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Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 67

love to the little folk and yourself, — Yours truly, ELVA. [You must write and tell us all about your visit to the dredge with the electric light, Elva.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — I have been reading your little folk's letters in the Witness lately. I am getting very interested in some of their nice atones. I went up country for a holiday to irave a look about and see what kind of place it really is, as I heard so much about it. The first few days I was there it was not very pleasant weather, but after a week of bad weather I enjoyed myself very much, as the next ■week the weather was just charming. It .3 now harvest time, as 1 suppose you know. You cannot imagine what fun I had m the harvest field amongst the stooks and sheaves. At leading-in time I helped to crow the stack, and, my word, I did have a lively time standing up on the stack passing the sheaves to the one who was building the stack. The country is a fine place when it is reasonably good •weather, but do give me the town when it is not. One lovely moonlight night I was asked to a surprise party, so I got myself ready to go, when, behold! I was fairly blocked by some of my cousins coming on a visit. They stayed all night, and the next day we all went for a picnic in the bush. We started on the tramp through the bush, looking about for a suitable place to rest and have lunch, and we found one very soon. After satisfying ourselves, we started to get a few ferns to bring home to grow. It was then^getting time for us to make our way back to the camp, where we had another little bit of fun boiling the billy, and having succeeded, we cleared up once again. Bidding the birds and all the beauties of Nature farewell, we started for home. It was about 6 o'clock in the evening we got back, very fatigued and sunburnt, as the day ■was just a roaster. With the best of love to the editor and yourself,— Yours truly. AUKfiOLA. ' [You certainly had a glorious uay's outing, Aureola, and must have enjoyed yourself greatly.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — A short time ago I was in Dunedin for a holiday, and I enjoyed myself very much. I went to Evansdale by train for a picnic with my cousins and other fr.ends. When we reached there we chose a place for our camp, and set to and boiled the billy. After lunch we went for a scramble through the bush to look for ferns. Towards evening we were getting very tired, so we thought we had better make tracks to the station, as it was getting near train time. Oh, Dot, you cannot imagine the fun we had coming home m the tram. We were singing, and the band was playing to keep things lively. At the end of our journey we got out of our carriage, put up our umbrellas, and made our way home, very glad to get there, being tired out. With best love to the editor and the little folk, not foreettine your dear self, — Yours truly, BaDOUEA. [No doubt you slept without rocking that night, Badoura. It was pleasant to have the band in the tram with you. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — I know two of your correspondents—What a Pity and Comical Jim. They don't know that I know them. I saw the Indian troops, and I shook hands with a lot of them, and pave them plums, and they also took the flower I had in my dress. They were very nice-looking men. Some of them spoke English to me, and they kissed a lot of little children. They stopped 10 minutes at Waikouswti on the Monday morning. I was away for holidays at the- time. With love to Dot and all the little folk, — Yours truly, BABETTE. [They certainly were a fine body of men, and many of them were evidently good natured. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — I have always taken an interest in the D. L. P. Page, although I do not know any of the L. F. However, I shall live in hopes of finding out some in the co'urae of time. We have a dairy farm, but we are only milking seven cows just now. I live 27 miles from Owaka. We have a very quiet horse, and we often go for nice rides along the cool bush roads. It is raining here to-night, so we cannot get outside. With love to you and the L. P.,— Yours truly, CHASLANDITE. [I fancy that quiet horse will have to carry more than one at a time, eh, Chaslandite 9 — DOT.] Dear Dot, — I want to tell you about an amusing experience a friend of mine had the other week — at least, it was amusing when he came to look back on it, although not so at the time. He lives in the back blocks, and came down for a holiday. When he got here he was arrested for being the runaway husband of a woman