THE SMILE CASTLE MAIL-BAG.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 March 1929, Page 16

THE SMILE CASTLE MAIL-BAG.

Normanby. Dear Smile Queen, —-I read all the Smiles' letters last week. One boy did send you such a long letter; it took me a long time to read it myself. Don’t you think we are having a lot of wind? Wo do so want it to rain. At our house we have hardly any water left for drinking. We have to be so careful not to waste it. We all went to Sunday School on Sunday. I took my little brother with me. Daddy has nearly linished digging all our potatoes up. We have a good few pumpkins. We did not have many apples and plums this year. What is the right address for the Smile Castle for our letters? Hurrah for the picnic on Friday! Love from Constance Evans. xxx

(Yes, we have been having lots of windy days, Constance. I do hope we get the rain soon and that you get all your tanks full again. Did you get a nice crop of potatoes ? This appears to have been a bad year for fruit. Please address your letters to “Smile Queen,’’ c/o Hawera Star. Hope you enjoy your picnic. Love, S.Q.)

Ohangai. My Dear Smile Queen, —I suppose you think I have forgotten you, but I haven’t. We have had a good bit of trouble to get settled down to school again. Did you know Jack, my brother, was in the hospital, and is coming home to-night? He ran into ai stray horse when he was going back home and was unconscious for ages. I am in Std. 4 now, and I am going to work hard and try and pass next term. Did you know I had a new baby sister, Smile Queen? We call her Doreen and she is four months old. Well, Smile Queen, I think I have told all the news I can think of just now. —I remain, yours sincerely, Maisie Lee. (I am so pleased to hear from you again, Maisie. ISTo, I did not hear your brother had met with an accident. I am so sorry. Is ho quite well again now? Please give my love to wee Doreen. Work hard at school, Maisie, and I am sure vou will pas.—Love, S.Q.)

Meremerc. Dear Smile Queen, —As I have nothing to do I will write to you. My brother's foot has gone down a lot, and he will be able to go to school tomorrow. Last week he never went to school at all. I have a garden at school and on Friday we cleaned it up and made it look nice. It is windy here today. We have a good number of little pigs now. Our tank is empty and we have to cart water up from the shed to wash with. Our lettuces are pretty big and we have bagged our potatoes up. I must close now. With love to you all, Queenie Coltart. (I am glad your brother's foot is better, Queenie. What have you growing in your school garden? Oh! what a pity the tank has run dry! It must be wretched to be short of water and ■have- to cart it, but I am sure the rain is not far off now.—Love, S.Q.)

Manaia. Dear Smile Queen, —Just a few lines to let von know how I am. I am in Standard 4 now, as I passed last year. Thank yon for the birthday card you sent me. I have a little black pony and would you please give me a name for it. I am reading a book called: “Jake’s Birthday Party.” I got a lot of presents for Christmas. I walk to school; it is two miles and a half. There are forty-nine in the headteacher's room. As there is no more news I will close. From vour loving Smile, Edna Birchall.

(You will have to work hard now you are in Standard 4, Edna. Would you like to call the pony “Dusky”.' Do you like reading?! What a long way to have to walk to school. Will you ride the pony in the winter time? Love from S.Q.)

SMeremere. Dear Smile Queen— As I have time I thought I would write to you. Our hens are not laying much now. Dad is down the gully fixing the ram. I think most of our black chickens are roosters and most of the ducklings are drakes. We are bogging up our potatoes now. Our flower garden is looking well, Smile Queen. I cannot swim, can you, Smile Queen? Qucenie has written to you. so I will have to hurry up and finish my letter. It will soon be mr birthday, won’t it, Smile Queen? Well I will close now. Love to you and your Smiles, from your loving Smile, Dora Coltart. (Tt is a bit early in the season for the hens to be going off laying, isn’t it, Dora? lam pleased the garden is looking nice, despite the want of rain. Yes, I can swim, Dora. We have a lovely swimming pool at the Castle, and I just delight in getting a swim these warm days. I hope you will be able to learn quite soon. Love from S.Q.)

Manaia. Dear Smile Queen, —You said that you hoped I would write frequently, so, as I have time this morning, I must write a few lines. I am milking six cows now at night, but not in the morning, because dad said it was too early for me to get up. I have finished reading my prize book now, and I liked it very much. Last Friday avo had our first cooking lesson at school and avo had boiled rice and stcAvcd apples, Avhieh Avas A’erv nice. Next Friday avo are making Irish stew, so it ought to be nice for our dinner. Daisy Prout is mv partner at cooking. There Avas a euchre party in aid of our school the other night. Dad AA r e.nt and he Avon the booby prize. He rrot a pretty pair of A-ery small baby’s shoes. They are size one and they just fit my sister’s big doll. She Avas very pleased Avith them, as she often said her doll neA'er had any shoes. I must close uoaa\ Loa’o from Gladys Wallace.

(I am glad you haA'e found time to Avrite again, Gladys. So you milk six coavs. Well done! It is great fun learning to cook, isn’t it? Did the euchre party raise much for the school fund? Your sister Avas lucky getting those pretty shoes for her doll. LoA r e from S.Q.)

Otakeho. Dear Smile Queen, —I see in the paper that you are ahvays pleased to see my letters. I notice that I always haA r o the longest one in. I Avant to come top. We sold tAvo coaa's and a bull at the Manaia sale yesterday. We got the drover to come out for them, as avo had no horse to ride, because Lassie will buck you off and the pony avo cannot ride now. I think avo Avill soon get some rain. The rain is A’cry much needed as the grass is getting dried up. Wo have had nearly three Avccks dry Avcatlier. We noA r er entered our onions and other things as Ave had no time to go doAvn Avith them. Our onions and lettuce are larger than the ones at the shoAA-, so uoav avo are sorry avo did not enter them, as I knoAv they Avould have come first. We haA’e the onions hanging up in bunches in the kitchen. There is still a lot of lettuce in the garden. All our cabbages had clubroot, so I pulled them up. Our canary hen is laying again. That Avill be her fourth lot of young ones. The man hasn’t brought out our paint yet, and avo are wanting to get it done, as we have 4fi rows of potatoes to plough out yet. We got three rows out the other day. One of our little pigs got hurt, so wp had to kill it. One soav got A r ery lame, but is better now. We sold all our ducks as they Avould not keep aAvay from the house. Our hens are laying well. Well, Smile Queen, this Avill be

all the neAvs until Eva comes back. Then she Avill toll me all the news about the boat. I remain, your sincere Smile, Douglas Daine. (It is a pity you didn’t enter your vegetables in the show, but perhaps you Avill haA’e a try next year, Douglas. 1 am glad you are going to write regularly. If you continue as you’re doing you’ll certainly come top this year. Love from S.Q.).