THE SKETCHER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2513, 14 May 1902, Page 65

THE SKETCHER.

j&f your correspondents has been giving you a description of cfaip life, and he seemed to Wnjoy it too. Well, the next time I write, as {[ have already gone over the limit and, cannot do- it just now, I shall give you a description of camp life -and how I like it. Now, little folk, ps I have caught the auto, fever (a good thing it is not the plague) I may say that I am willing to exchange autos with anyone who is .willing. I suppose. Dot, that you will forward any that are entrusted to your care. iWith kind remembrances to Jessica, (whom I nave to thank for Christmas cards), Tussock, Mimosa, Waitohi, and Nut (to whom I wish ■every success when in South Africa), — Yours truly, ECCLEFECHAN. [So Ecclefechan thinks our page was more 'interesting a few years ago than it is now. ,Well, I don't know about that. We had a number of excellent correspondents then, and ,the farewells of some of them I think of with a pang of regret to this day, but notwithstanding that I think the letters of to-day, taken altogether, will more than hold their own in comparison with those of former days. And it •is encouraging to me that this is so, for I tavc now no fear of our page ever falling off , 'either in quality or quantity of letters.— DOT.] j * Dear Dot,— Winter is coming on very rapidly now, and its King, Jack Frost, is putting in his appearance. The leaves are of a pretty golden, colour, and are dropping silently as the /wind shakes the trees to and fro. We are having pretty cold weather here just now, but I suppose it will be worse later on. A good while ago, at the time the floods were so ; general throughout the country, we had one here at E., which was the greatest known for ~X& years, at the time when Myra was a baby, ffihe two footbridges were covered, while tie ! toad was flooded in two places, preventing the | carts from passing on their way to the 'creamery. After the flood one of the bridges was Becked with raupo, watercress, and other needs, which were tightly wrapped round its supports, and which remain there yet. Kb ihann, however, was done to them, except in one case, where one was twisted a little. There are a great many D.L.F. resigning now, and 'ones who will be greatly missed from our page. 1 have not read " Alice in Wonderland," although I have read many others iior I am quite l bookworm), some of which I liked very much. We are reading a very interesting book, ensiled " Three Bright Girls, at school at sewing hour. Now, Dot, I would just like to say « word of private jtalk. Dear Fatty, I am Waiting so patiently for an answer to the letter I sent you. I have two photos and 20 kutos, but I should still like more. If anyone Wishes to exchange, please address to " Zoe, Post Office, Enfield, " and it will find me ja'fely. I must conclude now, so I will say good-bye, with love to E. J. 0., Aguinaldo, Patty, Orphan and Stray Blossom, not for'gettjng the editor and our dear little Dot. — Sours truly, zqe ' ;CA; CA very good letter, Zoe, so we can willingly )llow you the little bit of private talk.— DOT.] Dear Dot,— As it is nearly a year aince I last wrote to you I suppose you have forgotten all about me. However, I have not forfcotten you, although I seemed to lose all interest in your page for a while. I wonder why jbo many of -your old correspondents write so seldom now, especially those from the north. (You seem, to have a number of new corresponjdentß every week. I was at the sports held at P. on St. Patrick's Day, and I enjoyed myself, although it was such a bitterly cold day. £ like most of the little folk, delight in reading, Eid amongst the booka I have read are " Little /Women," "Little Wives," "Twice Tried," *• Aldersyde," ■ eto. ; but I have never read '" Alice in Wonderland." Fancy Lieutenant Con being home and away again, without any pi the little folk knowing of his return. He poems to have got over his wound, and he looks ,Vrell and strong in his photo. Dear Con, I wish Js»u a pleasant voyage and a safe return. I heard )a phonograph about a month ago. Wo could pew: the people dancing in New York and the M,C. calliiig out the figures above all the noise; Also, some songs, such as " Annie Laurie," r ' Auld laEg syne, etc., which were played very Cicely. We also saw some very pretty pictures. I was very sorry to see Daisy Priinjt'ose had resigned, as I liked reading her very , interesting letters. Most of your old writers I »re resigning now, and you will soon have a aew lot altogether. I think, like most of the little folk, that D.L.F. Civis has undertaken a treat contract, but I hope he will succeed in fthe -work he has taken, in hand. I shall convlude with love to Queensberryite, Clutha, jßosabelle, and all the other little folk, not forgetting your own dear self, and the editor (of Be does not condense this).