LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2358, 4 May 1899, Page 57

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Dear Dot, — Now that holiday-making is over, I suppose we shall all settle down to steady work or play, as the- case may be. It's a" terrible thing writing letters, especially when people tell you that you should write this way and that way. It is really sickening to listen to them. You can't please everybody, or else it will be a case of " the donkey and his master," when the latter took the former to be sold. Well, Dot' Coo-ec is not going to please everybody, as long as she can please you and the little folks. Those who are not pleased with' my letters can put up with them, and can eat " humble*pie." I heartily congratulate you, 8.0.8., on Moses winning the first prize for the Maiden Hunters' Race. You must have been in the seventh world of happiness when your noble steed won first prize. Now, 8.0.8., I dou't think you read my- letters properly, for you said something to this effect in la.=t Witness: " I see Coo-e& has sent another welcome letter. She has kindly mentioned about the rabbits." (They were words to that effect — I'm not quite sure what they were, as I haven't the paper just now.) Now, 8.0.8., I think you ha\c over-read my letters, or else you did not read them properly. I thing it was Devonshire Dumpling who mentioned about rabbits*. ■ I wonder if Dot reads my letters like 8.0.8. does? Dear Dot, -reading the paper come time back I came across a letter to you from Beth. What a surprise I got. Now, how did you know, Beth, that Coo-ec was your old friend and schoolmate? Little' boys and little girls should ii6t~teir"tsle& out of school, should they, Dot? It has been my fate ever since I wrote to you, Dot, to write comethine; down, so people would know who Coo-ce is. I'm very glad to see you have joined our group, Beth, and I shall be very glad to read 'your letters. I haven't got one from you since Christmas, Both. I suppose you'd like to know how M. W. is, Beth? Or have you forgotten "Cacklely"? Well, she has left school, and tho last time I saw her was on Easter Sunday. Sho was all right then. Dear Dot. cince I've got this far I don't know what else to say* The boys have caught a seagull. They went and. set a ra-bbit trap with an ancient shark. They laid it around the trap, and the bird seeing the fish, pounced down, and not seeing the trap, for it is fixed so it can't be seen, tho bird was caught. We have caught a great many of them lately. They lot it go after a few hours of nmueement. Dad went shooting last Monday with a friend. Dad had a dog, and shecaught a kaka. Dad shot it; but only wounded it. and after it fell it was going to fly away when " the dog pounced upon it. Dad brought it home, and it lived' for four or five days, then it died, for dad dropped- a lump of wood on it. I don't think I shall havo time to havo my photo taken, so. Zidca, I'm very sorry to disappoint you and Dot We are all forgotten- down here. We have no photographer down this part, and Harry has never sent his friend along to us. My height is sft O^in. So lam only 2in higher than Ziska, and l£in lower than Devonshire Dumpling. Am I too tall to be considered as a "'little folk"? I must conclude now, after wishing you all good-bye. — Yours truly,

COO-EE.

[You are quite right, dear, in writing in your own style, and I am perfectly satisfied, so just go on as you have been doing. lam so sorry you will not be ablo to Fend your photo, Coo-go. as I want all our correspondents if pccsiblo. and as many little readers as we can get. If you can. po&sibly manage it, do send it. dear. No, Coo-ne, I" don't think you are a bit too big-. — DOT.]

Dear Dot, — We are having very bad weather here just now. A very nice hall has "been built here. It was opened in February by a concert and ball. When I was out after tho cows the other evening J saw a dog scratching at a rabbit'r. burrow. I chaped the dog away, and putting ray arm in I pulled out a rabbit. This being my first letter to you, I will not make it too long. — Yours truly, SYDNEY KNIGHT (aged 8 years). ' Waipori, April 2\.