in another township. He had a hard lob to prove that he was not the man. The description fitted him perfectly— height, eyes, hair, age, even clothes— in fact, eveiything; and he happened to have a violin with him, while the runaway husband had a guitar. Our' band returned home from the contest the other night. They came second in every selection, but were disqualified for having a player from the South Island with them. w e have been having lovely weather here till to-night, •when it be<?an raining again. We aie to have a grand sham fight here on Easter Monday, in which volunteers from Wellington and three | or four other towns, besides our own, are to take part. With love to all D. L. F., as well as yomself.-Yours truly, ; [What a peculiar case of mistaken identity. • And yet the police could not be blamed under ' the circumstances, though it was pietty hard | on your friend, Master Ton. I hope you had fine weather for the sham fight.— DOT.] , ' Dear Dot,— l met a D. L. F. the day the t t Indian troops were here — the only one I have ( 1 y»s spoken to. I went to Sunday school aa

i usual one Sunday, and left my hat, with the "jadge on, in the porch. When I came out again I found that my badge had disappeared, f and I never saw it again. We had a bazaar at our church lately, and in the evening the Maoris danced some war dances, which weTe very good. The Maoris who danced were quite - small boys, and they twisted their faces into 1 j all shapes. The children had a stall to them3 j selves, and the sale of their things brought in > | £10, which was a good help. T(7 c shall soon - ' get our Easter holidays now, and with them J i come the hot cross buns, which are the best J ! part of them. I shall conclude now with best * I love. — Yours truly, t SIRDAR. ! [Easter has come and gone since your letter was written, Sirdar, and I hope you enjoyed '_ ' your hot cross buns. What a shame to think ' , that your badge was not safe even in Sunday ' school. I fancy we have a Sirdar already, so that I am afraid you will have to find another 1 norn de plume. — DOT.] i Dear Dot, — I was at a concert the other ; night, and I saw Nipper. I could not be sure . > about your initials, Nipper, but your last name i ! begins with T, does it not 9 I see Rimbecco : has sent m her farewell letter this week. It [ 118 a pity, is it not. Dot? She was such a good , i correspondent. The Little Folk's Page is geti ting quite an important feature m the Wit- ■ ness now. Dear Dot, I have a cat, and she I has six kittens, would you like one? With i love to all the D. L. F. and yourself, Dot, — i Yours truly, j LINDO. [Thank 'you very much. Lindo, for the offer of a kitten, but I am not m want of one at present. You will no doubfc have seen ere this that Rimbecco has been persuaded not to i leave us yet.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — We had a concert here on the 14th March for our boys who came home invalided from the war. I was there, and I saw j Nipper. I suppose you will be wondering who | I am, Nipper, but I don't think you will find ' out. The concert was very nice, and I enjoyed myself immensely. I am 10 years old, and m the Fourth Standard, so I have 10 more years to write to you, Dot. v*'e have two cats, and one of them has six kittens. We live about a mile from the sea, and sometimes we go down and have a picnic, and gather seaweed and shells. There are some pretty seaweeds heie. They are just like ferns, and are very nice spiead out on paper. With lo\e to all the little folk and yourself, — Yours truly, LADYDAY. [Ten years to correspond yet, Ladyday. I ■wonder -what King -will reign then, for it" is a long time to look forward to. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — I have only about a mile to walk to school. Did you see the troops, Dot? I did not get away. I was up the river for my holidays, about nine miles from home, and I enjoyed them very much. There was a sawmill near where I was staying, and I often went to see it working. I hope the editor will excuse my scribble, as there is too much talking around me. With love to the little folk, not forgetting you, Dot, — Yours truly, WATERLILY. [It is good practice writing when talk and noise are going on round you, Wpterlily, for it encourages habits of concentration.