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Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 69

"What a time they will have in Dunedin or. Coronation Day. I should like to be thsre. I have never been to Dunedin, but I hope to go aaexfc Christmas, if all is well. Dear Dot, some people say this place is out of civilisation, but I do not think so. They say so because it is quiet, but there is many a worse place. What a lot of people read Dot's Little Folk's Page. Grown-up people read it as well as children, and get a lot of news and good meaning from it. Do you like riding, Dot? I am. very fond of St. We hava a horse, but it is not very often at home. I have a mate, Dot, but she hves nearly a mile from me, and we do not i-ee each other very often. My birthday is in July. They say that people born in July axe miserable themselves and always try to make others miserable, but I do not think that is always the case. With love to the L.F. and yourself,— Yours truly, __ __ • NELLIE. [Why, what a silly old saying, Nellie. It is time all those ridiculous statements died a natural death. Whatever could July have to do' with a person being either happy or miserable?—DOT.] Dear Dot, — The district I live in is renowned as a- favourite resort of tourists, for its magnificent scenery, and also as a. sporting- field. I ■went for a holiday to a town 30 miles from ■where I live. I stayed there for two weeks, »nd enjoyed myself very much. I am looking forward to Christmas coming, as I am then promised a longer holiday. The much-dreaded winter is here nov?, and the cold is very severe. I live on « farm, so I rrave a good many pets, all of which I am very fond of. My favourite pel is a lamb, which I call Lucy. It follows me everywhere 1 go, and even wants to go to school with me. I live about a milo from the school, and I am in the Fifth Standard. With love to all the L.F., alac yourself, Dot,— Yours truly, rTIWIVTT , SILVANUS. tl think that lamb must have heaid of Mary's little lamb, Silvanus. Did she find it against the rule, too 9 — DOT.] LETTERS CONDENSED. Airdale, like everyone else, complains about the weather, which at time of writing was cold and stormy. "Dear Dot, — I shall give a fhort account of the place I live in. Well, it is a nice little place, with bushes and p'.euty of nice- ferns and moss, also a pretty river running through it. When «c get up the nyer v good way there are great big rocks, with trees growing on them, and granc 1 scenery." Sparrow writes after a six months' rest. "Ii has been very wet weather here lately, and n snowed all day on Friday and Saturday. The farmers are very bu«y just now. I was at a party yesterday, but I did not enjoy 2uyself very much, as it snowed most of the lime. ' Rosabf.lle thinks Matakamii's letter was a very good one. "I do think it was 'What oh, she bumps!' because I know what it is to ride for the first time. Dear Dot, have you «ver been in the country? If you ever intend coming I should advise you to put off your visit till the summer, as it is very cold in the winter. When the snow is on the ground we have a game of snowballing each other." I V. R. writes to say that a mistake was made i in her initials, whicb appeared wrongly as , "P. R." Those who are sending autos will please send to V. R. at the address given. A Returned Trooper says the weather has been "something terrific." "The winter dances are started now, and I wish that the Wednesdays would come sooner, but I suppose I shall just have to wait till they do come. There are four writing from this place, but I was the first to write. I have a brother in the Eighth, and I had a cousin in the Sixth, but he is back, land I think he has joined the North Ninth Contingent. The mutton-birdrrs are not in yet, as the sea is too rough. The place wo live at is a little way from the sea, and when it is rough you can see the white waves out at sea. If a vessel was to be out in such j weather I am afraid it would have a rather ' hard struggle against them." liiKA Jaka is 15, is in the Seventh Standard, but thinks she will soon leave school. "I , have been suffering from toothache for three day 3, and think that is quite long enough, I so I am going to have the offender drawn out to-morrow, this being Sunday. I have a dog, •whose name is Sweep, and I also have a white parrot. It is so amusing, lear Dot, to see the two playing together." | Yellow Pansy has three and a-half miles to walk to school, and she is always tired after her day's tramp. "Three of oui family already v.rite to you, and I am going to make the fourth. One of my brothers said we were fools writing to a person that we did not know, but I think it good exercise, especially for the ycung one 3 not left school." | Pimento would like to exchange autos with any D.L.F. If addressed "Pimento, Henot," They will find her. "Dear Dot, — We are having terribly cold weather. During the past fortnight we have had only one fine day, and that ■was y/sterday. The farmers who have all their grain carted to the stations are very lucky, for there -will be no carting done for two or three days yet — that is to say, if the weather takes up; but there is no sign of it doing =o." | Axgela tells me she does not expect any- j thing out of the common to happen on CoTonaiion Day in the town in which she lives, but there is to be a Coronation ball. She thinks fiho.will spend her next holidays in "Wellington, and hopes to spend the following ones m Dunedin. "One of my sisters found out my nom-de-plume, and of course she told all the rest of them, and for a while I heard nothing else but 'Angela.' " Little Jack Hornee has "a terrible sore heel," and has been away from school for a week. "I have a cousin away to the war, he is a bugler in the Tenth Contingent." Little Bright-Eyes has five brothers and cix sisters, one brother and sister being twins. "The place where we live has many high lulls ; M> h&s alao g. gqx&s* which is vary i>iet'.y ia the

