CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7979, 9 December 1911, Page 13

CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT

I have you fast ia my fortress. And will not let you depart. But put you down into the dungeon In the round-tower of my heart. —"The Children's Hour.”

My deax Blue-Birds, — I am not surprised that there are so few letters to answer this week for between school work, preparing for the holidays, and for our competitions, I am sure you must all be very busy I How are the scrap-books getting on? Of course you remember that this Saturday, December 9th, is the last day for posting and I expect to have a very difficult task in judging them, I know how anxious you will each bo to make these scrap-books a real joy to the edek or orphaned children for whom they will help to make a happy Christmas and. New Year. And then there are the prizes to win tool "Bata" is the only one who has e&nt her's in yet, and "Muriel" is the only one who has sent in her essay on “The Dearest People in the World/' I hope that a great many of you intend entering in this essay competition: and I also hope that you boys will send in spirited and loyal essays about this dear and beautiful country of ours —New 1 Zealand. It is rather hard don't you know to plan competitions for boys, so I hope you will enter heartily into those I have arranged for you. Wherever you live, and whatever you yourselves know about New Zealand, just write and tell me about it. Some of you know about the life on a milk farm, and some at a coal mining centre: Some live on a sheep run and other’s among saw-milling, while many of you live in Wellington and see all the various steamers coming in and going out, busy with our trade of wool and frozen meat, and the butter, cheese and timber that we send away. I am sure there is so much you could tell me about if you just quietly think it over. Don't you think bo? % # &

"Kathleen" writes: "I shall try to write about the best people in the world. Father and Mother, X see some of the

Bine-Birds are fourteen and fifteen that are entering for the scrap-book competition, but us little ones must do _ our best to compete with them. (Quite right, Kathleen, and perhaps it will encourage you- to know that some of the best dressed dolls, and the neatest cutting-out competitions %ere sent in by the youngest competitors.) We have a little pony called Freddy, my sister rides him, eight miles once a week for her music lesson. I am glad we are not called the Blaok* Bird Olnb, or all the farmers' hands would be against us they are so destructive! As you already have a 'Monica, may X use my second name, Kathleen?"; Yes, dear, and a very pretty name it is, I am glad you like the. country, X love it dearly myself.

"Flo* - ’ "writes as follows; “1 an* going in for the cooking and scrap-book too. I have got my scrap-book and I am getting it ready, W© are having our exam at school. AVe have only two weeks to go to school and then we get six weeks holiday. AV© have had our school concert, and on December 9thj we are going to have a garden fete at Lady Ward’s. On. Sunday my auntie and I went for a drive in a gig around the bay, and right around Seatoun. We got caught in the rain but we did not get very wet. X will tell you some of the flowers that I have in my garden: Pansies, cosmos, cornflowers, honeysuckle and some roses. I have been reading some nice story-books called Tjittle Women/ 'Black Beauty/ i and 'Harry’s they are all very nice stories/*—By the time you read this, "Flo/’ the scrap-book will .be finished and I hope you will be fortunate, dear, in winning a prize. It is to be hoped that December 9th will be a nice day bo that you can all enjoy the fete in Lady Ward’s pleasant garden. AVhat nice flowers you have in your garden! The books you have been reading are most interesting; I remember loving

"Black Beauty," and I don’t know how many times T read "Little Women!" You are a capital member of the club to go in for both competitions, ."Flo." You deserve to be lucky. # & & "Florrie" says: "X have .nearly finished my scrap-book and I’ hope, it will give the sick children; as much pleasure as it has given me. I cannot guess any of the puzzles in this week’s paper. Our examinations are now all over at school, and I have passed. I thin3> I will he in the sixth standard next year. The other day I went for a delightful ride in a motor car to the Hutt." —I do like the spirit in which you have made your scrap-book, dear, and' can quite believe it gave you real pleasure. . So glad you passed in your school examinations. , "Love-Bird" writes; "Two weeks ago I had a bird given to me, and a nest of young ones. The next day the poor little young ones died, and. the day after, the mother died.” i (Oh, how very sad, dear. I. hope you will never let anyone bring you either nestlings or mother again! Nothing is more unnatural than caged birds; they are only; intended to be free.) "Then I had a black-bird and a thrush, and they fought in the cage and killed one another! At the Featherston show I entered a copybook and some darning. I got highly commended for my copy book." (i wish you had got something for your darning, too, dear.) "W© break up on December 15th. I send my love to all the Blue-Birds.” —Florrie, dear, you won’t have any more birds in. captivity, will you? And you try to persuade your boy and girl friends not to do so, won’t you? Vt efc # "Theresa" writes her first letter to me, and says: "Will you pleas© enroll my name as a member of the Blue-Bird Club. We take the 'Times’ and I have been very interested in the Blue-Birds since they first started. I am very fond of gardening and have a ■ fairly large garden of my own, but my flowers are not as nice this year as they usually are; the wind has blown them about so. I

am staying in Torion with, my aunt and uncle. It is a quiet little town, its chief industry being flaxmilliug.”—Yes, “Theresa/* I am glad to welcome you to the club, and enjoyed your beautifully written letter. X am sure you will enjoy being a member very much, there are so many interesting plans always going on in Blue-Bird land. Good-bye for to-day, my great big flock of dear Blue-Birds. I am looking forward with the greatest interest to the entries for the competitions. Your friend, —ZEALAKDIA.