— Yours truly, PINKIE. P.S. — No, Baronia, my initials are not D. t.— P. [Perhaps the North Island little folk who have been conspicuous by their absence lately have temporarily lost interest in our page, like you did yourself, Pinkie. However, they are sure to take a turn in good time again, and needless to say they will be heartily welcome .when they do.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — I suppose the editor is bothered enough with new writers, but here is another. I live with my sister in the country — that is, in a country schoolhouse. We are very happy, and do not feel it at all lonely, like many others tell you tney do. There are 14 children •going to this school, making four standards, the first, third, fourth, and sixth. Our clock has stopped; it won't go at all. To-day we have pot known the time, but have had to guess it. To-night the School Committee met. It is Very lfoggy, so I suppose they will have hard work to find their way home. I must close aow, with love to all D.L.F., yourself, and the editor. — Yours truly, VENETIA 11. [It is quite pleasant to hear of a little friend irho 'ia jDerfestlx loans, ia-feci fesaaa in, the

backblocks, even though the clock has followed the example of *' grandfather's clock." I hope the School Committee did not get lost in the fog.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — It is such a long time now since I wrote to you that I am nearly ashamed to make my appearance again. I have been kept pretty busy sit home lately, so that I have had very little time for -writing to you, but to-day as I was busy washing I tipped the boiler over and scalded my foot pretty badly, and am not able to walk about much, so it gives me a, chance to do a bit of writing. Where has Enid got to? I have not heard from you for a long time, Enid, and I wrote to you last, so hurry up and write. The Salvation Army harvest festival services were held here in the Victoria. Hall from last Saturday till Tuesday, and were a great success. The Wesleyans hold theirs next Sunday and Tuesday, and the fruit is all to be handed to the patients of the hospital by the members of the church. I think it is a very good plan, don't you, Dot? We have been having terrible weather down this way lately, but the last day or tv.-o h"as been nice and fine. Yfe arc to have our pig killed to-night, and we expect the butcher every minute. Wouldn't you like to be here for a feed of fresh pork ? I think it is lovely. Well, Dot, although I have not written for a long tirao 1 have not got much io say now, as I have not been away fiom, home so much. I intend going to< Waianiwa in a lorthnight or three weeks just for one night, as there are to bs harvest meetings held thc-rc. We have to drive 14 miles to got there. It is about 12 miles south of Invercergill. I must stop now ' as the butcher is heie, and I M-rnt to get out of the way. With love to Enid, Jessica, Abigail, and yourself, — Yours truly, i BLEEDING HEART. • [Well, fresh pork is ill nglit, Bleeding Heart, but 1 should not care about hearing ; Peggy's squealing while he was being caught, and I think I should follow your example and get out of the wsy.— DOT.l Dear Dot, — There have been terrible floods j up here lately, and &onie of the crops have been destroyed. The ground is too wet for a binder to go on, even the back delivery, and a few of the farmers are cutting their crops ; with scythes. There wr.s a railway accident on , the Otago Central on Mondpy, about half a mile from Hindon, when the afternoon goods train from Dunedin collided with a train from | Ida Valley, with the result that both engines | were derailed, four waggons and one carriage badly damaged, and five other waggons de- ' railed. The accident occurred on a curve, and I although neither train, was going fast I the passengers received a terrible shock, and several sustained injuries. The passengers on the down train fared much worse. Those injured were Sergeant-major Cardale, Mre J. Reid (of Kycburn), and Mr Taylor (of Middlemarch). A friend of ours was on the train, but luckily got off with a severe shaking. It was very sad that so many brave young fellows lost their lives at the railway accident at Machavie. I hope this war will come to a close soon, don't you, Dot ? Would it be right of me to take Daisy Primrose's noiu de plume, Dot? With love to all the little folk, the editor and yourself, — Yours truly, DAISY COWSLIP. [No, -dear, I do not think it desirable for anyone to take Daisy Primrose's norn de plume, so I have altered it to Daisy Cowslip, which I daresay will answer as well. It must have been a trying time when even scythes had to be brought into use once more to save the harvest.