[It is a very good beginning, Sydney, and I hope wo shall hear from you again. — DOT.J

Dea 1 " Dot, — I ?ee Con has said good-bye to you and to tho Littlo Folks' Page. He's a nice fellow to go and desert us. BuL I suppose it cannot bo helped, unless he changes his mind. I think all tho readers of the Little Folks' Pago will miss his letters very much should he not do so. First go off, we lose Shasta, and now Con retires. I began to think I was getting too old likewise, but it looks too much like wholesale desertion, dear Dot, if I leavo you just yet awhile. I am learning shorthand, too, and our old friend the " Ponui Hermit " is my teacher. He goes to no end of trouble teachingTne and correcting my exercises. If Con wants practice in tho learner's style, let mo advise him to transcribe some of the letters appearing in tho Little Folks' Pago into shorthand. The letters are pretty easy, and have any amount of grammalogues in them. I havo transcsribed into shorthand Con's last loiter, and also several other letters. I find this very good practice. A ievr weeks ago one of our old mates, Sonny, left this part of the district. The night before ho went wo gayo him a *' send-off " supper. Wo had singing and dancing to further order?. We roared out "Resin the bow," "Wild colonial boy," " Half-past nine " (though at the time it was nearly midnight), "We all went home in a cab," and hosts of other songs till wo were fairly" hoarse. At 1 a.m. wo all joined hands in singing that good old song " Auld lang syne." I then put the finishing touch to our littlo party by playing " God save the Queen " (for wo are all loyal to the backbone) on tho accordion. So ended our little " farewell "to Sonny, which will remain green in our meirory for many a year. The lake is clo=ed Jigiiin after keeping open for nearly 11 months. 1 expect wo nhall all go and open it next wook. J «<•*> in tho Witness of March 23 that Boy objefts \>> tlio JeMuio 0. stylo of girL Now, why ffin't thpy lrnvo .Icxßio C. alone? For my pnrt. f thoroughly fidmiio n girl who ran kill and «l?iii n sheep. It phows her nerve and "grit." I knew a girl, the daughter of one of the former rnannsierß of Otongo-orongo station (which ir 12 miler. from here) who eqflld J«U ftn,d f&iu a ehgep uu woll txa any man

