truly, Sydney Johnson. [Many thanks for your letter. Sydney Johnson. Brother Bill has been delighted to hear that quite a large number of the bairns have written to the Edwards boys in America, and have received so many beautiful American stamps in reply. Brother Bill has received a delightful letter from the father of the hoys. There was quite a large piece printed in the daily newspaper at Mankato, where the hoys live with their parents, about Now Zealand bairns who have written and made friends so far away. Write again soon.]