THE CASTLE MAIL BAG.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 17 April 1926, Page 16

THE CASTLE MAIL BAG.

Arawhata Road, Opunake. April 10

Dear Smile Queen, —Please may I be .come a member, of the Smile Castle? I go to .the Opunake Sehotol by ’bus. I am 11 years old and I am in Standard IV. I went to, play with a schoolmate to-day, and sihe came home to stop till Sunday.’ I have a black eat. Will you please give me a name for her? I also had. a little canary, but it died a few day's ago. As this is my| first letter I will close noiv, with a big smile to y'ou and your fairies. — Pearl Robertson.

fCall your cat “Pitch: ” When is your birthday?—S.Q.]

Arawhata Road, Opunake. April 10,

Dear Smile Queen, —Please may I become a member of the Smile Castle? I am 14 years old, in Standard l VI., and go to thb Opunalte School in the ’lbus. 1 must close now, with a‘ big smile for yourself and your fairies.— Ivy Robertson.

[Very neat writing, Ivy and Pearl. When is your birthdav, too, Ivv.— S.Q.]

Omuturangi Road, Oeo. April 12. Dear Smile Queen, —How are you getting on? I have two dear little k? tens, and their names are Bib and 1 Bub. They are black and white. My cousin is here and she will soon be going home. • I shall close now; with love to you and the other Smiles.—l am, your loving Smile, Dena Stone.

Rama Road, Kaupokonui. April 9. Dear Smile Queen, —May I become a member of your Smile Castle? I am 10 years and 9 months old, and shall be 11 on July 10. I. am, in Standard 11. at school. I remain, your Smile, Ronald Jones. Rama Road, Kaupokonui, April 9. Dear Smile Queen,—l have not forgotten you yet. I have passed into Primer two and hope to j>a.s.s into Primer three next year. The weather is very windy out here. Ls it windy in there? Flow are you and your fairies? I must close now. .1 remain, your loving Smile, Alvina. Bettridge. P.S. : A big kiss to Smile Queen to share with the fairies.

Rama Road, Kaupokouui,- April, 9. Dear Smile Queen, —I am just writing you a few lines to tell you I have not forgotten you yet. 1 iain> in Standard four at school now for all except arithmetic. Mother is getting my brother to write to you. L am just going to do my home-work. 1 must tell you the teachers at the Auroa School are very nice. The bazaar, which the girls at school have been working for, will bo held on 23rd of tills, month. Wo are practising for a concert,, too, . Smile Queen. Standards five and six are to act as niggers. I shall close now, as this is all the news 1 can think of. f remain, your true friend, Thel.ma Jones. P.S. : Hoping you and your fairies ate well. Mother’* birthday is on the 25th .of this month. [We hope you have a successful bazaar and concert. Give Mother a big birthday love from us. We love moth-ers.--Sj).]

Riverlea, April 12. Dear Smile Queen, —I hope you are keeping well, like myself. We are having fine weather now, but it is very windy. lam sending you the answers to the jumbled names that were in the paper on Saturday night. As news is scarce I will close "with all kind regards to you and the fairies. Your’s faithfully, TWma Gargftn.

Rama Rd., Kauponkonui, April 9

Dear Smile Queen Just a few lines to tell you 1 still remember you. f will try and write every week now. I am sending you some jumbled girls’ names. We are practising for a concert. Do you think you will be able to come, Smile Queen ? I shall close now. Julia Bettridge. [When is the concert to be? —S.Q.]

Auroa, April 12. Dear Smile Queen, —Again I wr.le a few lines. I did not write last week as I went away for Easter. On EasU: Tuesday* I went to see Florence Silly—one of your Smiles. I hav© finished n y badge and I shall sent it in to iho Smile Castle. The boys at our school are practising for a nigger minstrel concert. The cows are going dry row, as winter is near, and they are always turned out in winter. I mid a finely bunch of grapes sent to me the otht r day. Don’t you think I was lucky ? I am, Your loving Smile, Myrtle Symes. [You were indeed lucky*. I nope you were, not tfelfish with them.—S.Q.]

