LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1989, 7 April 1892, Page 41

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Dear Dot, — We saw in the paper that you had a letter from three little maids from school. We know them all. We are in a lower class than they, and we are sending you a letter about Gordon. Gordon is situated on the east bank of the Mataura river. One thing about the people here is that they do not quarrel much. Those three little maids took a long ■time considering what they would write about. Gordon is not quite the size of Gore. It is beautifullj situated on a hill. There. are two schools in Gordon. Gordon was lately joined to Gore. It now forms part of the borough of Gore. We do not know who it was called after, but we think that it was after Sir Arthur Gordon. We heard our father saying the other night that he wished there was another bridge. Now there is only one bridge for the train and ordinary traffic. It is closed at certain times of the day. We have an uncle staying with us for a while. He used to tell us a lot of rubbish and make us laugh. He said that we would soon be fat if he stayed with us. He told us that he was a "lunarian," and that he had a theodolite in a box once. He was going to give lectures on selenography. He is helping us to write this. My brother believes all that he says, but he is only a little wee fellow. Uncle told him that when he knew how to make hieroglyphics he would teach him how t« spell. He says that my little brother is loquacious. Isn't my uncle a funny fellow? He says he believes you are a boy, because the boys are the best. I think we are about to stop now. My uncle wants to know if you will give him an odontalgia. He would be so glad if you would. What do you think of our letter, Dottie ? — Yours truly, KuRINTJRI AND ROSELIA.

Gore, March 18,

[I think that instead of its being from three nice little girls it is from two horrid boys who are evidently jealous of the letter the little girls wrote. I have put this one in, but unless they adopt a very different tone they need write no more. The wicked uncle is evidently moonstruck or he would not ask for the toothache. His researches into the geography of the moon are probably the cause of his aberration. — Dot.] ■

Dear Dot, — I now send you a short letter called "My pleasure trip." We started away on a tolerably good day, and away off in the train we went, our hearts leaping with joy at the thought of our pleasant holiday. After two or three hours in the train we got to Balclutha. We then branched off from Balclutha and went in the Glenomaru direction. It was after dark when we got to the station. After a quick walk of about seven or eight minutes we reached our destination.

We were up early next morning, and had a nice walk down by the river, coming back with rather a good appetite. Two or three days passed very pleasantly. There were many different kinds of amusements — shooting, rowing, skating, fishing, riding, driving, and many

others. Sometimes we went climbing, and one time I was caught up on a tree and couldn't get down in a hurry.

At last New Year's Day came, and we expected to get to the beach to the sports. It was raining in the morning, and so we thought we would have to stop at home, but it cleared up after dinner, and for the beach we started. The drive was just splendid. Many were the pretty spots we passed. At last we got to the beach, and it was a beautiful sight to see the waves dashing up on the shore. The little waves were coming about the horse's feet. Round the be.ach was the place where the sports were held — about half a mile round from Port Molyneux. There were crowds of buggies to be seen all along the beach. We got out of the buggy and walked round the ring once or twice. Going round the ring we met a few of our friends. The Oddfellows looked rather nice with their blue sashes. There were two or three tenbs where eatables could be got. We had a good walk round the beach, nearly as faras the Maori graves. There was a pretty fresh water creek over which a bridge was built. The bush is growing quite close to the beach. The rata and other bush flowers were out in bloom.

We had grand rambles in the bush. Our buggy was beautifully decorated with rata. Along the beach I noticed pretty -little pink flowers growing in the sand beds. ,-We took off our boots and stockings and waded in" the sea and gathered some very nice seaweed,, which was washed up by every little wave. It was nice to stand and let the waves come over our feet. There were two wrecks at the beach, and we saw the boilers of another steamer that was wrecked some time ago. After spending the happiest day of my life on the beach we all started for home, well laden -with fruit, which we bought from the tents. On the way home we passed the Maori School, which is a very nice little building. The scenery round that beach is very beautiful. The tinkling of bells is heard in the evening, the bells being tied round the cattle so that they won't stray far in the bush. I will now end with the hope that I shall spend such another holiday next Christmas holidays. May I write again to give an account of my last year's holidays? — Yours truly, Vogisel,

Gore, March 29,

[Yes, certainly. Thank you for your interesting description of your trip, and I hope you will also send an account of your next year's trip when it comes. — Dot.]

