OUR LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 48

OUR LITTLE FOLKS.

Dot will Ijo pleased to receive short letters from Juvenile corre pendents on any mutters or Interest to themselves— «hort stnrie if pet animals, descriptions of their fiixjuritc tojs, their parties imiiMMneuti, Ac. The letters to be written by the children them iclro and adrtrei.sed " Dot, care of tho rMitor," aud to be pub Ishcd iv the page devoted to " Our Little Folks,"

DOT TO HER LITTLE FOLKS.

My Dbab Little Folks,— l remember last year Santa Claus wrote you such a nice letter at Christmas time. In case you have forgotten it — for a year is a temt>ly long time, I know — I am going to remind you of What the dear old man paid. I cannot remember the words, but I recollect the meaning of that little letter quite well.

" There is only one thing needed to make your Christmas perfect : the knowledge that by denying yourself you have made someone else hßppy." That was what Santa Claus said.

He meant, I think, someone outside that dear and magic circle that begins with father and mother and ends with baby — someone who is old or poor, Bick or sorry, for these are they whose Christmas needs gladdening.

Don't say jou have nothing to give. You have time to run in with a kind greeting and a smile on Christmas morning, even If you cannot spare a pretty card. You see it really is not the value of the gift that matters in the least— it is the knowledge that someone loves and remembers us.

In those nice little gardens you tell me of, are there not a few flowers to spare, a tiny plate of cherries or strawberries, or a tempting little basket of crisp salad, for some one who haa no garden 1

Then there are some clever little maids among you v/lin can bake nice light scones and tea cakes that would be so tempting to &n old person or a sick child.

Perhaps you have a little old basket lying fcboat on your shelves. It may be a little broken or you are tired of it. Let ub get it Sown and ask mother or sister if there is inch a thing as a pot of enamel in the house. [ daresay there ie, and you will only need to out one coat on with a clean brash. It dries

very quickly, and to-morrow your old basket will be all fresh and dainty, ready to fill on Curi&traas morning with fruit or flowers, and make quite a charming little present. I want every one of my little folks to b8 able to think when the long and happy Christmas Day is over, "I bave helped to make someone happy to-day." Perhaps you will like to write and tell me how you did it, and I am quite sure that if you will try my recipe you will have what I sincerely wish you: A Merhy Ciimstmas and A Happy New Year.