Extracts from Letters . . .

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 7 December 1940, Page 9

Extracts from Letters . . .

Yesterday afternoon 1 went to a party and enjoyed myself very much. We played lots of games such as Blind Man’s Buff, Drop the Hanky, Old Dog Tom, etc. After we had been given something to eat a jar of beans was put on the table and we had to count them. I came second and was given a cake of chocolate. After the party ended, we all went home. — Mary Miller, Takaka. * * * * Mum has been ill in bed for half the week, and Aline and I had to be housemaids and cooks. Lloyd is a little scamp to-night. He broke a little glass and the other day he chipped a little crystal vase. Every time Mum grumbles at him he says “Hullo.’’ Tonight he smacked Mum and Mum pretended to cry, and Dad said “Shall I smack you?” and Lloyd said “No.”— Natalie Goodall, Riwaka. * * * * The garden is looking very pretty at present, and there are lots of flowers coming up. One day when I came home there were three eggs in the bird’s cage. They were blackbird’s eggs, so someone must have put them there, but Dad didn’t (so he says) and nobody else did, so the bird must be magic, laying blackbird’s eggs.— Lorna Biggs, Murchi- * * * * We have twenty-two chicks. Dilly hatched four, Speckles hatched six, and Blackie twelve. Dad has been cutting hay to-day. There are some pretty curtains in the dining room windows now.— Barbara Kerr, East Takaka. ¥ V Our cherry tree has lots of ripe cherries now. and our lemon tree has two big lemons on it. We are looking forward to the plums and apricots when they get ripe. Would you tell White Rabbit we have a lot of green crunchy lettuces in our garden.— Maya Gravit, Nelson. * * * * Dad has been away shearing, and Mum and I have had to do all the milking. (Rollo is away too, milking). One of the cows has been giving us a remarkable demonstration of what she can do in the kicking line. Now Carl has, as yet, not a very clear idea of the actual meaning of the term “yesterday,” “to-day” and “to-morrow.” One night when Mum had started separating Carl was down in the dairy with us making various remarks while he watched. He was standing up on the bench near the separator, as he likes to watch the milk flow, making a round hole in the foam, when he calmly remarked. “This is to-morrow’s milk, isn’t it?” Mum observed that she wished it was as it would be the last milking before Dad came home. Our flower garden is looking very nice, and more than that—“interesting.” I think the remark that “only the flowers we tend ourselves have things to tell us,” made by some writer, is very true. I am always going round the garden helping poppies, and four o’clocks and even pansies to open, but you have to be very careful. I like to see which has some buds, and if a flower I’ve been watching is going to open this morning, or what colour something else is going to be.—Elsie Arnold, Motupiko. * * * * I nave three pet lambs called Biddy, Minnie and Nugget. They are only very young. An old black hen hatched some ducklings and when they go into the water, she gets so upset. I have nearly knitted a peggy square rug, and hope to knit some baby’s singlets. In my garden I have a long row of sweet peas, and a kind of a daisy, which is very pretty.— Norma Baigent, Atapo * * * * We live on a farm in the Gowan Valley about four miles from Lake Rotoroa. We are milking 17 cows. The bulldozer was here for four days and did about eighteen acres. There are six children going to the Gowan school, and I have twin brothers who may be starting on Monday— Leola Charles, Bridge View Farm, Gowan Valiev. * * * * We live on a farm and have four pet lambs, and I feed them with a bottle. We made them a nice hut and they sleep in it. They are called Fatty, Chubby, Tweedledum and Tweedledee. I have such a lot of fun with them.— Geoffrey Fawcet, R.M.D., Wakefield. * * * * On our farm of 75 acres we keep 90 sheep, 5 cows, 2 horses, 3 dogs, and one cat. We grow tobacco, peas, beans, potatoes, and a fairly big plot of garlic. Sometimes we grow tomatoes, and we have millet, oats and clover. The lambs are still very playful.— Nola Ricketts, R.M.D., Wakefield. * * * * Dad has just started to plant out his tobacco to-day, and we had to plant in the wet too. This week we are having exams, and I hope to pass. We have done most of them and will finish soon. In arithmetic I passed by one mark. Aline and another boy are trying to come first in these exams. Aline is going to High School next year. I am going to be a nurse when I grow up. Aline a school teacher, Yvonne a hairdresser, and Evered a carpenter. That is what we say.— Natalie Goodall, Riwaka.