on the -station. Ab for it being out of place J 'and unmaidenly — well, perhaps 1 it is. But t did not Joan of Arc lead the French soldiers? , Was that out of place and unmaidenly? Per- ' haps it was, but did it not show her *' grit " and j love for her country? Take, again, Florence j Nightingale. Was it unmaidenly of her and | the other nurses to go far from their native land to a cold foreign land — to a country where fierce fighting raged between the allied armies and Russia — to care for and nurse wounded - British soldiers? Did it not show their pluck and love for their country's own soldiers? Then look at the Salvation Army girls, who so nobly offered to nurse the wounded American soldiers during the late Spanish- American war. It is girls and women of the Je3sie O. stamp, — who havo plenty of nerve and " grit " — that a country ought to be proud of. I have just finished reading Ziska's letter in the Witness of April 6. If Ziska is satisfied that she meant the same as- I did when I said " Rats," — well, then, Fm satisfied. But I think it would, puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer to find out what either of us I meant. No, I'm not at all offended at what j Zipka hasjaid — who could be at such" a charming correspondent? Besides, I suppose I brought it on my own head. Well, Ziska, shall we call it quits? They say girls will have the last word, soil suppose Mr Dicky Donovan will get a parting salute before long. Indeed, wo should all be sorry to see Ziska's name disappear from the Little Folks' Page. Last year Mabel Lauri was inquiring if I had deserted Dot ' and the little folio?. It now comes to my turn to inquire if she has deserted Dot? What's become of Johnny Cor- j kill? — and Boss? — likewiee Solomon slow? Where havo Sybil Scribbles, Priscilla. Mona, and Nancy got to? Wake up. you dilatory correspondents, and write to Dot. Well, I must now close, dear Dot, or else i shall be encroaching too much on your space. With best wishes to yourself and the littlo folks, — Yours truly, DICKY DONOVAN. Dear Dot, — I have to thank you for your kind" invitation to write again. We are hay- • ing very, disagrcable weather of late — a Scotch | mist prevailing from morn to night. It has j cleared away now, and a strong east wind is ! blowing, which is also very disagreeable, but ! it will dry the roads up, which they need | badly. Wasn't that good luck for 8.0.8. and Moses?. I wish I could have seen them. I am " sure they would be a splendid signt. There is Jo be a soiree at our church, and I am going if it'is'a fine night, "it-is to go in ■-■ at 7 o'clock, and tho admission is to be a shilling. Thoro will be five- speakers. As I war. reading the letters in the Witness I noticed one in which the writer was objecting, to Jessie C. killing sheep. I have noticed girls doing many things which boys do. They go rabbiting, and what more is there in killing a sheep than a rabbit? Then, they go riding a bike; indeed I know a girl who rides her j brother's bike; and T read in tho paper of I a certain king — I cannot remember his namo just now — in whoso reign there uero women barbers and women brewers, and when men came and began to work they thought it was the world coming to an end. We read of shepherdesses, and oven of some women who dre/s in men's clothes. Dear Dot, I hope I have not said too much on this matter. Would you think I was a girl? Dear Dot, I see one of the girls means to havo her photo in first. I wonder if I cannot boat her. - Sho says her nose is plightly turned up. I cannot say that my noso is, but I can say that it ia very flat, and I am not at all pretty, and I hope you will not faint when you see mo, if the printers make a mistake and print a cot instead of a girl. Dear Dot, do please put your .photo in among ue. If you don't I do not think it will be fair. Now, dear Dot, I will have to close, as it is getting late. With love to all tho little and big folks, and not forgetting yourself. I am sending my photo. Don't faint, Dot. Good night, dear Dot. — Your loving STARLIGHT. April 25. [Starlight will see that she will at least gee the portrait of 8.0.8. and Moses, for it has come to hand, and a really good one it is. Yes, Starlight, I knew you wore a girl, and your portrait shows you to be a pleasant, good-natured girl, too, with a well-shaped nose, not a bit flat, notwithstanding what you say. about it. You havo beaten the girl who was to be in fust, but 8.0.8. was ahead of ! you, bul you won't mind that, I am sure. — DOT.] Dear Dot,— »one day two of my cousins and myself went up Maungatua. We had a fine cool day for climbing. When we got to the top we ate our lunch. Then we walked round some \ery high rock?, where I lost my hat. Thou my elder cousin climbed round and down the face of a rock about 50ft to where | my hat was. Ho got it, but when ho turned to come up again he nearly loßt his footing. After this adventure we all returned home, where our supper, which we were quite ready for, was waiting for us. Good-bye. — Yours truly, HAROLD. Maungatua, April 25. [How fortunate, Harold, that your adventure had no worse ending than to send you home hungry and ready for your supper. It would havo been dreadful if your cousin had slipped.— DOT.] Dear Dot. — I have been going to write to you for a long time, but I havo only got j started now. lam greatly interested in Coo- | cc's letters, but I ihink Ziska is slightly I troubled with the gift of the gab. If she would give us her own character instead of always -hitting at the boys, I think it would suit her better. If you are ever going for a holiday, Dot, Owaka is a very nice place in the summer, but in the winter you need a bullock and a flat bottomed boat to convey you over tho mire. They havo started an Oddfellows' lodge here, and their ball is coming off on Friday night. If I go I shall try to write again and give you an account of the affair. There is a blow-holo about four miles from tho station, which ia well worth going to see. At the Olutha races on Friday an Owaka horse won the two principal races, and another ran second. Not bad for an out-of-the-way place like this. There are waterfalls about four miles from here, and if yon like I shall send you a photo of them for the Little Folks' Page. The grass about here is going back already. We havo had some .severe frosts, and for the last fortnight it has scarcely stopped raining. The rain was much needed. Most of the people about here are engaged in saw-milling. There are eight mult within ten miles. I will bo going into town at the Queen's Birthday or at winter show time, so if 8.0.8. is about he might find out who I am. I will now close, with special love to Ziska. — I remain your well-wishing TOMMY. Owaka, April 24. [Thank' you very much for the offer of the photo, Tommy. I am afraid, however, I could not use it at present. — DOT] Dear Dot, — I read tho little folks' letters every week, and I thought I should like to write to you. lam nine and a-ha}f years ohL-' 1