Deab Dot, — This is the first time I have written to you, though I have often thought of doing so after I have been reading the Little Folks' column, and I hope (this will not be the last time. Dear Dot, I have three cats, and would you please give me a name ior the youngest one, which is pure black. It is full of fun, and is always getting into mischief, but with all its faults I cannot help liking it. I am the only one of the family, having no brothers or sisters. I learn music, and am very fond of it. Would you please give me the names of a few nice songs or pieces of music to learn. Dear Dot, the next time I write I shall

give you a description of Invercargill. lam in the Fifth Standard at school. So good-bye. — Yours truly, Jennie J. (aged 13 years). Invercargill, March 29.

[I think Mops is a good name for a kitten, don't you? I could scarcely give you the names of songs or pieces of music to learn without knowing how far you are on. Besides, it would not be fair to your teacher to learn pieces unless they were selected or recommended by him. — Dot.]

Dear Dot, — I have been reading some of the letters to you in the Witness, and I thought I should like to write you one also. I live in Oamaru. Igo to the North School, and am in the Second Standard, and I like my teacher very much. I have five dolls — quite a large family to wash and sew for. I have two brothers. They have some bantams, of which they are very proud. I hope you are quite well. May I write again ? — Yours truly, EaiiLY M. Will.

Oamaru, March 29.

[Yes, certainly, Emily. — Dot.]

Dear Dot,— =-1 go to school, and am in the Sixth Standard. We had a week's holiday, because the school was being painted and a ventilator put in. I did not enjoy them very much, because it was raining nearly all the time. It was a good thing we had the holidays, for there would not have been many at school, because the roads were so muddy. I have three miles to go to school, and it is sometimes very muddy in the winter. There are a good many people mining about here, and the farmers are busy taking in their crops. — Yours truly, Emilie Simpson.

Macraes, March 29,

Dear Dot, — I am going to tell you about a new paper from Dr Barnardo's homes called the "Young Helpers' League." Have you heard about it ? If you have not I will write again and tell you more about it. It is for boys and girls all over the world to join together to help the poor children. Don't you think it would be a good thing if all the children who read the Witness would join ? — Yours truly, Griffith Lewis (aged 9 years). Takaka, March 23.

[Yes, Griffith, I have seen the paper, but perhaps many of the little folks have not, so I should be very glad if you would write and tell all those who haven't all about it. The Witness little folks might do a lot of good by following your recommendation. — Dot.]

Deak Dot, — How are you getting on ? It is a long time since I wrote to you, so I thought I would write again. The weather is very hot just now, although there is a slight touch of frost in the mornings. A new school has been built about four niijes from here, and my brother and I ride to it. The mare we ride is called Nancy. Dear Dot, do you like honey ? We robbed a hive about a fortnight ago. It was the first one we have tried. The box was quite full of honeycomb. You would not think there would be room for the bees to get in. I

hare had two stings this year. The second one was very sore. It was just above my eye, and it was swollen for two days. I have four brothers and one sister. My brothers' names are Daniel, Johnnie, Robert, and James, and my sister's is Katie. I have a pretty little red-and-white calf. Would you please give me a name for it, and one for my little black-and-white kittens. — Yours truly, Edith Lavinia Weir.

Eden Creek, Gimmerburn, March 30,

[Do I like honey ! who does not I should like to know. But I prefer honey without the stings, though it is much nicer fresh from the comb than out of a bottle. How would you like Phyllis for the calf and Phoebe for the kitten ? You can then call them the two p's, though I am afraid you can scarcely say they are as like as two peas. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — The harvest is over at last, and as you drive along you see three or four stacks at almost every farmhouse. The next thing is the threshing mill. We were expecting one in this district before now, but I hear it is going up-country. It is working at the Kyeburn at present. The flood washed all the rabbits off our ground, so that I have not been out rabbiting of late. I have a black pup. I am teaching it to rabbit. Will you please give me a name for it. I would like very much to go to Dunedin. I have a lot of relations on the Peninsula. I think I will close now as it is my bedtime. — Yours truly, Daniel Weir (aged 11 years). Gimmerburn, March 30.

