LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 51

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Dear Dot.—l am sending you a story for the little folks—"What Daisy Did"—and I hops they will liko it. I made the story up myself. lam 13 years old. Do you like the story, Dot ? Dot, would you call a litfclo black and white kitten ? Do yeu thiuk Spot i 3 a good name for it ? I huve a flower garden, and ki it; are violefcs, primroses, rose 9, forget-me-nots, and a grtrat tmav others. Do you like the wild bluebell flower ? The story is called WHAT DAISY DID. 1. She was only a little girl about 10 years old v. She had fair curly hair, blue eyes, and a pretty

rosy face. One afternoon she was walking in the garden, when a cry from the kitchen brought her running in, and she was greeted with : "Daisy, you naughty girl, just look at Dioky." (Dicky was a little kitten.) "You left that cream jar down, and Dicky fell into it." " Oh, auntie, I never left the jar there," exclaimed Daisy iv tears. " Eliza must have done so." "Go to your room, and stay there till dinner time," said her aunt. Poor Daisy felt Borry that Aunt Lena should think she left the jar down. Now she was saying to herself : " I'll just run over to Mrs Rod's and stay till dark, because auntie won't believe me." This was very naughty of Daisy. Daisy's mamma had died when she was a baby, and her father had left her with her aunt, Miss Beecher, who was a very strict woman. Miss Beecher went upstairs to get ready for dinner, and was about to change her shoes when a loud rap at the door came. She hurriedly dressed herself and went to the door. "Please, mis 3, I was just a walking down by the stream when my eye caught sight of a pink dress, and I discovers this ere little maid ; so I ses to meself, this is little Miss Daisy Richmond, this is." With a look of surprise, Miss Beecher took Daisy ia her arms and gave her a good shake, saying : " Now, miss, you will please to explain how you came to be asleep at the stream and not in your room ? All I can do is to tell your father to take you away ! " Poor Daisy was heart-broken at this, and could do nothing but sob on her auntie's knee. Seeing how much she was affected, Miss Beecher determined not to carry her threat out, so Daisy remained on with her aunt. ii. About two years after this event Miss Beecher was suddenly taken ill, which frightened Daisy so much that she went to Mrs Rod's for help. Mrs Rod was a kind old dame, so she came over at once. Daisy was not allowed to see her aunt ; but one day Miss Beecher asked for the little girl. " Daisy," said her aunt, " I have been very cruel to you ; but I am dyiug now, and I have to tell you something. There is a note in that box, and when I die you must read it " "Oh, auntie," sobbed Daisy, "you have been very kind to me and I have to thank you very " " Hush, child ! I hear music ! " Thea she sank back on her pillow. Daisy crept noiselessly out of the room, and her aunt went to sleep to wake no more. Poor Daisy was thus ; left all alone, but her father came to take care j of her. I One Sunday she suddenly got off her chair ! and went to the box that her aunt had 6poken | about, and took the note oub of ifc. It ran as ( follows: — "My dear little Daisy, — You have i been very kind to me, and I am too far gono | now to repay you for it. I am very grateful, ! aud thank you with all my heirfc for your ktad- ! ness.— Your loving aunt, L. Beeciier." I Daisy had jusfc -time to read ifc when with a ! cry she Fell backwards to tfee floor in a dead | iamt. Her strength had been overtaxed by the j death of her auao, and M>e lonely life she had ] since lead had weakened her narves. The next ! thing she knew was fiudiug 3iev i*th«r bending j over her. '•Well, dear, I though!; you would nsver > come fco." : " Oh, papa ! what am lin bed for, and whore | is — oh," sobbed Daisy, " I remember now." } When Daisy got better her l'athcr said to her one day : '•Daiey, would you like another U!*m*m>, ? "' "Why, papa. I. should .'ike nat&ing better."' . "Well, 'dear, I have brougnt you a jjw j mamma." ! So Mrs Henry Richmond was fotrsduc^d to j her husband's lstfcle girl. Daisy bacumo very : fond of ber Btep-mofcher. They all xvftnt M^/ay j from auntie's place and lived in a aiuall cottage j noar ihe win. ; — Yours truiy, A Little Gik^. [Tae story possesses sorue inSeresS, but ib £.