THE CASTLE MAIL-BAG.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 25 June 1927, Page 18

THE CASTLE MAIL-BAG.

Hawera. Dear Smile Queen, —As -it is a wet utteriicon I thought 1 would write to you. Hasn’t it ibeen cold and windy the lust few days!' I .passed any (second class test at Brownies three weeks ago and 1 got my badge at the birthday patty. Our baby is'lovely now, she Hts up and plays with things, and can say mama and dad a.. We are having our examination .at school mow and I « m hoping to pass. 1 must close now with love to you and your Smiles, from Winnie Trim. [Yes, it has been very wet during the pa.st few days. The party must have been great fun, 1. heard all a,bout : t. and now 1. wish 1 were a little girl so that J cotritl be a. Brownie too.- S.Q.] Hawera. Dear Smile Queen,—How are your I am sorry l have not written fur a long time. Thank you for the birthday card you sent me, and also for putting m\ greeting lit the paper. Well, dear Smile Queen, 1 iimust close now wu.tii lots oi Loves to all. I am, your ever loving Smile, Barbara Mortlock. [lt is a long time since 1 heard from you, Barbara. I hope you had a pleasant ‘birthday. —S.Q.] Inalia. Dear Smile Queen,—l have not written for a 'long time, so 1 thought I would write to-night. lam getting on ail right at school. Mr. Clliarke is teaching mo, and I like him. 1 went to see the hockey match, Hawera, v. Maim,La, ami tltey had a draw. It was a lovely g)ame to see. I have two dolls with you please give them names? We have five little pigs, it is cold now. J will close now from Mavis Sadler. [I ex]>eet you will be playing hockeysoon. Mavis. It ,is a great game, and very good exercise. How would Evangeline and Gwendoline suit the dolLs.' Do you feed the little pigs?—S.Q.] Manilla. Dear Smile Queen, —1 am going to a rite you another letter to tell you 1 am in Primer 4 a,t school. 1 have two little brothers, their names are Ronald and Leonard. .1 have such a nice big brack and white cat, Ills name is Tommy. We went to New Plymouth last Sunday to my granny’s place and next Sunday we are going to Hawera to my other (Iranma’s place. I will close now with love to all the Smile*, from Baden Oaie. [i was so please l .l to hear from you again. Baden. What a lovely cat! Tell mu about your trip to New Plymouth, it ’is a. Long wav to go in one day.— S.Q.] ‘ Riverlea.

Dear Smile Queen,—lt was very kind or voit to send me a lo.ve.ly birthday card from Smile Castle, and l thank you so much for -it. At present we have two of our cousins .staying with as and we all go to .school together. We have great times when we come home. Didn’t we get a. lovely view of the eclipse last night? I starved up and saw it until the moon was almost covered. I finished my sewing in time for the show and my teacher lifas sent- it away. When [go to the show I am going to wear mv castle bulge on my coat. 1 hope other smiles will do the same, then I will watch out and see how many Smile-s I can find there. As I it i-s heel time now Smile Queen I will Isay good-night to.you and all the fairlies. "Love from .Inia Joseph son. 1 I Yew, we had a -splendid view of the eclipse from the Castle, and it was so interesting. What a good idea, for the Smiles to wear the badge. 1 do hope you will live up to it and smile, all the time.—S.Q.]

Hawe ra. Dear Smile Queen, —Tt is a long time since I have written to you. 1 hope you are quite well. I must thank you for the nice birthday card. Your loving Simile, Donald Mortlock. [Dear little Donald, 1 was pleased to hear from you. Did you have a liappv birthday ? lam sure you did. — S.Q.J ' Burnilea, Ngaere. L promihse to smile every time I can and to olua.se all the frownis into the dark cave where the Smile Giant will kill them with the magic sword Happiness. Dear Smile Queen, —May I be one of your Smiles. 1 am nine years old and my birthday is on April 4, and lam in Standard-3 at school. Me have a, little baby brother and his name is Winston Melville. H.e is eight months old and 1 think he ought to join the Similes, because lie smiles all day long. 1 must close now because it is bed time. Lots of love and kisses to your Smiles and yourself. Erom Shirley Nowell. [Welcome, Shirley dear! Me shall have to put Winston Melville on the waiting list, shan’t we? How splendid to begin life smiling all day.—S.Q.] Eltham. Dear Smile Queen, —I thought 1 should write to you, a-s i have not written to you for ia long time, but do not think 1 have forgotten you. W e are having lovely fine weather up here jiust lately. Our violets are coining out now, are yours, Smile Queen? Mother s bulbs are about three inches high, but the frost is not, touching them. Me a,re only milking four joowls in the morning' now, and no factory open, i wonder if you have 400 Similes yet, Smile Queen. We still go to school in the bus. Mum is making butter just now .1 am going to send in some jumble names of animals. lam going to send something for the Gift Cupboard. Noel is getting a big boy now , but lie cannot talk properly. Well, as all news is very scarce, I will close with best love to all in the castle. 1 remain, your loving Smile, Olive Simpson.

