LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 45

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Dear Dot, — Roxburgh is a great fruit-grow-ing district, the fruit being chiefly peaches, plums of all kinds, apricots, pears, apples, cherries, strawberries, grapes (which are grown in hothouses), and a lot of other small fruit. The fruit from here is sent to all the largest towns of New Zealand ; but the growers are forming a company to build a jam and canning factory, which I think ought to pay very well. There is also a lot of mining and dredging done here. Roxburgh is not a very big town, and is very quiet. The Dunedin and southern mails arrive here every night at half-past 7, and the Queenstown ones three tia-es a week. My father is postmaster and telegraphist here ;J; J my sister is assistant. My father has been stationed here 21 years My brother Henry is in the Railway department, and is stationed at Winton ; he is also telegraphist there. We are always glad when he gets his holidays, because he comes home to see us. I have a pony and a nice little saddle that my brother bought for me in Invercargill. I have only been in Dunedin three times. The last time I stayed five months and went to school. My sister has a nice little black dog named Ponto. Dear Dot, I read the little folks' letters every week, and like them very mucb, and my sister enjoys the Ladies' page. I must not forget to tell you about the coalpits. There are three of them about five miles from here. The coal is very easy to get out, so it is very cheap. I think if the railway comes from Heriot (which tbe people here are trying to get) coal will be sent further down country, which of course will be good for Roxburgh. Will you please give me a name for my j pony. She is very small, and her colour is brown. I used to have one called Dot, after you, but it died, and I don't like to call this one Dot in case it should die also. — Yours truly, Roxburgh, June 24. Thomas G. Coop. [Call the pony Donna, which will go very well with Fouto.— Dot.] Deak Dot, — The enclosed is the promised letter from my little Queenslander cousin. It is some time since I wrote to you, bu- I still take as much interest as ever in the little folks' letters. I hope you are quite well and are enjoying this winter weather. We have no special pets just now to tel you of excepting two large yellow and white cats named Ginger and Buff, and three grey kittens named Tibbie, Georgetown, and Tiger. A little black retriever pup ' has taken the place of Prince. We have named it Pompey. We have no garden at present, but ntend to do something to the vacant land when

his magic lantern. He took a photo"of the school children, and some of us bought them, and got them sent to us through the post. Unfortunately, they proved very poor photos, and none of us are satisfied with them. — Yours truly, A School Gibl. Tuapeka Mouth, June 25. Dear Dot, — I am a horse, and my name is Jean. I have a great deal of work to do, and you may be sure I don't like it. Sometimes my master and mistress 'go for a drive, and they take me ; and if I think that I am getting too much of the whip I try to put my hind feet into the spring cart. One day I saw a leaf of the Otago Witness lying on the ground, and having no work to do that day I [thought I would read it. It happened to be the leaf with the little folks' letetrs in it, and seeing letters from Ferrets, Cows, &c, I made up my mind that I would write too. I must say good-bye now as my master is coming to put me into the plough. — Yours truly, Jean. Gibbston, June 23. Dear Dot, — I live at Ta'evi Beach. There are many pretty ferns growing in the bush here Dear Dot, do you like maidenhair ferns ? We have some growing in pots ; I think they are very pretty. I have a garden with many nice flower* in it We have had very bad weather lately. I have a little grey and white kitten, and I call it Spot. I have a doll ; will you please give me a name for it. — Yours truly, Fanny. Taieri Beach, June 23. [Call the doll Myrtle.— Dot.] Dear Dot, — I live at Taieri Beach. It is a very pretty place in the summer time, but it is not so nice in the winter. We are heaving very wet weather down here just now, and the roads are muddy and disagreeable. In the summer time great numbers of people come to the seaside to spend their holidays. We live a long way from the sea, and we do not often go to bathe in the summer time. Dear Dot, will you please give me names for my brother's three ferrets. — Yours truly, Polly. Taieri Beach, June 25. [Call the ferrets Nip, Fly, and Spicier. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — I like to read the little folks' letters, and I thought I would write to you too. We live a mile from the beach at Warrington, and I like to go to it. We have five kittens, and would you please give me names for them all. We have also a puppy, and I would like you to give me a n»me for it too. We washed the puppy to-day. We were at school to-day. I am in the Second Standard at school. We are playing with tops at school, and I have three tops — Yours truly, Tomtit. Sea View, Beaconsfield, June 25. [Tomtit is a very modest little bird, asking for five names all in a breath ! I really would have to give up suggesting names if all my lit'le friends asked for them in such a wholesale manner. Call the kittens Slap, Bang, Twist, Trip, and Slip, and the pup Turk. — Dot.]

