Happy Cogs

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7486, 9 June 1934, Page 11

Happy Cogs

Palmerston North. Dear Hub, —Here I am again after another long spell. I quite sympathise With. Autumn having to go down to milk on a cold morning. The other morning when I went down everything was covered with a cold white blanket. Pet was standing in a frosty paddock. She did look so forlorn. Everything was as still as could bo with only the shunting of the engines in tho distance and the soft flutter of the loaves as they dropped from tho branches to break the silence. Then as the sun began to rise I could hear a blackbird tuning up for his morning song and tho drip, drip of tho frost beginning to thaw on tne .fences and roofs. Oh, it was cold! The water in Pet’s tub had a thick layer of ice on it. There was even ice on my canaries' water in their house outside. My brother has thirteen baby rats now —they are just beginning to run around and they are the funniest little things imaginable. I ’ wish you could see them. They scurry around up and down the stairs in their house and very often thero is a collision between one coming up and one going down the stairs. The other morning as it was nice and sunny I gave my canaries a bath and the way they scrap and fight among themselves is funny. One bird will hop on the side of the dish and scream at all the other birds that come near, then another will hop up behind him and give him a push so that he goes right into the water. That particular bird takes care never to go near the bath again. I could stand and watch them for hours.. "When Dad was digging to-day ho found a littlo brown lizard. It was the prettiest little thing —about five or six inches long, with a dark brown and fawn mottled back. 3 held jt in my hand but it felt most peculiar; its feet and under-body felt sticky, and as it nearly ran up the sleeve of my jumper I hastily put it back in a tin. At present I have swollen glands and a sty on one eye, so you can imagine what I look like. Thore isn’t any more news, so I will close now. Love, Arawa. Another cheerful animal letter, Arawa, and I enjoyed every word of it. You have my sympathy, dear, and I hope you aro better now. No, 4 Lino. Dear Hub, —Please may I become a member of your happy band of Cogs? I ride eveiy day to the Tiritea school and I am in &td. IV. I have Tead your Page so oftOn and enjoyed it so much that I have decided to write. I live about a mile from Mountain Lily who is my cousin, so of course we often visit each other. I am writing this at her home to keep it a secret from Mother, so when she sees it in the paper on Saturday, won’t she have a surprise? My brother Charlie and I have had somo fun here to-day, Nancy and Dulcie’s pet black rabbit, Silky, jumped out of Ms cage when we weren’t watching. Suddenly wo saw him hopping up tho hill. There was a chase! He rushed up that hill at top, under tho hodge where he stayed. We tried and tried to pounce on him, but all in vain. Every time wo grabbed at him, he slipped out of our reach behind a tree. At last we succeeded, however, and when we put him back you may be sure wc didn’t give him any chances to jump out again. Please excuse blots as I am in a hurry and have to go home now. Please may I have “Black-hand-ed Pete” for my pen-name, if it is not taken? Prom your loving Cog-to-be (I hope), Alex Shere. Welcome, Black-handed Pete! Will you fill in the Membership Coupon, please, and send it in next timo you write? What a chase you must have had after Silky! Apiti. Dear Hub, —I am writing once again to your happy family. This week Butterfly is enclosing the Skilltest, a joke, and wool coupon. The weather lately has been glorious but I have not been able to go out as I have been ill and had to stop in bed, so I am not having a good time. My sister Doreen, who will be three a month from to-morrow (Sunday), is still in the Palmerston North Hospital. Sho has been in there since March 17. Is it not a long time, Hub? It is Dad’s birthday on Thursday. We are going to call the baby Murray. Do you think that is a nice name, Hub? We went to Linton for a holiday to stop with our uncles and aunties. Every week we are making our Cog family bigger, so that we must havo about 1300 Coglets. Aren’t the evenings long, now? I think you were Tight in what you said about Phyllis Crawshaw. I was glad to hear from an Australian girl. Mr Puzzleman makes the puzzles hard for the puzzlers, doesn’t he, Huh? Well, my brain-box is empty, so that I will have to conclude this. Lots of love to yourself and Coglets. Your loving Coggie, ’ Snowflower. You must hurry to get well, dear, because it’s much more cheery ia tho sunshine. Yes, I like the name that has been chosen for baby brother. We all hope that Doreen will soon be home. Rangiotu. Dear Hub,—May I please have ' ‘ Sunbeam” for my pen-name, seeing I am not able to have “Tinker Bell.” I am trying again for the Skilltest. As there is not much news this week, Hub, I will close now, with lovo to .you and all the Cogs, from Fairy Bell. You may change to “Sunbeam,” Fairy Bell,

