LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2242, 18 February 1897, Page 51

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Dear Dor, — Ifc is a long tim? since I wrots to you, 80 I thought I would wrifce and tell you how I spent my Christmas holidays. Oar school picnic was held ou Chriitoias Day, aod the prizes did nob come, so tbey were given out ia , the cehool. My Bister and brother got a bcok j each, and 1 gob a little box covered with shells. - I thiuk they were the nicest holidays I have

ver had. A few days before the school started | we went away for awhile. When we came home we had to start and thin turnips with our hands, which was nob very pleasant,. The big j cat that; I told you about in still swimming tbo ; river. I think he ivrims it to get rabbits. I | suppose he thinks the rabbits on our side of the : river are not good enough for him. The Wynd- i ham flower show was held on February 3, but we did not have any exhibits at it. We have a I canary which we have bad since the year before the exhibition. We are feeding a little foal jasfc now. My mother has 17 young turkeys and four ducks and a lot of chickens. I think I will stop now, aa my letter will be getting too long. — Yours truly, Bella Aitken. Mataura Island, February 8. [I am glad you enjoyed your holidays, Bella, eyen if they did include a spell at thinning turnips. You will no doubt take a much j greater interest in the turnip crop through hay- | ing assisted in the thinning. That is a lot of ( young turkeys to rear ; what are they fed on ? j You will have to tell us bow many live to become full-grown birds. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — I thought I would write and tell you about a very nice picnic we had on the beach the day before the sohool opened. We started at 11 o'clock for the beach, and came home at 7. so we had a long day. The weather was splendid, and everybody took off their boots aud waded in the sea. Some of the children took off their clothes and went bathing. Ib was great fun to see thtni with just their heads above water. There is a small island called Monkey Island ; but ifc is only an island ! when the tide is in. Dear Dot, I wa« very sorry when the school opaued again. There is to be a sohool excursion to Mataura in a Fortnight, and if you don't mind I shall write and tell you all about ifc^ I have two tame rabbits, two guinea pigs, a cat, a dog, four white mice, two pigeons, three canaries, and a pony. All these pets take a lot of looking after, and when Igo to school I have not time lor much more. I am in the Sixth Standard at school. Mr Young is our teacher. I have two sisters and one brother. I think boys aye great teases ; my brother is always teasing up. I must say good- ] night now, as I have not time to write any j more. With love, — Yoiuafciruly, Stella, i Wyndham Terrace, Orepuki, February 4. [You must indeed have plenty fco do with so many pets to attend to iv addition to learning your lessons, Stella. Is tbe beach far? In | view of the happy day you spent there I suppose ' you are looking forward eagerly to your trip to Mutaura.— Dot.] j Drah Dot, — I enclose 5s worth of stamps | for the Kindergarten Fund. Wishing it every success and you every happiness, — I »m &c, February 10. A Fhiend. [Thank you Bincerely, friend, who do not even give The name of your district. Your large contribution baa enabled me to send the i seventeenth pound to the kindergarten, as you i will see below. — Dot.] ! Dea.u Dot, — I am staying with my grandmother close by the seaside. North Heads is a very pretty place. Oar picnic was held on December 18, and I won a race at.d gob a doll. After the races were over we went and had our tea, and than we went borne, and I was vary glad to get horn«, for I was j ve^r tired. 1 have four pretty litUe kittens ; j please will -you give me names for them, and • please give me uames for fchre,e dolls — Yours j truly, Ellen Lindsay. North Heads, February 10. [Ah, Ellen, seven names all in a bunch ! Wherever am Ito got them from ? Well, call the kitten* Spider, Nip, Turk, and Oipsy, and ] the dolls Sara Brrnhardt, Mary Anderson, aud ( Ellen Tarry.— Dot.] Deak Dot, — I do Dot go to school, but my mother teaches me afc home, and I go to a teacher for music and drawing. My birthday ■ .will be here sooo, and I expect to have a happy i day. There is a nice green paddock at the back of our house, and father always takes ] us there and plays with us till tea is ready. — | Yours truly, " Rena Dillon Bell Caged 8 years and 11 months). j Mount street, Perth, W.A., January 24. [I hope your birthday will prove as happy as you anticipate it will, Rena. I did not think there could be any green paddocks in Perth at j , this time of the year, after you have had 80 [ much hofc weather. — Dot.l Dkak Dot, — Our sohool opens on Tuesday, | and I am quite ready for work ag&iu after auch enjoyable holidajs. We had a nice shower of I rain this morning, and I am sure it has done a I lot of good, as nearly all the tanks were empty. I was rowing on the pond this evening and the bovfc nearly capsiz-id, bub we only got wet. Roy I Concliffc is teaching me to row, and he says !he has a contract on band. My grandpapa, gave me a little foal for a New Year's gift, and I call it Admiral. — Youts truly, Oliver Briohtox. Orepuki, January 31. [I am pleased to hear that your holiday has been so enjoyable, Oliver, and that you are going back to school eager to work and improve yourself. Is the pond deep ? — Dot ] Dear Dot, — I am home again, and as I have had a good time in Dunediu I will be ready for workagMn when school opens on Tuesday. My birthday -was last Thursday— l was 12 years old. My brother gave me a little white spaniel with brown ears and sof c dark eyes. I call him Noble. I also got a writing desk from toy sister '. and a bicycle from my father aud mother. j Don't you think it was very good of Ihem, Dot, i aud were nob tbe presents very nice ? My cousin has a pretty little kitten witu black and gold patches on a white coat, and he told me to ask you to give him a name for it next time I wrote, if you would be so kind, please. There ia to be a picnic down ou the beach on Monday. It is for the school children. I will let; you know how we got on uexfc time I write. My iittie nephew ia also writing to you. — Yours truly, Roy Conclift. Orapuki, January 29. [Your yesenfs were very handsome, Roy, and I am glad you iutend to repay the kindnesses shown you by being eager for school work. The spaniel must be very pretty, and I should think you will take great pride in him. Such a kitten as that your cousin has might bs called Dainty.— Dot ]