[Yes, Olive, the Castle violets are coming out. and the bulbs are growinging fast, too, keeping our flowei fairies ever so busy. Gifts are very welcome. —S.Q.]

Hawera. Dear Smile Queen, —May I become one of your Smiles. I am nine years old and’my birthday is on F ebruary 8, and i am in Standard 3 at school. I go to the Hawera Main School. i promise to Smile every time 1 can andto chase all the frowns into the dark cave were the Smile Giant will kill them with his magic sword Happiness. With love from Dorthy Chadwick. [I do love welcoming new Smiles. Every week there are some, and i t-.o hope we will be able to he.p you smile all day.—S.Q.] Kakaramea. Dear Smile Queen, —It is very showery and windy to-day. The girls of our school were going to play basketball against Alton this morning, but it was too wet, so we had to postpone the match till next Saturday. 1 like playing basket-ball very much. Did you see the eclipse of the moon last Wednesday night? I did. Mo are having our Sunday school social and prize giving soon. To-morrow in the morning the Gill Guides in Patea are having their first church parade, and each Girl Guide goes to their own church. I remain, your sincere Smile, Alison Large. [I am glad \ou enjoy playing baskethall, Alison. Are you in the school team? Yes, we .all watched the ellipse from the castle. 1 hope you will get a Sunday School prize. Are you a Girl Guide ?—S.Q. ] Hawera. Dear Smile Queen, —How are you. 1 am sorry ’I did not write to you l:e----*ore. Our cow has just gone dry. Could ail the Smiles have names to call themselves, such as Peter Pan, Farmer Boy, etc., to put under our letters. Your loving Smile, James Mortlock. [I am very well, thank you .Janus, ami very busy. 1 am sorry we cannot adopt your suggestion. You see, Janies, L do like to know who is writing to me, and i. all my Smiles write under penuames, 1 would never be abie # to Keep track of them. —S.Q.] Normnnby. Dear Smile Queen, 1 am just writing a few lines lo thank you lor ine pretty card you sent me lor my birtiiuay. 1 am very sorry 1 have not written he.ore hut now on 1 shall t.v and he mo.e regular. This year 1 am in Standard o at school. On my birthday L received two cups and saucers, a pair o slippers and many other presents. To-day it is my brother’s birthday and to-morrow it is my cousins. Dear Smile Queen, as news is sca.ce 1 will close now hoping that >ou and your Smiles are well. T remain. your loving Smile, Leila Hurliman. [I v,as glad to hear from you, Leila. B fiat lovely presents. You are a lucky girl.—S.Q.] Auroa. Dear Smile Queen, —Please excuse me for not writing sooner, but i always forget to write. It is very cola at A in on. \\e need big fires to keep us warm. My big sister has the mumps now. I think nearly everybody has toe mumps. 'There are rot many flowers a (.out. \Ye have only a tew at home now. My brother Juts a fox terrier and it was run over by a motor bike, but it was not killed. Its leg was broken though. I think 1 will stop now; so good-bye. Yours sincerely, Eunice Lyndon. FI don’t think Auroa is the oiuy '•old plate, Eunice, every one needs big ‘lies at this time of the year. I hope your sister is feeling better now. Poor little dog. is it getting strong again. —S.Q.] ’ Lltham. Dear Smile Queen, —May I become a member of your Smile C astle. I promise to smile every time 1 can and to chase all the frowns into the dark cave, where the Smile Giant will kill them with his magic sword Happiness. Me have a litEe parrot called Cockey Lorain, and when I put him on tne cloths line lie pulls all mummv s clothes 'pegs off .and lota, the clothes tall on the ground. J am nine years old and mv birthdav is on September 20. 1 go ‘to school in a bus, and I am in Standard 3. I. must close now, with lots of love to your Smile fairies. I remain, your loving Smile, Edith Prestidge. [Another new Smile! Welcome Edith to our castle. What a wicked cookv, J hope you punish him severely. S-Q-J

