LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2056, 20 July 1893, Page 45

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Dear Dot,— l am a Dog, and my name is Lion. lam getting on for seven months old. I am a big dog for my age, and my master says lam going to be a very clever dog. lam good at heading sheep now, and I often gather up the hens for something better to do, and I chase small birds and try to c*tch them. I have no young dogs to play with, as they were given away when they were very small, but I don't mind that, for I am petted all the more. I always know when it is time to feed the calf, for I always get a basin of nice warm milk, which I enjoy very much. I think I will stop, as my master seems to be going for a walk. — Yours truly, A Dog. Duntroon, July 9. Dear Dot,— This time I will describe Heriot, the place in which I live. The population consists of about 150 people. They are mostly all farmers. There is one hotel and three stores, also three carpenters' shops. Services of all kinds have up till now been conducted in the school, but now the Roman Catholics have built a church on a nice site in a convenient position. We have also a post office savings bank and money order office, as well as telephonic communication with Tapanui. We have also got a dour mill worked by water power and a flax mill worked also by water, the latter of which employs about 15 men and boys. Dear Dot, through illness I have not been to school for 15 months, but have been receiving home instructions from my parents. — Yours truly, Mary Margaret Collins. Heriot, July 10. Dear Dot, — We are having three weeks' holidays from school, as a lot of the children have the measles, so I have time to write you a letter. I have a white rabbit, which I feed on thistles and oaten hay. We have also a little pup, whose mother died when he was but seven days old. We fed him with a feeding bottle till he learned to drink out of a dish. He is a black collie; will you please give me a name for him. We have a cat called Tom. When he was young he played a great deal with us, but now he goes night and morning to the stack to catch mice, and sleeps most of the day on the sofa. We have another black and white cat called Spot, and Her little black kitten. I am 10 years old, and am in the Second Standard.— Yours truly, Oamara, July 9. A. D. "[1 think Orphan would be a good name for the pup. What do you think ?— Dot.] Dear Dot,— l am a Magpie. I came from Australia. Dear Dot, don't you think that is a long journey ? I was brought to New 25ealand by a young man, One of my toes was sore, so I had to get it cut off. I had a mate — a little, laughing jackass, but he died. I can sing very nicely, but I don't sing much now sinoe I was caught in a trap, and I am very lame. There are a lot of hawks about here, and they sometimes try to catch me. There are also three cats, and we are very good

name for a white one. My brother has a little heifer calf. Our school is shut up on account of the measles for a fortnight. It has been raining here sinoe Wednesday night. My sister wrote to you last week, so I thought I would write this week. We have a lot of hens and turkeys. I will ask a riddle— Why does a hen pick a pot P lam in th&Third Standard. Mr Morris is o"ur teacher, and I like him very much.'— Yours truly, ,< Mary M. D. Earl (aged 10£ years). Duntooon, July 10. [You should have sent the answer with the riddle. Call the white cat Snow.— Dot.]

Dear Dot, — I go to school three days a week, and am in the First Standard. There are six boys and one girl in it. I live at Eastern Bush with my grandfather and grandmother. We have eight horses ; their names are Tom, Billy, Kate, Gipsy, Victor, Nugget, Maggie, and Geordie. I have a brother named Donald, and a sister named Christina. They are in Otautau with father and mother.— Yours truly, Annie M'Laren j Eastern Bush, July 8. (aged fy years). Dear Dot, — I go to school, and am in the Fifth Standard. Our school is closed on account of the measles just now. My brother has a sheep run near Clinton called Anisi. He has five dogs ; their names are Billy, Bob, Darkie, Tup, and Wag. I am going up there in the summer. It will be nice to see all the little lambs.— Yours truly, Mary Todd. Gladstone, July 7. Dear Dot,— As I see all my little friends writing to you I thought I would write too. I am stopping with my brother on the Morven Hills station. The part lamon is called the Peaks, because they are very high. ,My brother is rabbiting up here. He lays poison, but he can't get many rabbits, as they won't take it, and that is very annoying. He has seven mates. We have four tents. We sleep in two of them, and we use one for putting the rabbitskins in, and the other one we dine in. We can't get many rabbits now, as there is about 12in of snow on the ground. lam going back to school again after the winter, as I don't like rabbiting. We have four dogs and a black pet rabbit. — Yours truly, John Mitchell (aged 12£ years). Morven Hills, July 11. Dear Dot, — I live at Blacks. I go to school, and am in the Third Standard. Mr Beaks is our teacher, and I like him very much. I have a foal ; please will you give me a name for him. He is very cunning, and can jump very high. He often jumpa over the fence of the paddook. A concert and dance was held in the schoolhouse, and it lasted till 6 o'clock in the morning. I have a little calf, and its name is Strawberry. It has no ears, because it had trouble with the beeß. There is a new dredge in Blacks, and they are waiting for a man to put the machinery in her. There are two carpenters' shops, two blacksmiths' shops, two hotels, two banks, three stores, two dress-