summer comes round. This is all I have to tell you at present, but I shall write again. Dear Dot, could you give me a recipe for toffee. Good-bye just now.— Yours truly, Daisy. East fnvercargill, June 28. [I have not a recipe for toffee by me, but perhaps "Emmeline " when she sees this will put one in next week's Home Interests.— Dot.]

Dear Dot, — My New Zealand cousin wishes mo to write to yon. I am a little Queenslander, but not a black one. lam 10 years old. When I was six years old my mother and father went to England, and I went too. We went in the large steamer Oroya, and we had some fine fun on the way. We called at a great many places. They took in coal at Colombo, hundreds of Cingalese carrying in the coal in bags My father went on shore, and when he came back he found all the white people black with coal dust, the wind blowing it all over our part of the ship. They took in more coal at Port Said, but we did not get black there, as the wind did not blow. We got to London in July 1890, and came to Tasmania in October. lam afraid I am writing too much, so will tell you more another time if you would like me to do so. — Yours truly, Maggie Stapleton. Longford, Tasmania, June 5. [Of course I would, Maggie ; and you need not be afraid of writing too much. — Dot.] Deab Dot, — I am a little strawberry calf. My name is Fanny, and I am terribly ill-used by the youngsters of this town. When my mistress lets me out they all ride me, and I have to be kept in now, which I think is very hard. If you could give me a cure for my troubles my mistress would be so glad. I have a little goat for a mate, and her name is Blossy. Mymasterbought her when she was only a month old near Clyde We get fed an chaff and bran every morning and night. Dear Dot, please lot me know how you liko my letter, and may I write again ? — Yours truly, Fanny. Cromwell, June 28. [For a calf Fanny's letter is very nice. She may certainly write again, and when she does I hope that she will have a better ta'e to tell of the conduct of the Cromwell boys. If not, I think her mistress should get the police to look into the matter. — Dot.]

Deab Dot, — I am a dog, and my name is Rover. I used to live at the Clutha garden with two other dogs, but I have been taken away up into the rocks. My mastor is very good to me, and lets me sleep in his tent with him. One day Inn away from him and went back to my old home, but I was not there very long when he came and took me away again. I am very lonely up here, having no little boy or girl to play with me I will stop now, ?s my paw is getting very sore.— Yours truly, Bendigo, June 20. Rovbb.

Dear Dot,— l live at Tuapeka Mouth, and go to school nearly every day. Tuapeka Mouth is not a very big place, but three new houses have just been built, which is a good sign. Some time ago Mr Knott was round here with

Dear Dot, — I am an old Bokaka tree growing in the Waikawa bush. I think lam 100 years old. I think I can remember Captain Cook sailing past in a vessel. My mates and I were very happy till some bushmen came with their sharp axes and cut my mates down. I w?.s very frightened they would cut me down too. They took my mates away to a sawmill and sawed them into timber. — Yours truly, A Bokaka Tree. Waikawa, June 23. Dear Dot, — I live at Maungatua. I have four sisters, whoso names are Alice, Annie, Rosie, and Violet. Maunga* ua is a pretty place in the summer time. I often go and gather ferns in the bush. I have a doll that came all the way from Roxburgh. I called it Lily, because it had such a palo face. I also have a black cat. Mother calls it Snoozer, but I don't like that name ; would you please give me ano'her ono for it. We have tbree <*og3 ; their names are Rip, Shot, and Rag Don't you think they are funny names ?— Yours ' truly* Jessie Gray. [Very, and I expect your mother is quite right about the cat. Doe*n't she snooze away all day, and isn't the name therefore an appropriata one. I really think it would be better to leave her with her present name. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — I write you a few lines to let you know that lam getting on well. I have a cat ; please will you give me a name for it. I bave two miles to walk to f chool. — Yours truly Mina Smith. Tafctenham, Waitahuna West, June 22. [Call the cat Mops.— Dot.]