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Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 67

something seemed to come m the way, so I "was 4iot able. I always Tead your letters, and think them very interesting. I know several cf y-cur little folk in Invercargill. We are having such lovely weather down south. It is quite a treat to have the warm sun. I often sit outside in the sun for hours. Hoping to •write more next time, good-biye, Dot. — Yours

VASHTI. [The sun is certainly enjoyable, Vashti — the more so because we do not see enough of him, m winter at all events. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — I have not been able to write before, as I have not been well. I had to go to the doctor to get my face lanced. I am stopping with a friend, a/ it is near the town and the doctor. The doctor said I shculdn t cave to go to school for a while I don't think P. O. P. is going to write to-night, because she does not know that lam writing to you. Dear Dot, I was up the bush to-day, seeing the hauling engine. It wa6 a lovely walk going through the bush, with the biids singing. There were many pretty ferns and shrubs to be seen. A "boy came 111 to the room -where I am writing, and I asked him to "write too, but he said,

"What's the good?" And I was disappointed ■with him. "With love to all the little folk, not forgetting your own dear self, — Yours truly, RED RIDING HOOD and SPEEDY. [If everyone said "What's the. good?" we should have no Dot's Pago, and, indeed, I don't know -what we should have, for people would be too indifferent to do anything. However, I don't think he would ask "What's the good?" if it were a gam.- of cricket or football. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — Since last I vnote I have been for my Holidays, which I enjoyed very nruch. While away I went with my friends, to a gully, 18 miles from where they lived, for a picnic. The gully looks 'from the distance, like one great Mack mass, tho cause of which is the bireb trees. These- trses have grown as far up as can be seen. Broad! caf trees aro also veiy numperous. On theso trees, very high up the trunk; grows a plant with a long fiery-red flower,- that looks very pretty, especially wiien tho sun shines' on it. (Of course, I mean this plant grew m this place. I have not seen it growing anywhere else.) Some said they thought it was the mistletoe, but I think its bloom is white. What do you think it could have been, Dot? It looked so curious growing on another tree. There were many small shrubs growing there, too, among them being the pepper plant, of which I tasted a leaf, and it did nip. We gathered a great many Tocts of ferns to grow, and almost filled the buggy with th=m. There were two buggies, end we gathered ferns from tho beautiful fern trees, and decoritect thorn I wish I could have obtained a root of them, but I daresay it ■would not have giown, even hpd I been able to. After we had decorated the buggies, the liorses v/ere harnessed, and we started for home, arriving there in good time, tired, but jicne the worse fpr our outing. My kittle sister is leading aloud, and as I find it hard to write unless I am quiet, I shall conclude with love to Beaulah think I have seen her ofton), all the little folk, tho editor, and last, but not last, yourself, dear Dot. — Yours truly, RED RATA. [Why, that parasite plant on the brcmdleaf niust have been the one about which numbers of little folk have written at different times. Indeed, one of my little friends went to the trouble of sending me a couple of flowers in a cardboard box to let me see what it is like, and veiy pretty they were. Whaif-a delightful outing: you had, Red Rata, and how delicious and cool that fern bush must have been after the journey to it. — DOT.] Dear Dot,— lt is about six months since I ■wrote to yo* We only get a mail once a month, so we -get a lot of Witnesses at a time, and it takes mo a long time to read all the Tj. F. letters. I always read Corporal Con's letters first when there is any m the Witness. He has written very interesting letters from South Africa, and I like them very much. The O. W. W. was a great success, and there are some capital old writers. I saw the last group of photos, and they were all very nice. I like Pearl, Camellia, and Nosher the best. Dear Dot, we were pll cr y sorry v<hen ■we heard of tho Queen's death. We did not hear about it until the day she was to be buried. Miss Campbell, the teacher we had ■when I wrote to you before has left and gone back to New Plymouth r.gain, but we pre expecting another teacher this week, and I hope Bhe comes, or we shall all be getting backward •with our work. Mrs Cathcart, our Sunday school teacher, is away in Wellington for a holiday, and I miss the Sunday school very much. The 12th of last August was the anniversary of the Sunday school, and Miss Cathcart presented her nine pupils with a nice book each. Mine is a very nice book called " Tho Wide, Wide World " : the name of my little brother's book is " Scattered Seed," and the name of my little sister's "*' Pretty Polly." Don't you think it •«vas very kind of her, Dot, to ltmember us all" The Hinemoa was here last Friday. The sea | •was very calm, when she came. We were going aboard by the first empty boat that was leaving the crane, but, unfortunately, a southeaster sprang up, and 111 a short time the sea •was very rough, which prevented us from going, and you may be sure we were greatly disaopointed, as we always look forward to going aboard the Hinemoa. When the first mate . ■was going to jump off the rocks into the last j empty a big wave dashed up and gave him bucli a •wejting. Of course, some of us laughed, which was very wrong of us ; but we could not help it. However, he managed to scramble into the boat none the worse for his ducking There is only one horse here, and her name is Duchess. She is used for drawing Tip the stores from the crane to the dwelling houses, a distance of about two miles, and t sometimes when &he hears the Hinemoa. blow j far -vrliisile she goes awd£ aud W^ea in the