— -DOT.] Dear Dot, — As it is some time since I promised you a description of the Lakes district I think I had better start now, or I may never get it done. Lake Wakatipu is about 60 miles long, and is edged on both sides by high hills, which are covered with green trees and scrub. Kingston is the small town at the foot of the lake, and is the terminus of Ihe railway. It possesses a jetty, at which the steamers wait for the trains. Three steamers ply between the different places on the lake. One is the i p.s. Mountaineer and is the largest of the j three. The next largest is the Ben Lomond, ■ and the other the Antrim, which is sometimes j called the " tub," on account of its smallness. ' After leaving Kingston the nest place of any importance is Queenetown. It is situated on the edge of the lake, not quite half-way up it. At the back of it is a large hill, and on the left going in is another — namely, Ben Lomond. Queenstown possesses a park, in which there is a rotunda and also a large lagoon. The lagoon is generally cleaned out before winter, and after a few severe frosts it makes a grand skating pond. At the end of the park there is a long ledge of rock, which runs out iv/'t the lake. This is very dangerous for the boaKs, so there is a bellbuoy on the end of it, which the boats go round.. Ben Lomond iB a great attraction to visitors and others. All the way up to the saddle there is a zig-zag path, which makes the hard work of climbing a good deal easier At the saddle there is a hut for the use of visitors, where they can boil their billyAfter leaving the saddle there is no readymade track, and it is only after very hard work that one stands on the very top of Ben Lomond. There is a book at the top, in which you can put your name, and also one in the hut to put your name in when you come down, from the top. After leaving Queenstown for Glenorchy the scenery is lovely. Along the shore green trees dip their leaves into the water, and at certain seasons several trees are in blossom, and their bright flowers look very pretty against the dark green foliage. On the right side is an inlet called Bob's Cove, and further along is a point named Rat Point. After turning Rat Point Queenstown is lost from view. The Humboldt Mountains, on the left, were very pretty, but a few years ago their beauty was destroyed by a bush fire, which swept the side of them. On the right are the Richardson Mountains. They are not nearly so pretty as the Humboldts were, as they have scarcely any bush to speak of, and are .mainly covered with feau jfe'tU. tuawcia. ia&

I boulders. There is a track down the side of I them as. far as Queenstown, down, wbicli people sometimes take cattle, but as it is only a bridle track, it is often an awkward task taking stock along it. At the top of the lake on the left is Kinloch, which is built at the foot of the Humboldta, and also at the water's edge. It lis rather a pretty place, as the bush at the back has to some extent regained its beauty. At the time of the big 'fire, which 1 mentioned before, the residents of Kmloch had most of 1 their vfurniture at the very -edge of the lake and were beating out the fire at the back of their homes with wet bags. Wet bags and blankets were spread over the roofs of the houses to keep the shingles from, catching fire. On the opposite aide of the lake is Glenorchy, also a very small place. There are two large 1 and dangerous rivers up there. One is the Dart, which is the larger and more dangerous of the two, being full of quicksands, and after a large flood it changes all (or most) of its channel". The other is the Rees. A few miles above ftlenorchy is a place called Paradise, where there is a large boardinghouse. This part of the journey has to be made in a buggy or on horseback, as there are numerous creeks, as well as ihe Rees River, to cross. The largest of the creeks is Eamslaw Creek, which eomos rushing and foaming down from Mount Earnslaw. A short distance after crossing this creek the load enters the Earnslaw bush. The road winds along just at the edge of the bush, bordered on the left side by Diamond Lake This is a small lake higher up than Wakatipu, and is so named from its shape. After entering the bush the first thing of any particular beauty is Fairy Falls. The water trickles over the edge of a high cliff in big drops. It never comes any quicker unless there has been heavy rain beforehand, and then the- water shoots over the rock, but it is not nearly so pretty then as at other times. I coxild write more yet, dear Dot, but I see my letter is getting longer than it should be, so if you care to get the rost of niy description I shall Bend it another time. With love to all the little folk and Yourself, — Yours truly, HIAWATHA. [Yes, Hiawatha, I shall be very glad for you ta continue the description next time- you write. You are giving us a very good idea of what the Lake district is lilce.