[As we are among the "p's," call him Plato, and if he is as wise as the sage from whom he takes his name you will be able to stay at home, and send him out to do rabbiting by himself. — Dot.]

Dear Dot, — We were very glad to see our last letter in the Witness. We thought that perhaps you -would not think it good enough to publish. We did not mean to be pert. In our last letter we described Gore to you, but some one said we should have described Gordon too. Gore has three suburbs. There are Gordon, Jacobstown, and Pigtown — at least that is what we heard some rude boys calling the one last named. The dairy factory is in Pigtown. Perhaps it is called after bhe dairy factory pigs. Gordon is situated on the eastern bank of the Mataura river. It is perched on the top of a mountain. It has two halls, two schools — a public one and a convent school — and two churches — the Presbyterian and the Catholic. The Presbyterian Church has lately been enlarged. It does not look very nice from the outside, but looks better inside. There are also several shops and two grain stores in Gordon. We have yet to describe Jacobstown, though we do not think it requires much description. It is called after one of its inhabitants. There was once a soap factory in Jacobstown, but it got burnt down. It has a famous well called St. Jacob's well. Some of the big girls got up a concert in aid of a poor woman. We had some fun on April 1. We meant to send you a letter written backwards for the Ist, so that the other

children who read the Witness would have 6ome fun making it out, but we had not time enough. Bridget is rather a changeable girl. She wants us to call her Norah, in this letter. The Southern Standard has copied part of- our last letter to you. It says : — $Three lHtle maids from school. — Writing from the Gore School, Lily Jane, and Bridget have been giving Dot, in the Witness, their opinion of the town in which they reside. Some of their remarks about Gore are well 1 " put, and show that the lassies keep their eyes open." At the end it says :—": — " It is a pity, though, that the girls can speak as they do of the big "people." We are very glad to know that you are a girl. I think we must stop now, as our letter is getting rather long. Does it matter how long our letters are? — Yours truly,

Lily, Jane, and Norah.

Gore, April 2,

[No, Lily, Jane, and changeable Norah, not a bit, so long as it is interesting, and that yours is interesting is evidenced by the two bad boys above taking exception to it and the Standard kindly copying it. I was not aware that Gore was as well off for suburbs and had in addition a St. Jacob's well. That certainly is an attraction, though the names of both town and suburb are anything but that, especially Pigtown, which I think should be changed before it becomes a fixture. — Dot.]

Dear Dot, — As we saw a letter in the Witness from Lily, Jane, and Bridget we thought we would send one too. We are in the same class as they are, and we know them well. They did not put their right names to their letter. Part of their letter was published in the Standard. There is to be a new church built in Gore. It is to be a Congregational Church. Please, Dot, publish this letter, and we will be very grateful to you. Yesterday was April Fool's Day, and we each got a blank letter. They had only a little slip of paper inside them, with " O you April fool " written on it. We think it was two girls who sent them. Please, dear Dot, can you give us a name for our cat ? He is a nice grey cat. We think that Lilly, Jane, and Bridget's letter was rather pert. — Yours truly,

# * * and 1 1.

Gore, April 2.

[Little folks must send their names with their letters as well as grown up correspondents. In order to mark my displeasure at this rule not being observed I have kept out the initials given in the above letter and put in three stars and a double dagger. It is not necessary that the name should be published, but it must accompany the letter whether for publication or not. Call the cat Gyp. — Dot.]

Dbak Dot, — I am going to tell you how I spent my Christmas holidays. My brother Robert and I were up at a place called Wandle creek for a fortnight. It is seven miles from Middlemarch. We were up to the top of the Rock and Pillar, and we caught 17 rabbits with

two dogs. We were also up to the Fifty-two Mile Peg. May I write again ? — Yours truly, George^RobektsOn. Taioma, April 1. ' [Yes, certaiuly, George, and try to tell us

Taioma, April 1

[Yes, certaiuly, George, and try to tell us something more about your trip to the Rock and Pillar and Jbhe Fifty-two Mile Peg when you do. — Dot.]