bush. One day the steamer Kini was passing. We were waving to those on board, and she blew her whistle to us m return. Duchess, thinking it was the Hinemoa, made for the bush as hard as she could go. She is very knowing — is she not? Dear Dot, his Excellency the Governor, Lady Constance Knox, anofchei young lady, and two gentlemen, paid a visit to this island some time ago. Dear

i Flora Sinclair, I have seen you. Do you remember seeing me aboard the Hinemoa at C. C, when you were on jour way to Centre I Island. Your letters aro v 4% interesting, and I I like them, very much. What has become of >ou, Trilby? You have not written for a long time. I know who you are. Some of niv schoolmates and I went down to tho beach to have a wade in the sea. Wo were enjoying ourselves greatly when my hat fell in. I went to fish it out, and I fell in myself. We stayed on the beach about two hours after that to tiy to get my clothes dry, but it was of no use — they would not dry, so we came home just in time for tea. and I felt much better when I got dry clothes on. I must draw to a close now, as it is bed time. With love to all the D. L. F., not forgetting your own dear self, — Yours truly,

, HINEMOA. [Duchess is certainly a very knowing ani- , mal, but she did not know quite enough to ; distinguish, the Kmi's whistle from that of the Hinemoa. I wonder whenever you will see this letter, Hinemoa l I don't think it has ' any chanco of appearing for a. fortnight from the time I am reading it, because there are so many in before it, and- if it happens to just miss the boat you will havo to wpit another mouth. "Why, you may see the .coming O. TV. W. as soon as it.— DOT.] Dear Dot,— As lam writing a separate letter for the O. W. "W., I shall now send only a few lines, chiefly in -answer to D.L.P. inquiries. I am another of Dot's old writers, Vcvette, and started writing to the page b&fore I had reached the age of knickers. I was at that time still in pinaiores and curls. It makes me blush to read my first letters to Dot. In one of them I said I should like to bs a minister! Oh, dear! what a pious youngster I was. I remember my brother's greatest wish was to hs a Corporation man, and own a hor»e and a dray. He was always going to have a clean sack for me to sit on, as it would never have doao to see a minister all clay. I remember also preaching to a congregation composed of three brothers and a few folws and ducks ; so that the sermon must : have been rather a quack affair. My pulpit was oil a branch of nn old plum tree, and I was getting quite into my work when crack went the branch. I was precipitated into a hawthorn Jiedge. Most of my congregation went cackling away, and on)y the three remained to see my exit. I am sorry to say that they were giggling at my misfortune. My experience was the same- as Vineta's. One of the big fellows at school used to cut out my letters, paste them on cardboard, summon the other fellows around him, and read the letter out in a very loud voice, to an amused audience. All my troubles, Dot! Many of those who .leered then often wish now that they had joined the D.L.P. band. It is about a year j ago row since I met one chap who used to I tease me unmercifully. I have been able to do • rum a good turn. In one of my solitaiy , rambles, I came upon him looking very for- ' lorn and sad. He called out, "Hullo, youngster, where aro you off to?" etc. I told him, 1 and asked him what his trouble was, as, instead of being full of mischief, whistling and j singing snatches of comic songs