LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1903, 24 July 1890, Page 39

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

De\R Dot, — Seeing a letter in the Witness a short time ago referring to the homes of Dr Barnardo, I wish to send some money to him. Instead of Bending it myself I think it would be better to Bend if through the Witness. Ido not see any difficulty in starting a fund in connection with the Little Folks' column in the Witness. Many children who send money to Dr Barnardo oould send it in this way, and it^ would look better, aa it oould be sent monthly or quarterly to him. If you will endeavour to start such a fund I will send 5a as a first conBehtie.

tribution.— Yours truly,

Dunedin July 5.

[If the little folks would like ma to start a fund I shall do so, but I would like to hear from others before doing so. What do the little folks say ?-Dot.] j

Deab Dot,— We live about a mile out of the township, and there are not many people living near us, We have been living in Hastings for nearly nine years, and when we first came here there waa only one house cloße to us. I told you about the concert we are going to have It is to take place on the last Saturday of thia month. I don't like it on a Saturday, and none at aobool do. Igo to Sunday Bchool nearly every Sunday, but I could not go vestorday as it was too wet. It rained all day as hard as it oould. I have not been more than 40 miles from here. I think I would lika to travel about ; I would like te go to England

very much. Some of my aunts and unoleß live there, and a lot of my cousins. At school we learn singing. We have loarnt some very pretty songs. We get a singing lesson every Thursday, for three-quarters of an hour. On Tuesday and Friday afternoons we have fancy work. lam doing a pioture of a ohuroh, with trees round it and a lake by it, in beade, on canvas. I have done plain sewing, orewl work, knitting, and areaene work at school.— Youra truly, Laura. Awatea, Hastings, July 7. [The po3try sent is by no means bad, but tell your friend that " gone " will Boaroely rhyme with "mourn." If the chilblaina are not broken the beat way to get rid of them is to burn them out at the fire, or by dipping them in scalding water. It iB very painful.— Dot.] Dear Dot,— l am at home to-day, as the weloome rain baa come at last. There ia plenty of rain now, or at anyrate plenty of mud. Dear Dot, you should be glad that you live in Dunedin when it iB wet weather, so that you have clean roads. Our main road has lately been gravelled to try to improve it, but instead of making it better they have made it worse, for it is nearly up to the boot tops in mud. The rain baa helped to soften the lea, ao that the farmerß can got their ground ploughed. j The early wheat that waa sown is through the ground and is looking beautiful, but the birds are doing great damag.e, for they are here byltheithousands. They are a far greater pest than the rabbits, for you can make aomothing out of rabbits, but you can't make anything out of birds.— Yourß truly, John Ghshnet,

Hillhead farm, July 11. [Thank you, John, very much for your interesting letter. I hope we shall hear from you often.— Dot.] Dear Dot, — In summer we go to the beach for picnics. The last time I went was with my raueio teacher. We started about 11 o'clock and came home about 5. We took a kettle with us and made tea. We had dinner and tea, and were wading for a little while, and playing houses in and out among the rocks and gathering shells, Lant Sunday we were down on the beach, and my sister found a fan shell. It was auch a pretty one. I found a lovely branoh of seaweed. It was just like a branch of a tree; it had a lot of branches covered all over with seaweed. I wonld like you to see it. Mamma put it in a v»se, and it does look so pretty. We hare had an east wind lately, and it has thrown up great banks) of red seaweed, The carters bring it up to the town to be used as manure in the gardens. It looks so pretty on the beach. I have three dolls j one's/, name jia Elsie May, and another one is Graoie. Will you please give a name for the other.— Yours truly, Ethel (aged Hi years).

Riverton, July 15. [Ethel has also written a very nice letter. Gall the other doll Julia, after the name of the month you name it in. — Dot.l Dbab Dot,— l am going to tell the little folks a tale about THE TOX AND THH GEESE, Once upon a time there lived an eld goose, and she had seven little geese. There lived in a wood olose by an old fox, and he was very cunning. So one fine morning the old goose said. " Now, dears, I am going to market, so you must be careful not to let Mr Fox in, beoause if you do he will eat you up," and then she went away. So when the goose had gone away the fox came and said, "Let me in, please;" but they said, " Let us see your paw." So he let them see Mb paw, and when they had seen it they said that it was not their mother's paw, bo when the fox heard this he was very angry, and went away. When their mother came baok they told her all about it, and mother goose said, "You did quite right to obey my orders. If you had let the fox in he would have eaten you, and I should have been left all alone."— Yours truly, L. M» B. Dear Dot,— My father has two farms. One is four miles from Dunbaok, where we live. We have a lot of sheep, horses, and cattle. We have two teams busy ploughing now, I have a little bobtail terrier. Please give me a name for it.— Yours truly, Francis James Gloveb (aged 12 years). [How would you like Snap for a name ?— Dot.] Dear Dot,— l got 2s on my birthday. lam 10 years old. Dew Dot, do you know how long oata live ? We have one, and his birthday was last week ; he was 12 years old. I had a kitten, and our cow tramped on it. I did not know he was dead till I squeezed him, and he didn't mew, so I knew he was dead then. My sister told me not to ory, because eats had nine lives. Is it true about cats hating nine lives ? Mine did not live, anyway.— Youra truly,

Luot. Purvis.

Kaiwera, July 14. [No ; it is only an old saying, which means that it is difficult to kill a cat.— Dot,] Dear Dot,— Our house is on a plain. The Waitaki river is on one side, and the water race is on the other, and when there is a flood our house is surrounded with water so that we are on an island. — Youra truly,

James Kino.

.OWEttS.

Awamoko, July 10. Deab Dot,— We have a friend staying with us at present. My father was at the Bluff and went to see a ship. I have had three weeks' holidays, and am going to nchonl on Monday. — Yours truly, Maudh Howells. July 12. Dear Dot,— The girls at our ohool get tea, our teacher (Miss Robs) making it for us. Don't you think it is very kind of her these oold day* ? '.I have got two pretty little black calves. Please would you give me names for them. My brother catchea a lot of rabbits.— Youra truly, Agnes Park (nged 9 years). Gray's Hill farm, Hawksbury, July 18. fit ia certainly very kind of your teacher, and I hope you try to repay her for her consideration by being attentive to her instructions and obeying her commands. Call the calves Parsee and Hindoo.— Dot.]

Ada,— See Temperance column.

LITTLE FOLKS' RIDDLES. 410. By Elsie, Riverton :— Why is the letter X like a pig's tail ? 411. By Laura, Awatea :— Spell dry grass in three letters. 412. By William Couper. Albury : — If the fender 'and the kettle come to 2a 6d, what will the coal come to? ' 413. By John Cushney, Hillhead :— I am broad and I am long, I am round and I am square ; If you invite your friends to Dinner, you're sure I am there. 414. By Maggie, Walhemo : - There was a man that made a thing, The man that made it did he bring, The man that got it didn't know Whether it was a thing or no.

ANSWBUS TO LAST WHBIPB WDDTjHS. 406. By Jano B. Henderson :— Because they have ironed the whole country, and sometimes do a little mangling, 406. By Violet H. :-A chimney. 407, By Annie N. :— An iolole.

408. By Blieabeth M* Cowan Henderson:— l understand you undertake to overthrow my undertakings. 409. By John Mulr-.—Xet was the name of the dog.

CORRECT ANSWERS.

John Cushney, Hillhead, 404. M. 8., 403.