Peilding. Dear Hub, —As I am sending in the Skilltest I thought I would write a letter too. To-day lias boen a most beautiful day. Two children aro away from our school with whooping cough and ono girl is going down to tho South Island for a holiday. Thero aro quite a lot of little children about hero with it, but luckily Daphne has escaped it so far, and wo hope she doesn’t get it. My brother and I have had it so wo aro quite safe as they say you cannot get it twice. Wo have some bulbs out in flower, Hub—aren’t they early? They have been up a long time and now they are out. We also have a lot of violets and polyanthus out. Last Saturday night there was a euchre party and dancing at our school and we went and had a good time. Thero will bo another one next Saturday night but I am not sure whether we are going or not. We have a new boy coming to our school now. Thero are now twenty eight children coming to our school. I must close now, Hub, as I can hear Dad and my brother coming home to tea. Lovo to all the Cogs and yourself. From your sincero Cog, Jenny Wren. I Wonder if we are going to skip winter?—Tho flowers evidently think so. Thank you for sending the Answers. Bunnythorp. D,ear Hub,and Cogs,—Oneo again I write you a few lines to accompany tho Skilltest which I found very easy. Freda and I did not go to school today as wo had to go into Foilding to the dental clinic. We went by bus on our own and got homo just at dark. What a long holiday Fido is having. Do you know when ho will bo back, Hub? Ido hope he has not left our page altogether. Tho days have been beautiful and warm just like spring, but they grow chilly,as tho sun begins to sot. I must closo now as it is bedtime. With love to you and tho Cogs. From Daddy’s Sweetheart.. You will 'appreciate having your teeth seen to, oven if a visit does not always prove pleasant. It’s pleasing that Tiddley-winks has written this week, even if Fido did not dictato the Jotter, Kimbolton. Dear Hub, —I am ashamed of myself for not writing for a long time. We have three kittens named Tui, Blonde, and Joseph. I have knitted a littlo suit for one of my dolls, Jimmie. He looks like a real baby boy in it, I went to Mangaweka for my holidays and had great fun. I am sending the wool coupon and would like to make a baby’s vest. Hub, how big should peggy squares be.? Mistress Shirley. I am glad you are going to help too, Mistress Shirley. Peggy squares should bo six inches square, and knitted in any cheery scraps of wool. Woodvillo. Boar Hub, —I havo managed to solve the Skilltest, so I am writing a short note. Basketball is in full swing and to-day tho Woodvillo High School played our school. The winter has set in properly now and it is very nice to sit in front of a nice warm fire these cold nights. To-day wo noticed somo of our violets coming out in flower. They are very early, aren’t they, Hub? The troos in the Square aro looking very dismal now that they have lost their leaves. Well, I think I had better closo now as I havo plenty of homework to do. Your sincere Cog, Shining Star. Basketball is a fine game for winter, Shining Star. Other Cogs, too, have remarked on tho early violots and spring flowers. Tokomaru. Dear Hub, —I managed to solve the Skilltest for thi3 week. Thank you for tho prize money. Hub. My father sent me while I was away on my holiday and it came in very handy. It was just as well Fido did not see King Rastus or he may not have beon able to write to our Pago any more. As news is scarce I will close now with love to you and all the Cogs. Robin Hood. I am pleased the prize money arrived safely. BUTTERFLY OAKES Butter, % lb. Sugar, a small teacup. Eggs, 3. Flour, 1} cups. Baking Powder, 14 teaspoons. Vanilla essence. Method.—Cream tho butter and sugar, add well beaten eggs, flower, baking powder and essence. Bake in patty cases, and when cold cut out centre, put in a littlo jam, fill with whipped cream, sweetened and flavoured with vanilla. Cut the piece removed from centre in half and replace as wings. Sift with icing sugar. I Copied by Tho Haro. (1 Mark.) Woodvlile. Dear Hub, —I have solvod the Skill-, test, which I hope is correct. One of the High School girls won the race. She was presented with a beautiful rose bowl. We will be having our half-year-ly examination this month. My sister is playing in the basketball tournament to-day. lam knitting a jumper for my sister, now. From your loving Cog, Silver Briar. Dear me, hasn’t tho time flown, Silver Briar? It seems such a short time since we had Christmas holidays, and here you arc speaking of half-yearly examinations.