-; very disjointed. You do r.ot clsar up \.ht i -mystery of how the cream ju- came zi> be tlow>i, I or tell us how Daisy came to bu sleeping cm the river bank. I think SjiOfc is a very good name for a kitfceu, and I doa'fc think I could ' improve on it. Ido not know the wild blue- : bell, unless it is the little mauve flower known | as self-heal, but which botanists call Pmuella J vulgaris. If so it i» k very praU.7 little flower. ; Next time jou write send me one of th-j flowers ! and a piece of the root if you can. You should ', only write on one side of the iiapnr. — Dot,"] j DKAft Dot, — I learn dancing at a class fca ugh!; , by Madame Hamsnn. T have a little garden, in ! vfhich violets are beginning ro grow. — Yours i truly, Jkssib Miller (aged 9 years), i Green Island, April 29. j , [I hope you will have >ileuty of flowers on I your violets, Jessie. — Dot.] • Dear Dot, — We both go to the Matau j School, ab which we are in tho iSixfch and ihe i Fourth Standards. Wij have gob a doll each ; ■ please will yaa give ns names for them. We j hare both a floiver garden at the scfcool. We j have priinr jses, panaws, violets, and daisies iv i them. There were prizes for sewing last year, aud we both tojlc first prizes in our standards. We have no news to tell you just now, but next time we write we hope we shall be able to tell you some. We are sending you two riddles, and we hope the little folks will like them. — Yours truly, j Inch Clutha, April 27. Two Schoolmates. I j [You don'fc tell me whether you are sifters or j brothers or cousins or siaiply schoolmates, but I fancy comehow you are sisters. Has each pupil in your school a flower garden, or are you the exceptions ? I think you might call the dolls after two of the flowers iv your garden — Pansy ' and Violet. — Dot.] i Dear Dot, — I have two kitfcens called Fluff and Topsy. Fluff is grey, aud Topsy is black and white. I was in the Second Standard when last I wrote to you, but I am in the Third now. , We live about 57 mil^s from Dunedin, at a place called Hampdeu. We ar<j milkina four cows, and bheir name 3 are Pansy, Lily, Queenie, and Brindle. I have & flower garden, but there are not many (lowers out in it. We are having very 1 dry weather here at present. I must now draw ! my letter to a close, as it is getting late. — Yours truly, Hampdeu, April 27. Flora. Thomson. [The flower time is nearly pasb now, Flora, ! and except for the chrysanthemums they will be very scarce till the spring flowers begin to bloom. Thank you for the stamps for the Kindergarten Fund. —Dot.] Dear Dot,— l was 12 years old last week, ; and I gob a lot of presents. AmoDg the pre- ! sents was a cup and saucer, a skipping rope, a I book, a doll which bai joiuts, and also a pretty j pinalore which mother gave me. There were many others too numerous to mention. I gave a little birthday party, and 15 girl friends and tour boy friends of mine were invited to it. We played a gocd many games, and then we had a , cup of tea handed round to ue, and then we [ started to play again. After we had played some two or three hours we had a cuD of cocoa.

aud then we all wished eaoh other good-bye.. 1 I am glad to say my friends were all pleased with the day' 6 events. — Yours truly, ,

Maud Mabel Qeutrude Qladstosto.

[It is very nice to have a birthday, Maud!/ and I am glad you and your friends enjoyed yourselves aud passed a pleasant time. — Dot.]

Dear Dot,— l am going to tell you why my fist letter was go late in arriving. I wrote ifc on March 18, and I forgofc all about posting it. You must excuse my forgetfulnesa this time. We are getting fine weather up here just now. I have a little blaok and white kitten ; please will you give me a name for it. lam going to send some stamps for the Kindergarten Fund nexb time I write. Our baby has a nice big doll ; please will you give me a name for it also. — Yours truly, Lawrence, April 26. Nellie.

[Call the kitten Tip and the doll May. You should always send y,our full name with your letters, Nellie. This is a newspaper rule, and it should never be broken on any consideration, —Dot.]