A Letter from Alice

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 31 December 1938, Page 12

A Letter from Alice

Dear Hoys and Girls, Alice was walking along to the office very leisurely this morning, thinking of all the exciting things she wanted to do in the Wonderland Page in 1939, when she met Mr Travel Man. “There are visitors waiting to see you in the office” he told her. “You’d better hurry along , Alice.” Visitors! Alice paused for a moment to wonder who ever they could be. Then along came Era. “You ought not to be wasting time, you know, Alice,” he reproved her. “There are visitors waiting to see —” “Me in the office.” finished Alice. “Who are they, Era?” “ You’ll find out all about it when you get there” he replied as he passed on. Alice got curiouser and curiouser. So she began to hurry then. Suddenly she noticed a peculiar appearance before her, an enormous grin, and the Cheshire Cat said , “I’ve just been along to your office, Alice, and there are —” “Visitors waiting to see me.” “That’s right,” grinned Cheshire Cat. “How did you guess?” “It’s simply wonderful the way / find things out,” said Alice airily. “Ilow many visitors, Cheshire Cat?” “Only two this time,” he smiled. Alice walked so fast she was nearly running. 'Two visitors! Who ever could they be? She had id most reached “The Mail” office when White Rabbit came scurrying out and looked anxiously up and down the road. When he caught sight of Alice he gave a sigh of relief. “/ began to think you weren’t coming to the office to-day,” he scolded her. “Tve been so anxious, too. There —” “Are two visitors waiting to see trie. I know,” nodded Alice as she hurried up the stairs. White Rabbit looked at her in wonder. “You know, Alice, sometimes 1 think you are very smart. Taney your knowing shat before I told you.” Ifu very clever that way,’ said Alice modestly. “ White Rabbit, who are these visitors?” fl kite Rabbit shook his head. “I don't really know. But I think they are VERY IMPORTANT.” Alice’s eyes grew very round. “Oh,” she whispered solemnly. “VERY—IMPORTANT, White Rabbit?” ‘“VERY — VERY—IMPORTANT, A lice.” She patted her unruly hair down quickly. “Oh, White Rabbit, do you think—am 1 —perhaps —” He considered gravely for a moment. Then “ You’ll do,” he pronounced. “I, of course, have on a new white waistcoast, and I daresay they won’t look at you very hard, Alice.” Alice gulped twice, smoothed her dress, and walked into the office. There stood a p/easantAooking old gentleman holding a de a r, chubby little boy by the hand. How do you do, smiled Alice, and gave the little boy a friendly beam, because she thought he was probably one of her V onderland members. White Rabbit said afterwards to Mr Editor that it is amazing what strong constitutions little boys have, because it didn't seem to affect him in the least. Don t you remember me, Alice?” asked the old gentleman wistfully. “Of course, l was a lot younger the last time we met —no bigger than this little fellow here, in fact.” Alice blinked and did some rapid mental arithmetic, but the answer wouldn’t com# right. How could she have met this elderly person when he was a little boy? It was just a year ago, he reminded her, and Alice looked uneasily at White • Rabbit, who was edging towards the door. Definitely, this poor old gentleman was queer. Of course, it might be sunstroke, but didn’t it have to be awfully hot before anyone could be affected by the sun? “I'm afraid 1 don’t,” she began nervously, but the visitor broke in, “Oh, but Alice, don t yon remember walking to the top of a hill in Wellington and looking out over the harbour and the city hung with little twinkling lights and saving, “1938 is going to be a wonderful year. }ou planned so many things, and lots of them have happened, haven't they?” Alice flew across the room in great excitement. "Why, of course, you are 1935. How could l forget you, when you’ve been so hind to me. Why, you brought me to AWson front Wonderland, so that / could have a Wonderland Page for all the boys and girls.” } ex, it has been very thrilling for me to see how your Page has grown in the last few month of my reign on earth. / want to wish you and the children lots of luck and good times in the coming year, and to introduce you to Alaster 1939. He’s very young, of course, hut lie’ll grow into a fine lad, you mark my words.” II ell, I just wish you could oil have been here then. Everyone was so excited, and White Rabbit kept putting his white gloves o„ and taking them off again to shake hands with Mr 1938 and Master 1939. Then in came Mr Editor, and Mr I'rinterman, and Mr Travel Man, and Era atul Blue Peter and the Dodo and Cheshire Cat, and everyone talked at once. They oil said what a marvellous year 1938 had been and declared they were going to help make 1q391 q 3 9 rVi '" better. Such a merry party we had in the office, children, until suddenly someone cried “But where’s old 1938? He’s disappeared!” And so he had. Quietly, wiihol,t unyjnss, he went away from us all, not even stopping to say a last goodbye, because he didn t want to spoil our fun. 'That’s the way it always happens, bo ys and girls. While we celebrate the advent of the new year, the old year slips away, leaving only a harvest of rich memories for us, some sad. some gay, but most of them beautiful. I.cl's ulI make one New Year resolution together, girls and boys, shall we? To be kind. It sounds so little , but it means s„ much. To he kind means tending a helping hand to others whenever it is needed. It means too, overlooking the faults of people who "re unkind to us. That isn’t always easy, hut if we try very hard we won’t find it so difficult. Sometimes being kind is just giving „ word of encouragement to little brothers and sisters -who are trying to do whot the bigger ones do. To be hind to Mothers and hothers is to remember, when things seem to go wrong at home, that they have so much to da for us, and to make allowances for the days when they are a little cross, perhaps, or very worried. 1 hen there are our school teachers. They have trying days, to, and you can be wonder f ully kind to them, just by behaving properly or working hard. hind ness! II by. that's what makes the world go round. Let’s make just this one resoli\linii and keep it, shall we? Do please write to Alice to tell her what you think of the idea, because Master 1939 says it will help him so tremendously if we clrry it through. Cood luck and happiness go with you. Wonderland members, through every day of the \ew ) ear. Alice and White Rabbit salute you on the threshold of 1939 ! C heerio, everyone. ALICE.