C.C.C. CORRESPONDENCE,

Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 61

C.C.C. CORRESPONDENCE,

Hochelaga. — Thank you for your kind little note and warm assurance of the success of our club. It is very pleasant to receive such greetings, and I hope many more old friends will be with us when harvest is over. Boy Fp.iend. — Your letter was indeed a pleasant one and most welcome, as anything from you always is. You know how much I hope you will be with us as often as you can this session. You must not serve us as did our charming "L'lrlandais" — weary of the welcoming smiles and ready appreciation, and leave the club. I wonder if it was for fresh (literary) fields and pastures new? My dear love to "'the master of the house" — it is so sweet to think of all you tell me, and so good of you to tell me. Kkraki.— Thank you for some genuine amusement and for a very interesting note. Now, of course, like the proverbial woman, I want to know "more." Yes, you are right in thinking I am interested, really, genuinely interested, to the point of remembering each individual and its accompanying glimpse of personality years afterwards, and the same with the topic of the moment. I am so glad you liked "Wild Animals I Have Known." I wish you would get it and revel in- it — it' 3 not so dear as -I thought, 'only 6s Gd, I think. Thank you for the Kipling suggestion, which, as you see, I have at once utilised. I wish I quite understood what you mean by the sensation of "far ayont on that e3pecia! topic. Docs it all, then, seem, so silly and feminine to you? Have you time to tell me? Marjiee. — Thanks for kind note. Your paper, as you see, accepted. I do not quite understand if it is original or quoted, but shall be glad to see you again, Marine?. At "members' meetings" it is a little difficult to choose a topic which- shall be generally interesting or instructive. Cathfrina writes: — "That early morning ride of Clare's, which she so pleasantly describes, is splendid. I have just been reading it. I know exactly what that 'dewy freshness' of early morning means in the country. It is a delight to enjoy it. ... Emmeline, how do you think 'My Favourite Pastime' would do us a topic some day?" Rather well, I think, Catherina, if really treated honestly. Novice.— l decieled that your own fears about inability to concentrate your efforts on this occasion were sufficiently well grounded, Novice, and so kept back your paper. It was scarcely suitable for a club meeting of grown-up .people, and had so suffered from cutting down at the end that you would have been disappointed at its appearance, I know. But lake heart of grace and try again, dear; it is all practice, but we must not ask membei-> to enjoy it until piactice has made more perfect. Green- Ti'i.— lndeed, I do not v.-onder that you feel * little shy, my wild bird, for some of the tame birds sing so beautifully the songs that training and culture have taught them ; but you have two qualities which will always aid you immensely — love of Nature and 'observation. No, it was Disripula who wrote of the red tussock— and how widely her 1-v-ely little sketch hag been appreciated! Yes, J agre? with you, Green Tui, and have often wondered why -Dot docs not sometimes - -gay once a month— give her young folk a topic to discuss. It would do away with quite so much of the personal element. But what wonderful patience ?ncl unfailii>g tact i.s Dot's! Gabrielle.— You are not more sorry than I am thit your paper was unavoidably late, clear Gabrielle, and I am so much in love with its dainty play of fancy that 1 beg you will let me keep it to fall back upon, in case the weather plays us tricks on some other occasion. As to the other and personal it<-ms, no, I had no idea that you, too, had made your venture there. I must have misundeistood, and shall write privately, my dear t;ul friend, as there is so much I want to say to you both. Love and good wishes. Clare —I always depend on my correspondents to say if they do not desire their letters to be quoted from at all, Cl?rc. The greatest discretion is always used in avoiding any quotation which could seem like a breach oi confidence; and only little bits of debcnption or information or those instances of kindly mention which have so successfully built up a sense of companionship among my correspondents are ever used. I have genuine hope of your marked improvement, Clare, becatiscyou are both keen in your admiration of our good writers and dissatisfied with your own attempts . courage, hard work, no' end of pains, and the clearquestion put to yourself, "Have I anything to tell which can interest others?" You will t-.ee how much Marmee enjoyed your morning ride. Discipula. — You, my absent friend, must read these few hues from Green Tui' 8 letter:--"On the loadside, as we drive to church, the red tussock waves and glistens in the suu, and I think of Di^cipula's sketch in the C.C.C." Taffy.- (i lad to find you are making a good beginning; this session, my Welsh friend. C. N. W.— Am pleased to welcome you on behalf of the club, aud hope you will often join us. I wonder if the Kipling meeting will mter.-st vo"ii? Daphne "roots the uvmbcrs of the ciub, and v.iMic:. i:s all a sucLCa«-fiil st-ssion , she also •adds :. tow kind and thoughtful i.mS to uiyb.-!f, loi which I thank her. Jack.- Ye-., Jack, I think f-ome members do find it harder *o choose a tupic th>m»elvts than to write on one chosen foi them, but others prefer the members' meetings, as Hiving them a chance of speaking on some theme supcialiy interesting to them. It is Kn.ci o c \n\\ to consider bhe extia work for mo, Jc<c'.w, and you just touch the tiue lenson th it kepo» me qomg when jou s.ty "these meetings' are wliat v,r> look forwaid to po much. ... So mai.y p"o_. * now vend and r.njoy all your articled. 'J lut is worth being tned for. RouciHMDKß.— You would ft> tiie niles «iven m the two succeeding numbers of the \\ nness, but perhaps would not get th«.ni in time to join us to-day I have l.ot a tumcimtly ( lear iem»mbiance of joui letters to Dot to tuke them as a standmtl. l>i>t •= ha. 1 1 be vcrv plea-ed to receive =ome-thir^ fiom you in the hope that it inaj prove worthy a C C.C. member's place. No. it would scarcely do to atc-pl ajijthiiig, Rt ugl'iider, "gooJ., bad, or indifferent. A certuir standard of cxcM'ence, even though in be^i.mers it may '<<<■■ a modest one, is !n'lispc-i:bable. Your anostion show me that you have not i -ad the meetir.g-. of pivvioua sessions, when so mai.y leally < levc- papers have appeared. But, you kno. 1 -, I like youi lettei go much t'-iat I hope you will i-e:id in something — sji- for !.?\t mc-eting. I do hope the rain continued. I have read ail the accounts in the uaners. How terribly sad they are, aiiH how Mrange to Ner.- Zealand ejes such landscapes must appear. L L. L. — I am sorry your pa,ier is juiicii tec lonj:, iu:d is not of suffic:ert j^e.'.crj: j'.Urcot to make cutting tlown po-bib'e. Perhaps jon would like to try £omethu>g short for next meeting, yiiulv genuinely g l ft cl to welcome

young members, I feel bound to point ouft that a certain standard of excellence is indispensable, especially considering the capital work done by the club during the last two sessions. Zee. — I was sincerely glad to hear from yoti, Zee, and thank you for your pleasant account of your holidays. Eve and Gabnelle — of our circle — have also at various times given me such pleasant accounts of the place that I Teally long to go there — the sketching would be lovely. Now, Zee, do let me persuade you to break your resolve not to join us again, and write a description of '"the island paradise" for our next meeting. I do so want it to be a good one. Ted. — Dear Ted, how glad I was to see the dear untidy old writing once more! But you don't say half enough about yourself. Do try, if you can, to let me have the description of those two days for our next meeting; it %vould be splendid. Oh, Ted, I know that "ache" which such beauty awakens so well ; it has no words in which to break the spell that becomes, as you say, awful in its silence. But I have never known anyone else who felt like that, Ted, and it's so nice to know that it's you who feels the same. Val. — Dear Val, I am so sorry you are not with us tc-dav.