every day while the frost is so hard, for it is too far and' so cold. I have two sisters and two brothers. Their names are Hannah, Jessie, Andrew, and the baby. —Yours truly, Lillie Reid (aged 8 years). Kawarau Bridge, July 11. • Dear Dot,— l did not go to school to-day as it was raining, so 1 thought I would write to you. I go to the Gibbston School, and am in the Third Standard. Mr Walsh is my teacher, and I like him very much. I have five brothers and two sisters. One of my brothers is in Victoria. Dear Dot, I have a little grey .kitten ; will you please give me a name for it. We are going to have a picnic at Gibbston on August 4, and I hope it will be a fine day. Last picnic we had was on the Friday before New Year's Day, and it was very wet and cold.— Yours truly, Bella Chalmers. Gentle Annie, July 1.

[Make a name for it from the name of the place at which you live by prefixing the first letter of the first word to the second word — Gannie. — Dot.]

Dear Dot,— l live at Bast Gore and go to school. lam in the Fifth Standard. Mr Gilchrist is my teacher, and he is very well liked by all the pupils. I had two pet birds— a starling and a goldfinch. The starling was very tame, and very seldom visited his cage. He would run about the floor like a chicken. I first got him on the Prince of Wales's Birthday, but on the 13th of this month we were all out, and he got out of his cage and into a bucket of water, in which my mother found him quite dead. I miss him very much. The goldfinch is still living. Dear Dot, I will write again if you wish. — Yours truly, East Gore, July U. Noba A. Mulvey.

[Of course I wish it, Nora. What a pity such an interesting bird should lose his life. lam sure you will miss him very much. — Dot.]

Dear Dot,— You do not get many letters from Kurow so Bertie and I thought we would write one. Ido not go to school yet, but I shall go after the winter. I am going to stay at my grandma's and going to school with my Auntie Emma. Dear Dot, I have a dear little pup ; it has no tail, and its name is Bell. I have a nice doll named Rosalie. You gave it that name a long time ago. I had another called Mable, but Sonny broke it. Dear Dot, I hope you will be able to read this letter.rYours truly, May Gertrude Chapman (aged 6£ years). Kurow, July 5.

Dbab Dot,— We had an old torn oat. He was such a nice old pussy, you know. He was black and white. He used to go away and catch rabbits, but one night he went oat and did not come in again. I have three miles to go to school, and as I was going down the road one day I saw a cat dead, but it was not our old torn cat.— Yours truly, Bebtie Chapman (aged 9£ years). Kurow, July 5. Dear Dot,— My sister has a very pretty wax doll. It is dressed in velvet ; please will yon give me a name for it ; also a name for a pony, which is a Shetland one and has a long mane. I am going to have a party soon on my birth* day, and I will be 12. I have a dear little baby Bister called Irene. Please would you or some of the little folks tell me a nice dialogue, because I and some of my friends would like to act one. I would like to writs to some of the little folks in the country, but I do not know any. I hope some of them will see my letter and write. — Yours truly, ' H. C. [Call the doll Princess May and the pony Duke of York— Duke for short.— Dot.]