Hunter Rd./Eltham, April 2.

Dear Smile Queen. —I am very sorry that I did not write. 1 am going to a party on Monday afternoon. I do hope the weather is fine, because- we have to ride a- long way. Our school concert is this month, and we are working very hard for it. W© have to go down on Tuesday to have a: practice. One of our teachers left on Thursday. For our 1 school concert I am to be a fairy in ‘’Aladdin and His Lamp.” We have four days for oar Easter holidays. Well. I must close now, with lots, of kisses to your Smiles, the fairies and yourse’f, from, Nettie Rowlands. [I hope vou had a jolly party.— S.Q.]

Kaipaki, Ohaupo, April 1 5. Dear Smile Queen, —Since the last time I wrote to you 1 have been having a. joky good time, as I am still on my holiday in the Waikato. First of all there was our school picnic, where 1 won five shillings at running races. One fine day we all drove into the Cambridge Show. And it was a big show, too! I had rides on merry-go-vounds, saw bucking Horses, and many other things which are too numerous to mention here. The most exciting and eiTjoyabl© day* of all was the day when ive school children were taken to Auckland in a train to see the zoo. All the things 1 saw there —well, their names would' fill a page on more, but I must tell you what took my fancy most. The* bears are lovely, especially the white ones, and also ill© lions, tigers and the hippopotamus. There were a great number of monkeys. Some of them wore very funny to watch. The .sea-lion is great to watch, trying to walk round its pond; then it dives into the water out of sight. After looking all round the. zoo, we came down ton'll and just had time before catching the train to run down -to the Queen .Street wharf, -and there I saw all kinds of boats and one big steamer that had come all the way from England. Altogether, I had a, lovely day. and lvow I wish all the- Smiles cou-fil have been there, too. This will be all this time. Hoping all the 1 Smiles and yourself are well and happy. Love from Mavis Hardaker.

[We aie delighted to hear from you from Auckland, Mavis.—S.Q.]

31 Rural Mail, Maben Rd., via Patea, April 6

My Dear Smile Queen, —1 am just writing you a, short note to say I posted my badge yesterday, which 1 hope you received, accordingly. lam afraid I will not get many marks for it, as I did not -make it very well. 1 did not reoeive the Saturday’s paper in which Faith had. her first letter. A thing for which we were very sorry happened : The river has been in flood for some time, so it is quite some time since we have had a swim. Well, a,s it is 9.30 p.mj, and I am nearly asleep, 1 will close with love and smiles, from Joyce Rockell. [Your badge was the first to hand. I am posting Faith a copy of that Saturday’s Star.—S.Q.]

Kapotiga, April 1.

Dear Smile Queen, —I thank you very much for sending me that beautiful post-card. I had no idea, of anything tike that. We have been staying atNew Plymouth beach, and we all enjoyed it very much. I have, just received a birthday cake from a lady I know well. 1 cannot think of anything more to say. Good-night. From your L-iend. Linda Davies.

Wailii Rd., Hawera, April 7. Dear Smile Queen, —May I join your Smile Castle? Igo to the Hawera School and am in Standard b f 1 am nine years old. and my birthday is on November 20. I have two sisters and a brother: Jack and Lena, go to,.school, and Ruth is a little baby five months o’d. We have one cat. Will you- please give it- a name? 1 got a book for my birthday and it is very nice. With b.st love from Katherine Blizzard. [Please tell me about vour cat, Katherine. What colour is it? —S.Q]

Hawera, April 15. Dear Smile Queen, —It is a long time since I wrote to you. I must, thank' you for the very nice card you sent me for my birthday, which was on Good Friday. 1 hope that you and all the other Smiles had a good time in the Waster holidays. 1 will say goodbye now. Smile Queen, with a big smile for yourself and the fairies. Douglas Watts. [I am very pleased to have another letter from you Douglas. It is quite a long time since the last otic. —S.Q.]