— T)OT.] Dear Dot, — I have found out who Jessica is. Kb doubt she will feel lonely out among the hills. She will perhaps see a few more strangers now, as the rabbit season has commenced. When you come into the township you will perhaps enjoy yourself driving round to see your friends. I am very sorry I cannot come io town for the Easter holidaj-s, as I am too busy on account of the rabbiting, which has commenced. It would be grand to be m town at the time of the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. With beat respects to you and all the D. L. F., — Yours truly, OLD GOLD. [I hope you will have a good season with the rabbits, Old Gold, and that you will be able to spare time for a visit to town when the Duke and Duchess are here. — DOT.] Dear Dot,— We live about eight miles from Oamaru, and I have a mile and a-half to walk, to sohool. I am m the Fourth Standard. Our' teachers are Mr Grant and Miss Low. I enjoy reading the L.F. letters, and m fact I often find mother reading them. Fabian Bell gave a verjr interesting account of the Children's Ward. I should like to be m Dunedm when the Duke and Duchess of York arrive. I hope it will be fine weather for them. We saw the Imperial troops, but did not see the Indians. With Jove to all the D.L.F., not foigettmg yourself,— Yours truly, MARAMA. [We all hope sincerely it will be fine weather during the stay of the Duke and Duchess, Marama, but of course we cannot expect niuch in the middle of winter, when the days are at their shortest. — DOT.] THE CRITIC CLUB. They were critics always, and being critics, they spoke their minds freely, and were not afraid. Deai- Dot, — -The club members were delighted to find Wulhe heading the list again. For some time they had ben offering various excuses for him. They are pleased to notice that his holiday took him to Napier, and hope he and Dick | will mcct — perhaps at "the hauntit hoose." It is with great satisfaction they find that even while on pleasure bent Wullie is both willmg and anxious to dispel from men's minds foohbh delusions, and to draw them from their heathenish darkness int:> the light of modern science; they wish him 3iiccess m solving the ghost mystery. Euterpe is to be congratulated on her energy c.id perseverance. The club were, like Regina, quite at a loss to account for Echo's blushes, a bike in their eyes being a very innocent object. If, however, Regina'a solution of the problem i» correct, the '

matter is solved, though not m a, way to cause great satisfaction, for it places Dum Diim's "drama" on a still lower scale, and showb his remarks weie not only in very poor taste, but piesumptuously egotistical. Then the L.F. Page, as understood by the club, is not for the purpose of lovemakmg, and the writers would do well to leave such subjects, or even the re1 rnotest allusion to them, out of their letters. In 1 fact, too many of the writers treat the subject ' with a levity that does not show a particulaily I nice or cultivated taste. I The club beg to assure Dot that as love is ' blind, they would never, and could never, see any fault In anything Dot says. Dear Dot, we send this short letter as a slight reparation, the last was so long. — Yours truly, TAFFY (per D. D.). [The Critic Club's reports aie never too long, Taffy. They exercise a wholesome correctn c influence, and are always welcome. — DOT.] Giuxia. — I wish you had written at the time, for I could then have sent you the silly letter and you might have traced its sillier wnter. It is so long ago now, that I am afraid it would take weeks to hunt it up. What a pity it is that there are such spiteful creatures, but they are not worth noticing, for they only | punish themselves moie than they do the I object of their spite. Dum Dum. — Thank you; the "mite" is a substantial one. Yes, the paper has gone on to Alys. How awfully good of you. If it were only known I am afraid your geneiosity would be sadly t?xed. N., Taieri. — You would see that it was merely held over waiting its turn. There are °o irisny letters just now that it takes a few weeks for their turn to come round sometimes. You were quite right m writing- as you felt, dear. Foken Thelma. — The seeda came duly to hand, and I shall sow them and watch the lesult. It is vary kind of you to have gone to the trouble of collecting the seed and sending it. j Phofundtjm. — Yes, each time you write. j One Interested in Dot's Page, 1901. — It is awfully good of you, but however am I to register the voting 9 and think how long a period it would have to extend over. "The game would not be worth the candle." Suppose, instead, you select what you think the best letter from, say, those m Old Writers' Wook, and instinct me to send the badge to the writer ? Vivace.— The autogiaph has* been sent on. Loaf — The one who sends the letter to be forwarded on should stamp the envelope. LITTLE FOLK'S RIDDLES. By Hazel — (1) I went into the woods and got it. I sat down and looked for it, and as I could not find it I came away with it. (2) What woid is that by adding two letteis to it will make it shorter 9