SWEET KITTY CLOVER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1989, 10 April 1890, Page 43

SWEET KITTY CLOVER.

When the sun pours his beams on her dimity bed And plays on tbe pillow whioh cushions her head, She drowsily raises her chubby white fist And rubs at the eyelids the sunlight has kissed ; Then her bare little feet patter over the floor And I waken to hear a sharp tap at my door ; Then I open my eyes on a maiden I know — It is sweet Kitty Clover who bothers me so. O. dear, she's a tyrant, is this little maid, I never could tell half the pranks she has played ; From morning till night she seldom is still. And many'a the tussle I've had with her will. Though tearful and sunny in rapid succession, But few are her moments of mental depression ; Yet I say with a sigh when her salty tears flow, Ah, met Kitty Clover, you bother me sol Whether writing or reading there's nothing to do But put my pencil or read to her, too ; She gathers my neck in her soft little arms And willy or nilly I yield to her charms, Though I long for my book and inwardly groan — And bribe her with stories to let me aloneStill she teases and follows wherever I go., This sweet Kitty Clover who bothers me so. Yet bow we should miss her were Kitty not here To brighten our lives with her innocent cheer ; And how the long days would drearily go If never again were her prattle to flow, So welcome her teasing her doubts and her fears, Her laughter, her shouting, her questions and tears In spite of it all, none is sweeter, I know, Than dear Kitty Clover who bothers us bo. —Chicago Herald,

Dear Dot,— l live at Matakanui, in Maniototo County. I am in the Second Standard at.'sohool. I also go to Sunday school, and I like it much better than the day school. I have a garden and a kitten, whioh I should like you to give me a name for. I have four sisters and three brothers,— Yours truly, Maby H. Naylob (aged 11 yeare). [Call it Mata, whioh is portion of the name of the place in whioh you live, and is also tbe name of a celebrated racehorse. — Dot,] Deab Dot,— May I please tell you about what I saw in the Exhibition ; for though I suppose you have been in it many times there are very many little girls up-oountry in different places who have not seen it. Coming into Dunedin the Eiffel Tower and the domes can be seen. There are five domes. The Eiffel Tower is a framework of wood, and a lift worked by machinery goes up to the top. Of course it is not half as big as the real Eiffel Tower in Paris, whiob if it were to fall would extend over several Btreets. It also attraots electricity, thunderstorms being now more frequent in its neigbourhood than before it waß built. Besides tbe lift a spiral staircase ascends the tower, A miniature Eiffel Tower of diamonds is now being exhibited in London. Every feature of the tower is properly represented, even the tiny staircase and lift. Pearls, rubies, and opals are also used in its construction. M, Eiffel performed and worked out tbe idea of the Eiffel Tower, whioh is the greatest wonder of the world, excepting the Forth bridge in Scotland. There are a great many wax figures in the Exhibition. Among them I noticed the figures of Mr Parnell and Mr Gladstone, and Little Lord Fauntleroy. Will you please tell me if they are lifelike resemblances, and who Little Lord Fauntleroy is. All that I have read about him is that he was written about in a book, but I do not know any more about him. In one bay there are some pretty sculptured figures ; there also were bears and monkeys playing barrel organs and beating drums. None of the bronze figures are nice. In a wall of coal a man is working. His arms are bared up to the shoulder and ho is dusted all over with coal-dust ; but it does not look life-like. I think it would be more natural if the place was darkened to represent the under- workings of a coal mine and a little more dust and ooal scattered around. There are also two skeletons of moaa in the Exhibition, tho bones being joined together with wire. In a case olose beßide are the relics of the moa. In a glasß not far from these two keas are killing a lamb. The lamb is lying on the ground apparently not dead, but Buffering dreadfully. A kea Bits on its baok tearing its Bide open, another kea sits on a rock near by watobing. Rooks and atones are made to represent a rugged mountain Bide. In the New South Wales court is a stuffed emu. One day grandpapa was standing on tbe street talking to some gentlemen in Sydney when an emu oame up and put its head over a fence close by. A Bailor held out an open clasp knife, whioh tbe bird swallowed. It did not kill it. Next day the bird esoaped from its keeper. After swallowing 11 live ducklings belonging to a poor woman, it got into one of grandpapa's outhouses. Grandpapa went in to secure it with a rope, but it drove him back with a powerful kiok, whioh severely injured his leg. Just fancy what a stomach it must have when a sharp open olasp-knife would not kill it. But our New Zealand moas must have been one of the Btrangest and most wonderful birds that ever lived. Does it not seem a pit? Tasman made' nb attempt to colonise New Zealand, or that Oook and Wakefield had not lived 200 or 300 years before him. We might have known more about the "land of the Maori and the moa " in that case, — Yours truly, Bessie Ryan.

Fernbank, Waitahuna, April 5 [" Little Lord Fauntleroy" iB a tale written by Mrs Frances Hodgson Burnett. Frances Hodgßon was born at Manchester, England, on November 24, 1849. She passed the first 15 years of her life in England, but at the close of the American Oivil war reverses of fortune led her parents to leave England for America. They settled in Tennessee, and Frances after a little time began to contribute tales to different American magazines. Miss Hodgson was married in 1873 to Dr Burnett, and although she is at present on a visit to her native oountry her home is still in America. The charaoter of Little Lord Fauntleroy is said to be derived' from her own little boy, who is described as quaint and melancholy, gentle and lovable. The dreßs is as Mrs Burnett desoribes in her book, but whether her little boy was 'at the time the tale was written dressed in that style or not I do not know. The bojk has been dramatised, and .a representation of it will shortly be given in Dunediq. The charaoter of the little lord is taken by a little girl. The wax figqrea of Mr Gladstone and Mr Parnell no doubt resemble both statesmen, but you know from what you have seen of tbe miner in the Eaitangata Goal Company's exhibit that a wax man is very different to a living one, and the expression of both faces in life iB no doubt very different to what it is in wax. — Dot.]

Dear Dot,— l was at the Exhibition a month ago. The train left Waitahuna at 7.30 a.m., and we got thereat 11 o'clock. I was on the switchback, and I liked it very much. I was in the oaves, and it was grand. I saw a man pioking out coal, only he was holding the pick wrong. I was in the picture gallery, andl saw a lot of different pictures. I saw an alligator, and at first I thought it was a shark. It is more interesting now to read about them when I know what they are like. Mr Patrick took us to Bee the wharf where ships were unloading, and then we went to have our tea, and then went to the train, and came home. We got home at 10 o'olook at night, and we wish the master would take us again, and let us Btay a week.— Yours truly, Edmund Ryan (aged 11 years). Waitahuna, April 4.

Dear Dot,— Who put my letter in the paper? Everybody will know now, won't they, Dot ? lam seven now. Once I was six. Artie will soon be six — when it is Christmas. Hiß birthday is just a little while before Santa Claus comes. lam tired now, Dot, and Eva is sick. Goodbye, Dot. — Yours truly, Fanny Isabel Ryan.