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — I saw by the papers that Nut weut away in the ninth contingent. A young chap went away from our district also; and he was only 16 years of age. We had the mill all last week, and were kept so busy that sometimes I hardly knew whether I was on my head or my heels. I made tea for the men one day, and when I went to pour it out I found I had put in currants instead' of tea leaves. Hasn't it been awful harvest weather this year, Dot? — everybody's stooks growing together, and nobody able to do anything but sit and watch them. I should liko to get Maid of Athens's, Maid of Orleans's, and Dunedinite's autographs in exchange for my own. With love to all the little folk and yourself, — Yours truly, URSULA. [Surely the 16-year-old boy did not go with the contingent, Ursula? You must indeed have had a busy time, and an exceedingly anxious one too.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — I went to Clinton for Easter, and on Good Friday my friends took me for a drive to Lorenzo's home, but I didn't see him, as he was shooting. I had been entrusted to give him Jessica's auto., so I had to let his sister into the secret, but she promised to keep it. On the Saturday we went for another lovely drive, through Clinton Gorge, to Mr A. C. Begg"s station. Miss Begg took us out to see two young fallow deer that were kept on the tennis court. The male is of a fawn colour and quite wild, but the female is almost black and very tame. On Sunday afternoon wo climbed Popotunoa Hill, from the top of which you get a grand view ; also plenty of cheap skirt-trimmings (bid-a-bids). We were at church morning and evening, and in the evening I saw Lorenzo, but did not speak to him. On Monday we didn't go anywhere except to the station, and on Tuesday I came home again. I didn't see a badge during my travels. I had ft sad ending to my pleasant little holiday, for on returning home I learned that my grandfather had suddenly taken ill, and on the following Sunday morning he passed quietly and peacefully away to his rest. When the Duke and Duchess were here last winter I went over and stayed with my grandparents, and let my aunt go to town. Never shall I forget the happy evenings in the cosy little sitting-room, singing all the old Scotch songs we could think of. 1 am the eldest of his 40 colonial descendants. That was a splendid account of Harry's southern trip, but he didn't say if he wrote his name in the visitors' book at the top of Bluff Hall. Mine is there, and I put down my occupation as " head cook and bottle-washer.'' I was in Invercargill for five months over two years ago, and I think, with Harry, that it is superior to Duuedin in most points, except as regards the station. If any of the D.L.F. find me out they might please Bend me their autos. Jessica knows foine Oi learnt my brogue from that Oiriahman over beyant. One morning I sent him a piece of cake, with the boys, and next morning they asked him how he liked it and told him I sent it. He said, " Will, jist till her to sind -anuther!" Complimentary, wasn't it? Shure, though there'B niver a dhrop of Oirish blood in me, Oi am very fond of talking the brogue, but it is not so aisy spelling it. If Oi had a hoult of St. Moichael Or"d shake the business out of him and make him wroite agin. The first night I was away at Clinton my brother played a trick on a heifer that had for some weeks previously taken it into her head not to stand for the boys. He dressed up in, my milking togs, and went down to the paddock, and the heifer Teally thought it was me. She likes to drink the milk sometimes, and one morning when she put her foot in the bucket I just gave her the milk to drink. She always com** wk«Di I sail fen* but iha olhtm. barai