Dear Smile Queen, —The bulbs are just peeping above the ground. I am watching to see what kinds they are, •vs we iiave a lot of new ones tins time. I’ll send you a small piece of poetry with my letter. A\ e : ha.ve< a tei-j-j er dog staying here called Peter, he can bring in the paper and ask for bis dinner and sit up with a pipe in his mouth and his glasses on, and lie is great fun to play ball with. We cad our puppy ‘‘Mack” and bath him every week. Mr. boston came to the school last week and we all went. The pictures were very good. 1 hope it is line for the show, we generally go on Thursday land m.y sister and brother will , have some roots in I think, its nice sitting round tlie fire to-day. I hope all the Smiles will see tlie show this year. I am, your loving Smile, Jean Dakers.

[Peter is a clever dog. Are you teaching Alack the same tricks. 1 think most of our Smiles will go to the show. It should be even more interesting this year. Perhaps 1 will see you there. —S.Q.]

Alakaka

Dear Smile Queen, —J. have not written for such a long time that I am almost ashamed to write. Y\ e have a new school teacher now and he is very nice. I have not much to tell von’ a.ter all this long lime not writing. AJy big sister has gone to stay at my grandmother’s place for awhile. I am sitting in by the lire writing this letter. I only have to learn my spelling and my weight table for homework. We never have very much homework now. We do not milk any cows at night, but we milk one in the morning. We never get the Hawera Star, so 1 can’t read the letters in it, but I can sometimes read it at grandmother’s place. I remain, yours truly, Alice Wills.

[Try to write more ofteru Alice. 1 do love hearing from you. When 1 was a little fairy going to school we used to have such a lot of homework, but now you are luckier. See that you know the spelling and table perfectly. —S.Q.]

AA 7 hareliuia

Dear Smile Queen, —I suppose you aie waiting for me to thank you lor sending me that nice card for my birthday. On the card I saw a castle and I ‘wonder if it is yours or the fairies home. AVe do not get the ‘‘Hawera Star” any more, so I cannot read your letter that I always liked to see very much. AVe like our home very muen now that we have the electric light. I hope you and your fairies aie quite well. Jack Frost has painted all the houses, trees and fields nearly every day this week. AA’ell Smile Queen I think I must close now with a big smile to you all. I remain, your loving friend, Bertha A\ idmer.

[Thank you for your letter, Bertha. The castle on the card is where I live, and most of the fairies live there with me- Jack Frost has been busy lately, hasn’t he? I’m sure he positiveiv eu oys being cold. —S.Q.]

AATiarehuia

Dear Smile Queen, —It is a very long time since. 1 wrote to you, but as you sent me that lovely birthday curd I thought I would write and thank you for it. As we do not get the ‘‘Hawera Star” now I do not know what lies, going on at the castle. AVe lelt Mokoia just about a year . ago now. AVe like being up here very much indeed. I have left school now. I hope that all the fairies and yourself arc well and enjoying the cold winter within the castle walls. AA[ell I must close now with a big smile from Alary AA idmer.

[1 was so pleased to hear from you. Alarv. Alv fairies and I are very well and happy, and Oh, so busy, and we will be busier soon with spring coming along.—S.Q.]

Patea. Dear Smile Queen, —This letter I am going to tell you about my pets. I have told you about my pom. clogs, they are great pets. I think I like them best of all. although I love all my pets. I have two bantams; they are funny dear wee things. I have two canaries, once is all yedow, with u lovely tuft of feathers on his head; the other one is a mottled one, grey and yellow; they sing beautifully when I play a nice wee song on the piano and sing. T ley will listen a while and then sing with me. I love them very much Then I have my old cat, Neddie, and my guinea pig- So don’t you think I have enough pets? I wonder if any one lias sent the little Smile in AA’ellington the Smile Queen page, if not I would like to send it every week if 1 mav. I will close now with lots of love to you clear Smile Queen, and all tlie Smiles. A’our loving Smile,Hinemoa Fairweather.

[What a lucky girl you are Hinemoa to have so many pets! 1 hope you look a'ter them well. Joan Pinson is sending the Smile page to Betty Brant. S.Q.]