as he used i to do, he was looking quite forlorn. I was wondering what was \ip, until ,he told me that his best girl had left him. for Melbourne. She had sent him a letter, and he did not know what to write in answer. Didn't I laugh up my sleeve. However, I said, "You know how to write, old fellow." .Yes-," said he, "I do — , after a fashion." "Well," I replied, "write I in answer to the letter." He , said it was useless, so I said, "Do 1 you want a hand with it?" "I want more than , that — will you correspond for me?" I corresponded till she returned to this country. The end of the story is the usual one. I often go out now to see the happy couple. He often I says with a sigh, " I wish I had joined the D.L.P. band in those happy days^v I would j not, have been such a duffer now. 1 ' However, all's well that ends well. He can converse 40 1 to the dozen while yours truly likes to have a i chat on paper still. There's one thing certain, . Dot, that all your correspondents will be able )to write their own letters — love or btf. Dear I Jessica, I was delighted to find the authoress 1 of the verse dedicated to me some time ago, I and have it pasted in one of my books. Dear ' Vineta, you should have asked the editor to J show you the quiet boy in the calico suit. "While you were looking at the distinguished felled. | the quiet boy may have passed you unnoticed. lam very sorry I missed seeing you. Country bumpkins and city cads are now hand in hand, or on a common footing. I have not s,o much time to visit the booksellers as in my happy schooldays. lam glad to see. "oor w ulhe" has j cropped up again. Never mind, Wulho, aboot the whuskers, it hasna altered the wee folk at i a. Bert went out to the Times picnic on Saturday, while I followed on the bike, my boss very kindly giving me permission to leave a little earlier from woik. I was very fortunate in coming across some D.L.F. — Ivy, Dunedinite, and Punch. I also saw Dot and the esteemed editor. I spent a most enjoyable . time out there. But here I must conclude, as j j I have reached the end of my tether, and have nothing more to write about, — Yours truly, HARRY, ' [I am sure the "esteemed editor" might have ; asked me to join that group of yours, Harry. He caiefully refrained fiom mentioning it to me, however, until he had the proof to show me. I hope it looks as well 111 the paper as it does in the photo, notwithstanding the fact that I am jiofc in it. It was a perfect day, waa it not; and th« coming home by inoculight was

a fitting wind up. What a jolly ride in you must have had.— DOT.]

Foken Thelka..— l do not think it_ is desirable to start such a. competition, dear, so I have had the badge sent to you youiself. No doubt you will have someone to whom jou can give it. lam afraid your letter will not get in for a week or two yet. Laurel. — Thank you for not forgetting your old friends of the page and for taking an interest in the new. Old Writers' Week is cpttainly something for us to look forward to, and I always rejoice v?hen an envelope comes with the mystic letters O. W. W. ' on it. The letter has been sent on as desired.

LITTLE FOLK'S BADGES. The following badges have been forwarded to date — Rima, Kobt. Pryde, G. Croft, Connie Keilar, Ethel Beal, Mabel Grieve, Alice Pryde, Ethel Jack, S. Larson, Jas. Wilson, A. C. A. Dearmg, Blanche Scully, Annie Lakitap, Alvira.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S RIDDLES.

By Bleeding Heart: — (1) Ashes; (2) An egg; (3) The men were all married; (4) There are no r's in " that."