to go for her. The weather has evidently taken a turn for the better, so perhaps we shall have some summer this winter as we didn't have much in its right time. The farmers have lately been getting in the sheaves while the sun shone. I sec there are lots of retiring-age letters coming in lately. We shall be getting one. from R. C. some of these clays, as he has reached the allotted span of one score years. I have still got over a year to go, but I shall now retire for a few more weeks. — Yours truly, OPHIR. [I think it better not to put in the full norn de plume of R. C, Ophir, as it is only right he should be allowed to tell us about it himself.—DOT.] Dear Dot, — I have just come back from my holiday. I was away for three weeks, and, oh, what n. giand time I had. Of course it was not very pleasant with such wet weather as we bad but seeing I was young that did not keep me from having a good time. I saw a good number of D.L.F. m Dunedin, but as I did not have my badge then I could not spenk to them. I should like to exchange a-utos with Boy, Pom Pom, A. S. S., A Lonely Girl, and any others who are willing. Dear Dot, I think I have a pretty good idea who you are, but I shall not say who yet, as I might " fall in," as others have done before me. I saw Harry, or " the sisterless boy, as he calls himself, when I was in Dunedin. I don't think he minds being sisterless, as there seem to be plenty of girls just as good to him as a. sister would be. I saw him on the Corinna on Good Friday standing up on the Tigging laughing at the crush. Of course, it was all right for him to laugh so long as he was not among the crush getting knocked about like an old boot. This is Saturday, and you know that is always a busy day, so there is not much time to write letters then. With love to all the D.L.F. and yourself, — Yours truly, EMERALD, j [I thing you are quite right to rnuke perfectly sure about Dot's identity, Emerald, for, as you say, yon might *" fall in," and that of course would not be very satisfactory, would '• it? However, persevere, dear, and I have no doubt you will succeed in due time. — DOT.] j Dear Dot, — I am going to tell you about the school picnic. The committee promised to ! give us a picnic at our Christmas holidays, but I there were so many picnics and other sports throughout the district that we did not have it till April 7. We went about c mile out of the township, and we enjoyed ourselves very much. It was such a beautiful day. Good night. — Yours truly, i LARKSPUR. '' [You were fortunate in having the picnic put off as it was, Larkspur, when the result was a perfect day and a correspondingly good time. —DOT.] Dear Dot, — Here I am again, after a. spell of nearly a year, so you can't say I write too often, can you? We are having terribly cold weather just now, especially in the mornings, when you have to get out early. We always have to light a lantern in the byre in the mornings now. Things are very quiet down here at present, but I see a good time in store for us not very far away, and that means plenty of dances and parties. A dancing class is to start next Friday night, and it is going to keep up all winter, so that will be all right. Do you hkc dancing, Dot? I just love it. A military ball is to be held here on the 3rd of June, co that is better still; while a church ' social will take place on the 22nd, and as the choir is to give a few pieces we are very busy practising for it. Won't it be great in Dunedin at the time of the Coronation, Dot? I think I am coming up to Dunedin then, so I shall pay the Witness office a visit, and see if I can catch a sight of Dot. We had a great treat here a week or two ago. The Corrick Family paid a visit) to E. and stayed two nights. The house was crowded both nights. Mr Corrick sang " The British Navy ' splendidly. The song was illustrated, too, so that made it all the better. Madame Corrick sang " Love's old sweet song," " The moth and the flam?-," " Sunny Tennessee," and a few others. There are eight of them, and they all play some instrument. Ojie of the girls plays the cornet, and she plays it beautifully. She only seems to be about 16, too, and it is no trouble to her at all to play. They also play with the bells, and it sounded all right. I only know one D.L.F. down here, and that is S. M., but I dont think he knows me. Lady Croome li-»es not a hundred miles away, but I have not had the pleasure of meeting her yet. Oh, I forgot, I think I know Annan. Her initials are A. It., I think. I should lifie to exchange autos with any of the D.L.F., who would care to do so. Doesn't Black Watch write some " dandy " letters, Dot? I fancy I should know those sportsmen Will-o'-the-Wisp mentioned in his letter last week. They used to be neighbours of ours before we came to E. The manager of E. estate and his wife are away home to the Coronation. Won't they have an all-right time? The people of E. gave him a dressingcase and his wife a beautiful gold brooch before they went away. I was just going to start on the war, Dot, but that subject is worn thin, so I think I shall stop, or you will be putting this through the condenser, or telling me, like Clothilda, to "boil it down," and that would be ** the last straw." Autos sent through Dot will reach me all right. And now, Dot, goodbye for another six months. With love "to all the little folk Oroua, Clothilda, Henley West, Taonui, Annah, S. M., and our old friend Dot, — Yours truly, MIBA GITA22A. I Six months! It seems a long time, and yet how quickly it goes over. I wonder if it will i be actually six months before we hear, from . Hixa Gitana again.— DOT.] Dear Dot,— l was along the beach to-d»y for a drive, but it was cold and windy. I have a brother back from the war. He was invalided hojns frjUa fo^ >JZSh, rnntiny^g^ JUIA MA. JUtft

