A LETTER FRAE WULLIE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 61

A LETTER FRAE WULLIE.

Dear Dot,— l didna get tae Jerusalem at Christmas time. Wellwisher had tae visit a frien' o' his oot frae Auckland, and I wis wi him. We had a gran' Christmas, Dot. I •wish you had been wi' us. Boxm' Day we wis at a p lie - I wis Pl a y in ' a S ame wne , re we a' fornicJ. a ring an' chased whaever cad us. I had tae chase a lot o* girls.- They a' laughifc ■when I wis chasm' ane o' the lassies, for she •wis awfu' big an' wide, an' kept gettin' further awa frae me each step. I heard someone say sort o' like " G-o it, podgie!" but I didna ken ■whether they meant me or the lassie. I I didna catch her, Dot. Auckland is an awfu' pretty place. Ha'e ye ever been up here, Dot? If we are up here next Christmas you must come up. Will ye, Dot? Wellwisher 'Jl pit ye up. He is awfu' kind. He has askit mither an' faither if I can stop, up here wi' him, for he intends to be here for some time, an' wants tae finish teachin' me. I think mither and faither will let me. I must thank Shan an' the 6ther3 wha sent me the awfu' pretty Christmas cairn's. Ziska's wis awfu' pretty, so wis Bluebell's, which had tartan ribbon on it, an' a wee silver, Scotch thistle i' the -centre. I must keep them a' nice an' let mither see them when I gang back. Yes, Bluebell, I sent ye the wee gift wi' money Wellwisher gied me for mysel' because ye wis kind tae me. Div ye remember sayin', " Never mind, Wullie, if no one will tak' your pairt, "except Dot, I will " ? I ha'ena forgotten it. These kind, words o' yours cheered me up at a time when I felt awfu' doon on it; an' frae that time, Bluebell, I ha'e lookit upon you an' Rita an' Ziska as true kind-hearted lassies. I jist Hire thocht ye were my sisters ; an' you, Dot, a fond, lovin' mither; an' noo the editor is like a kind faither; for the ither day he sent Wellwisher an awfu' nice kind Jetter. I feel awfu' happy noD at ha'en twa lots o' parents, an' sac many nice brithers and sisters. Taffy an' his club must have awfu' funny nieetin's. I hope he isna a bad boy, but I never likit the name o' Taffy. When Davie wis a wee mite in short girl's dresses, mither used iae bump him up an' down on her knee an' sing — Taffy wis a Welshman, Taffy wis a thief, Taffy cana' tae oor hoose an' stole a lump o' beef. So I never likit Taffy for ste£>lin' oor moat, but wee Davie just laughed an' said " goo, goo." That was an' awfu' nice piece o' poetry that Harry wrote aboot writin' letters. Is it true, Dot, that 8.0.8. is gettin' sad because he is in love? I thocht bein' in love wud mak' him happier like; unless his lassie likes anither laddie better. A wee friend o' mine •up here named Jock is in love wi' a half-caste lassie an' ia awfu' happy on it, an' tells me a' "aboot it. I think that' Taffy is tae blame for 8.0.8.'s sadness. It wasna- richt o' him tellin' 8.0.8. tae gi'e his faither an' Moses a Test. Supposin' 8.0.8. wis tae tell Taffy tae gi'e his club a holiday, say for ten years, wud Taffy like it? But Wellwisher says 8.0.8. is too much o' a gentleman tae say onything like that. Dear Lamb, some wee folk doot -ye alany wi' me, but I dinna mm' it, dae you? No, ( if Dot aye sticks up for us. That's a gran' idea o' yours, Dot, aboot the group o' photos. I wud like tao propose you i' the £rst gioup, Dot, but we wee folk'hao askit ye afore, an' yo didna dae it, so I ask tae see Rita's, Ziska's (in fancy ball dress), an' Bluebell's photos i' the first group. What fun, Maidey. if ye had aakit the wee freckly-faced Jerusalem boy if he wis Wullie. His red hair micht lia'e changed colour an' his freckles droppit doon a' thegither, especially if ye had telt him his face wis a richt." My freckles must be a' inside, at least I never see ony o' them coming oot. but my hair might be gettin' red, for it's awfu' hot up here. My letter is gettin' awfu' big again, Dot, but next time I'll stick tae your rule an' coont the line's; so guidbye, wi' love tae a' the wee folk, an' the editor, an' tae you, Dot, frae your ever lovin' wee boy. — Yours truly,

WULLIE. P-S. — I wish Bluebell hadna tell aboct the brooch, for mither wrote up scoldin' mo aboot spendin' my money, but it wia money Wellwisher gied me tae spend as I likit. T hope soon tae get tae earnin' money o' my am. — W.