THE LADIES' PAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2443, 9 January 1901, Page 59

THE LADIES' PAGE.

The world was sad— the (arden w«j a wild, .A ad aaau, the Hermit, (ifhed, till woman smiled. — GAnra«u»

lamellae- "ill be pleased to reoeire letters Trom corns•raientt on »ur Matter ef taterest to tbem. nd to reptj' tkrtach the medimm »f thla page, the norn de plume only of the •nreipondeaw i* be published. Letters to »• addressed •' Kaaneiiae." care «r the Xdlur.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. •Tbavelleb. — I am afraid we shall not be able ' to deal with the subject at present. The cost of an open letter or advertisement is gimply prohibitive, as in answer to inquiries I am told that it would be 5s an inch, containing less than 100 words to the inch. However we have the consolation of knowing that the 'subject hw already been dealt with, in

the columns of the Daily Times, and further bask in those of the Witness itself, so that it has by no means been neglected. Queen Mab. — The first essential is to guard against "wrinkling your forehead," or no remedy wil l be of any avail. Gentle massage will do the rest. There have been instructions for this in recent issues of the Witness.

EMMELINE'S POST BAG,

Daphne writes: — "Your 'At Home' was just lovely ; you must have taken a journey into dreamland to paint all those portraits. As for my own description, I am certainly married, and have brown eyes and hair, but I do not know if I deserve all the nice things you say about me." Thank you, Daphne, for the sweet card, with its kind wishes for the season. Cassandra says: — "The curiosity with which your 'At Horn* ' was looked forward to has been satisfied, and I, for one, enjoyed it thoroughly. I hope to be a more regular member next year, and may we long have you as our president. Again thanking you for all the pleasure I have experienced in the Ladies' Page for 1900, I wish you from my heart a merry Christmas and a bright and successful New Year." Thank you very much, Cassandra; may your own hopes and desires in the coming year bloom in the kindliest sunshine. Ted. — Thank you heartily for your delightful letter, dear. How good of you to find time for such a real chat. The photographs are ]U9t charming, and, as you know, nothing could have pleased me better than the subject chosen. I must quote a little of what you say about the ''At Home," because our comrades will be so interested in it: — "What an undertaking, what a time it must hive taken, and how interesting it is! We hi c been reading over your portraits of the other members — Lois, Sweetbriar, and Discipula are marvellously like our own idea of them. But Boy Friend! I imagined him quite grey-headed ; otherwise the beautiful character you have given him has surely been reflected from his writings straight into the

mirror. For myself you are right in many things. says you have touched on many of my characteristics, barring the fact, of course, that you have not given me any horrid ones!" Dear Ted, I congratulate you warmly on the bit of news in the last para-

graph of your letter. Boy Friend, writing on December 7, says ■ — "Inconnu and Ted must be sweet, dear girls, writing so often to you, and sending you roses. Is there not an enchantment about flower gifts? Why, I fancy I can smell my first buttonhole yet, and, oh! the summers and winters that lie between! . . . To ' Cosy Corner,' and the Quen of it all, many hearty wishes for a merry Christmas and a right glad New Year! Writing on the 30th December, Boy Friend continues: — "I can believe that you were quite exhausted after your 'At Home.' Take a good, long rest — you have already given us a goodly store of happiness to last us through many winters. Allow me to compliment you on the ample success of your 'At Home.' I was expecting something good, and my highest hope has been realised. When read Boy Friend's reflection it drew the exclamation, ' Why Emmeline must know you — she describes you so minutely.' For myself, I envy L'lrlandais. Your high opinion and praise should make him a proud man this Christmas. ... I got a handsome Christmas card from Val, for which will you thank her for me. Once more, a happ3' New Year to all the members and friends of Cosy Corner." Anise Hill. — Thank you so very much for the sweet little calendar. How very kind of you to think of me. Let me wish you and yours all kindly New Year greetings most heartily, and if you could find time to write I should so like to hear something of the boy, who will be so bright and jolly now, I hope, and of yourself. Inconnu. — Thank you from my "heart of hearts" for the dainty card and its kind wishes. Lei.— My dear Lex, you have indeed been far too good to me. I thank you most warmly for the volume of Emerson's poems — which I find full of thought and high suggestion. and for the two lovely cards, each appealing to such a different aspect — heart one and soul the other 1 No, indeed, Lex, Dot and Emmeline are two distinct personages, but we are great friends, and I shall show her the poem you name. To our fellow members of the C.C.O. I must quote your verdict on the success of my "At Home, ' and give them