and lam in the Fourth Standard. There are three of us going to school, and -my littlesister is seven and is in the last book. My sister and I have a doll -each that will opea and shut their eyes ; will yem please give me names for them. Our cow' is a good one for milk, but she is a terror for jumping." I will tell you about her next time I write. — Yours fruly, ANNIE ELLIOTT. Queensbprry, April 25. [Call the dolls Queenie and Duchess, Annie. I hope you will have a lot to tell us about the cow in due time. — DOT.] Dear Dot,— l read the Little Folks' Page every week, and I like it very much. As this "is the first time I have written to you I hope you will put my letter in the paper, and, dear Dot, if you will allow me I shall bo a regular writer. I think 8.0.8. and Harry write grand letters for boys, don't. you? I think it is a very ,good idea to have the photos of the Witness little folks in the Christmas number. I hope you will bo in, Vol. lam glad 8.0.8. aiid Moses are going to be in. I would send my photo only 1 think it is too light in the colour. It looks awfully white. Boys are terrors for teasing, are they not? Any of you girls that have brothers can say yes, or else they must be very different from mine. I have three bro-tl-ers — am I not unfortunate? If this letter is right, I will write a longer one next time. Woho, there go two blots before finishing. With best wishes to all, — Yours truly, RETA. Sunny Spot, April 26. [I wonder where Sunny Spot is? It sounds nice, and we should have bright letters from it. Wo shall see how Reta gets on by-a-nd-bye.-DOT.] Dear Dot, — I am ashamed to write to you now after being so long- about it, but I hope you will piit my photo in the Christmas Number of th© Witness. I don't know if the photo 1 send you will do, but the photographer told uf> that it was the right kind when mother asked him -and explained what it was for. He paid he had often sent photos to the newspapers. Will you please keep tho photo after il is done, with my love. — Yours truly, s JACK CORKILL. Milton road, Napier, April 26. [Thank you, Jack, I shall be very pleased to do so. You have progressed since I heard from you last — then you were Johnny, now Jack marks the passage of yearp. I am glad to think it will be a long time, however, before- th& next «tep> to John takes, place, and you disappear from our little band. — DOT.I Dear Dot, — We got our harvest holidays, but they were over before we had started our leading-in, bo I have been at home from school for more than a week. I had to carry the lunch to the men. and mind the baby. The men used to tease me and call me cook, but T liked minding the baby best. I saw a piece of poetry about '' Mos.es " in the Witness, but X did not think much of it. I live in the country, and it is a very pretty place. I can see mountains all round, but they look very cold in winter time with the snow on the top of them. Dear Dot, I have been in Dunedln a few times, but I should not care to live there. I am in the Sixth Standard at school, but I do not intend to try to pas 3 this year, as I would rather go to school than be at home. The Lattle Folks' Pago ia getting more interesting every week — to me at all events. I- see 8.0.8. had two very long letters in. In one of them he said he and Steve were always waiting on girls. If this is so they must be exceptions to the rule, as it is generally the other way about. -I am very sorry for 8.0.8.'s misfortune in breaking his mother's bike, but it will teach him tho next time he goes cycling to be more caieful, especially when ho ridew on borrowed bikes. Just fancy Nancy saying that 8.0.8. is not a boy ! I wonder what she thinks he is? Perhaps she thinks he is a monkey ; but if so he must be an exceptionally clever one. I must finish now, with love to you and all the little folks ; bo goixl-night. — Yours truly, MAGGIE. [Thoro can be no doubt about 8.0.8. being a boy, Maggio, and a very live one too. However, Nancy will no doubt be convinced when she sees 8.0.8. on Moses in the Christmas Annual. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — I have just finished my lesson", and so I thought I would write a letter to you. \ live in Alexandra, which is a gold-dredging town situated at the junction of the Manuhorikia with the Clutlwi River. On these rivers there are a great number of largo dredges which are getting gold. The town is getting very large, and a number of very pretty houses are being built, which is a great improvement to tho apneaiance of the (own. Sometimes there nrs du«t storms hero, biit very little rain. A great vumlicr of people have to carry water from the river. We had almost all kinds ef fruit in our garden this summer, but it is all finished now, and the leaves are coming off the trees. During the holidays my father, mother, brother, and I were kindly shown'through the Witness office, and I was looking for you everywhere, but I did not sea you. When T was climbing the winding stairs I thought I would sec you at tho top of them, but I did not, and I came away very disappointed because I did not see you. Perhaps you were having holidays, Dot. I enjoyed my holidays in Dunedui very much, but it was mining a good deal. The merry-go-round is hero now, and I am going to have --omo rides. Have you had a ride on the merry-go-round. Dot? Next time you get holidays you should como and see Alexandra. 1 think you would enjoy yourself very much. — Yours truly, JEAN CLOSS. Alexandra, April 27. [Yes, of course I wa?. Jean. ITow could you expect to sco me dminpf the holidays? Surely Dot has to have a holiday like other little- people. It would scarcely he fair for her to bo working whilo all the other littlo iolks arc at play, would it? Alexandra is a long way to go for a holiday, dear, and I think I shall have to wait till the railway ia light through.— DOT.]