all glad 1 to get Lira home again. I have another brother -with the eighth contingent, and my; father is with Damant's Horse, co you see» Dot) we arp a fighting' family — three put of so family fighting for King and country in South Africa. Two others went from here — one with the seventh and op-c with the e ; ghth contingent, which makes five from our smal^ district. We knew Trooper Asurnore, who- ! was killed. I know a good many D.L.F. who ! are writing from her". — Tours truly, , E. R. W. ' [Your family have done more than their duty to King end cotxntry, E. R. W., and I hope your returned trooper brother will settle down for life, and take up his old position in, the district when he is well enough to do so. —DOT.] Dear Dot, — There was a great farewell social here the other night to our M.H.R., who is leaving the district, when, he was presented with a purse of sovereigns. There were a g3o<3 number present, among them being Sir J. G-. "Ward, who arrived by the express from the south, and was met by the councillors and taken through the Woollsn Factory and from there to the hotel for tea., thence to the social at night, where he made a speech. He is a* j fine-looking man, and everybody seemed to i like him. I have been reading a book lately ; called " Tom Tartar's Adventures at Home • and Abroad." It is a lovely book to read, but I was always at it, and at last my mother took it from me, and I have not seen it since. I was just at the part where Tom left school and going away to Russia, and there I stopped short, never to go again ; but I live in hopes of seeing it once more. I have read a good few books, but I like it best of all. I met Queen of the Belgians out here the other day, and she promised me her auto, if I sent mine to her. I sent mine, but have not got hers yet. Dear Hilda, will you exchange autos with me? I see Daisy 'Primrose has resigned and also I Maid of Orelans. With love to all the D.L.F., • yourself, and the editor, — Yours truly, MAID OF EILLEENA. [I am afraid "Tom Tartar's Adventures" ' were not veTy good reading for you, Maid of Xilleena, or your mother would not have I taken so decisive a step as that. It is not wise ' to lose yourself entirely in -any book you may i be reading, dear — DOT.] I Dear Dot, — Since I last wrote to you we have had an accident on the Otago Central railway, which fortunately did not end in very serious results for the passengers, although, some of them got a few bruises. It is the fiTst accident that has occurred on this line, and I i hope it will be the la3t. There has been « '' big slip between Ranfurly and Wedderburn, the old foundation slipping away altogether, but dt has been replaced by new ballast. There is a ballast engine and a large gang of men employed repairing the line -where the slip happened. The traffic was stopped for a short time between Ranfurly and Ida Valley, the passenger train running to the slip and the passengers walking across, then joining another train for Ida Valley.— Yours truly, MANIOTOTO. [It was indeed fortunate that the accident caused no more damage to the passengers than it did. It might very easily have ended in a catastrophe.— DOT.] Dear Dot,— We live in the country at the Waimea Plains. There are plenty of swamp hens here. We have a beautiful horse called Victor Hugo. Dad says he called it that beI cause he goes where you go. I am sorry to hear dear Hough Rider is having such a wannl time in Queensland among the centipedes', scorpions, dust, snakes, and heat. I have been in the north of Australia, where the thermometer,, rises above 120 in the shade. All drinking water is hung or -carried in canvas bags, called water-bags. You could not drink it if it was kept in watercaskß or bottles. It is so hot sometiine3 that you could fry eggs and bacon on a shovel in the sun. The natives or blackf ellows in some parts store water after • a rainfall in a peculiar way. They hollow out a bent tree and fill it with water, sealing both ends with clay. Then they dig holes in the ground, putting in the pipes or filled treetrunks with the elbow at the bottom and the sealed ends turned up like a bullock bow. These are then covered with sand and earth, and m the time of drought they can get water from them. Generally they are 10 or 15 miles apart on the Toad from the interior to some permanent