your message • — "To all members of the club I send the compliments of the season. Your magic mirror was indeed a great success ; as to my character two of my friends agree that you have ' guessed it to a nicety.' " Val writes- — "What a beautiful idea of yours fox the C.C.C. . . . What an amount of labour it must have entailed, but labour is never grudged, is it, when success crowns one's efforts? . . . Your 'At Home' has been a great success. ... I am looking forward to this week's Witness for the conclusion — trying to imagine what the rest of my comrades are like, and to get a glimpse of my own reflection in the magic mirror. . . . There are several that I always look foi before I begin to read. Boy Friend is about the first one I look for, then Ted, Sweetbriar, and several others. The club has given an added interest to the Ladies' Page. In many country districts, especially far back, the Witness is about the only reading that very many women get. . . . The day the Witness conies is the brightest day of the week for many, so that I often think what great opportunities you have for shedding gleams of brightness on the dull monotony of many a woman's life! When you have written some more than usually interesting article, I have often felt tempted to write a few lines to you, but have always refrained." Dear Val, never refrain again please — even if it is ever so brief a line. Nothing is so sweet to the writer as to know she is in real touch with her readers, and I, as jou can well imagine, have such wide and varied ages, as well as tastes, among my readers to think of. Thank you so much for the artistic card and the very sweet thought which made you choose it. Country Mouse. — I thank you so much for the dainty card, dear friend. Your name, believe me, is written on those "pages old and pleasant, ' and I heartily reciprocate your kindly wishes. Boy Friend's card, with its clever little couplet, gave much pleasure — and did it never occur to Boy Friend that Emmeline was the "wise woman. " who sent on that dainty proof of kindly comradeship from someone else?

Rowan Tree. — What a fragrant reminder and benison the wood violets shed, and what pleasant thoughts of your kindly remembrance of me mingle with this little bottle of my favourite scent. Accept, dear Rowan Tree, my loving thanks and all good wishes. Sweetbriar says : — "Thank you very much for the flattering reflection of myself given by your magic mirror. My husband says you are not far from the truth in your description of me. T enjoyed your 'At Home ' very much, and am indebted to you fo* the entertainment you gave us at the cost of so much time and trouble." FiiDELis. — Thank you for your nice letter so much. lam glad to know that there was no sad reason for your silence, and to hear you say that I shall hear from you more frequently this year. Many thanks for the very pretty compliment you pay me and the kind wishes you send me. Grandmother writes : — "On my return home I found your letter, with its enclosure of kind and loving messages from Sweetbriar, Boy Friend, Ted, and the beautiful verses from Mrs Wise, awaiting me. How can I thank you all, dears? My heart is full to overflowing for all your kindness to one unknown to you all in the flesh, though a sweet bond of sisterhood springing from your page in the Witness. I shall prize these little slips of written thought and love — pasting them in my scrapbook, so that perchance some day when these hands have ceased to work for those I love, my beloved ones may see them and say, or think at any rate — ' Our dear mother after all was not friendless in her lonely life!' How much comfort and companionship I have derived from your Cosy Corner you can hardly realise, dear Emmeline. How I have devoured the delightful reading prepared for me by different members! I often try to picture the home life just of one, and then of another. Dear Violet, has she too been called upon to "pass through deep waters" ? Well, I know by her writings that she goes to the true fountaiD Head of all comfort. My love to her. I have eight months' Witnesses to get through before next mail, so as to have a good start again. As yet I have only glanced through your page, dear Emmeline — reading your kind and cheering messages to first one and then another. . . . Love to all my comrades, and to yourself, dear. God bless you." Thank you, dear Grandmother, most tenderly for your ew«et letter and the lovely card you sent me. I shall write soon. A SliENi Membeb.— My sweet little pansy

calendar, which hung all the year among my special photographs opposite to my bed, must give place, dear friend, to the record of the new century, but as I lay it aside I send you a tender thought, a sweet remembrance, and every kindly, cheery wish for the brand new centuiy! I did so wish I had your address this Christmas. Do find time to write mi a line — my memory of your kind letters long since has been safely cherished by the purple pansy — do not always be "A Silent Member." P.S. — Thank you so much for kind wishes and pretty calendar just received. Roses take the place of the purple pansy, and I am delighted to find myself remembered.