spring, and in this way the blacks save themselves from being cut off by drought from the main waters or permanent springs. Rough, Rider is quite correct in saying that the Australians do not speak as pure English as the Maorilanders. I have noticed that horrible nasal drawl, and remarked that they seem too tired to speak. It is generally called "The Australian Tired Feeling." Our house here is surrounded by barb-wire fences, so we call the house "Wire-fence Villa." We have a large dog called General French. He barks at a-nything and everything, but he can't bark a tree yet. Still, he is young, and we live in hopes. On some future occasion I will write again and tell you about the horrid l calves that chew our beautiful bed spreads. One of my friends (her name is Lulu) is a pupil teacher, end she studies so .hard that she is very ill just now. lam very anxious About .her, and hope she 'will get better quickly, and I am sure all the little folk will wish so too. Good night, dear Dot, with much Jove to yourself and the editor — Yours truly, TOMMY FROM IHE SHOTOVEIL {If Tommy, etc., ihieL ever owned a ftee which, had been barked by a scratching cat lie would! not live in hopes of General French acquiring such a destructive habit. (What did you say r Tommy? — "* How stupid of Dot not to see my, little joke!") Oh, I see; well. leally, I should I encourage a little fun, for our letters are, a« a I rule, very solemn, are they not? I hope Bough! Rider does not succumb to thai " Australian tired feeling, or «he will perhaps not hava energy enough to continue corresponding, and 1 vt ■kaiild *11 aartjhait 3Bufc.« CU jXEaa«

dodge of the blacks for preserving water. The ■whites can tak<* a lesson from the despised blackTellows.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — I am afraid you will have quite forgotten me-, as it is a very long time since I last wrote. Can you play ping-pong, Dot? "We have such fun playing in the evenings. I think it is the best game that_was ever invented. We have sucfi a nice little pony here, 3iamed Rowdy, and I used to ride it sometimes, but it has got very frisky and father says it is not safe. I gained three prizes at school at Christmas, one being for marks, and one each for writing and carving. We do woodcarving in school, and I am very nearly finished doing a tray. One of my sisters and I each received a prize m the Outlook. Mine was a book entitled " Lady Dye's Reparation," which I sam taking my norn de plume from. I did not care for my other name, so I changed it. A social was held up here a few weekß ago to bid farewell to the Rev. J. Ward, who is goin<* tlown towards Dunedin. Was not that a sad xailway accident with the eighth contingent, Dot? But I suppose it couldn't be helped. Since I last wrote we have moved into another ihouse, which is much larger than ths other one. We ■ have such a large garden, with a great many different kinds of trees and shrubs and pretty flowers. I know who Tureka is; she does not live very far from here. With love to Dot and all the little folk,— Yours truly, LADY DYE. [It will be delightful in the summer time, Lady Dye, tc be among all the trees a^d shrabs, so you will have something to look forward to •when the winter is over.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — We are having very curious ■weather here just now. When the sun is shining brightly in the morning it is raining bucketsful in the afternoon. We have started to dig out our potatoes now. and we have a fine crop. I was sorry to see that Maid of Athens has given up writing to the page, as her letters v/ere very interesting. Con must have taken p. great fancy to South Africa when he "has volunteered to go back again, but of course going as an officer is very different to being in the ranks. Dear Dot, you must have a great number of correspondents now, for nearly every town you go to you see such a lot of D.L.F. I shall exchange autos with any D.L.F. who think my auto, is worth having. Dear Dot, if you would like to get some mud on your bhoes, just come up th:s way", and you will get plenty. One would need gumboots to go to school here in the winter time. Was not that railway accident that took place on the Central Otago line a narrow escape ? I hope you cto not take a notion and go to South Africa too, Dot, as some of your correspondents have done. I must conclude now, as it is cowtime. With love to Dot, the patient editor, and all the little folk,— Yours truly, CHARLOTTE. [That is a somewhat new title for the editor, Charlotte. To tell you the truth I think he is pretty impatient sometimes when letters are taken into him by the score — I was just going io say hundred, but of course that would be an exaggeration. — DOT.]