summer time, when the flowers arc all in bJoom." Lady of the Vale tells me that no fewer than six young men left her district in the Tenth Contingent, one of whom wrote to her from Sydney. "Since I last wrote to you, I am sorry to tell you that we have lost our dear wee baby sister. I could not tell you how much we all miss her. She was just 15 months old, and was beginning to talk." Roman tells me about their horses, which are named Lady Grey, Old Mistake, The Dad, and Jean. "A party of us went for a drive to Patearoa, about nine miles, and we all ] enjoyed ourselves very much." j New Chum started wiiting to the page four . years ago, so she is not a new chum to us now. "I thank the Critic Club for their kind remarks. When I saw my name in their column my blood froze, but when I saw the leason I was as proud as a clog with two tails." ' Harvester tells me about the rough weather i they have had for the past fortnight. "I have had to go out since I began this letter. I 1 see- in this week's Witness that Solomon Slow has started farming. I wish I was near to help him, for I was over a year on a farm, so I could give him a helping hand." Dollie knows 20 little folk, which she thinks is not bad. She had written three letters before this one, but she did not like to post them. Royal Queen tella about the snowy day. "The ground was covered to a depth of about an inch, but the snow soon melted away. I was at a social on Tuesday night, given to one of the troopers who had just arrived home from South Africa. I saw a few D.L.F. there, but I I did not know them." Snowdrop has lived in the country for many years, but has now come to Dunedin to live. "'I would rather live in the country than down here. When I was living in the country I had a little pet kitten, which I was very fond of, and regretted very much leaving it behind." Lottie goes to the Baud of Hope meetings, where the children recite pieces of poetry. "This is near the middle of winter, and it is very cold. Father has got all lus potatoes dug up ; he has a very good crop this year. We are to have two days' holidays at the- time of the Coronation. We are going to hoist the flag on Coronation Day and sing 'God save the King' at the school, so we will have a great day." Creeping Jimmy was in town when the lady and her little girl were run over by the horse and springcart. "It is very 'marshy' here now that the winter has set in, and we may look for snow before the winter is ovei. The book that I have just finished reading is about a little girl trying to be good and phe did everything wrong. When she did something wrong she ran away, and her parents began to coiiimiserate her. Dear Dot, I do not live far fiom three or four of your correspondents. It is about four weeks since I came home from town, and I was not very glad to come home, because I was enjoying myself very much." Smiling Jock is very sorry Daisy Primrose has left our page, but she sensibly remarks that we have all to take our turn some day. "N r e have a lovely view from where we live. We can see the greater part of Dunedin, which looks very lovely on a nice day. M. and D. were asking how it was that Jirnpy the Boy never wrote to Dot. I do not know him, s>o I cannot tell." Donnapony II speaks about the weather. "We had a very heavy fall of snow on Friday. It lay on the ground all day, and the farmers carting their grain have made the roads in a terrible mess. I have to ride six miles to school every day. It is fine fun on a dry day, but I don't care much about it on a cold, wet morning, riding about a mile over a wet, sloppy paddock. When at school I have grand times with the other girls in my standard, and I sit between two of my mates, who often get me into a row and then I get the stick; but tliej bring daintier to school, and things hum then." Justine has a pretty httle yellow-and-white pup with a black nose, and she has lots of fun with it. "Dear Dot, are not those erup- i tions in the West Indies terrible? We are having very wet, sloppy weather , but I suppose, as it is winter, it must rain as usual." Cupid had Floiodora pointed out to her the other day, and she would like to exchange photos with her. "What a pity Daisy Prmiro=e has left the page! It would have been very interesting to have had a full account of the Eighth Contingent's sojourn in Albany. I am sure everyone v/ould have appreciated it. The people about hero have great fun finding out the D.L.F. I have been found out three times, and each time it was a different name ; and the fun of it was I was not a L.F. at all. Have you ever read any of J. R. Miller's books? I have, and I think they are very nice. If any of the little folk have not read them I would ! advise them to do go. I think if an ugly old ' fairy asked me what I would be I would say a bird, as they are so pietty and all seem so J happy." Lumberlov knows only three L.F., but he hopes he will get to know more later on. Zinnia is in the Third Standard, and she likes going to school. "I have been in Dunediii, and I liked it very much." Wattle Tree was in Dunedin a short time ago, but as she was only down for a day she did not enjoy herself much. "Wo are going to have a social for a returned trooper on Wednesday, and there is an Oddfellows' ball to-night." Narissa and her brothers have each a flower-garden, and she is very fond of flowers. "We had five weeks' holidays this year, and our teacher took us for a picnic, but unfortunately, on account of illness, I wn3 not there. My last birthday is not lcni; pp'st, so I got a gold brooch and a pair of kiU glo "es bent to me for it." Whitec^P tells me jhout the welcome- home accorded to Sergeant Motcalfe, who lias lately returned from South Africa. "We have a volunteer corps here, and my brother is a jM*>«her ftf it. Dear Dot, don't you ijuojs

that volcanic eruption is a terrible thing 9 The loss of property, crops, and live stock is a quarter of a million, but the worst of all is the sacrifice of so many human lives." Forgbt-Me-Xot 111 has a big black retriever called Darkle. "I have also a pretty cat called Spot, and he is very playful. I have two hens, one called Silver Grey and the other Snowy." ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Begonia. — Please send your ncldress, as I cannot find it, and there is a letter to forward on to you. A Returned Troopee. — An autograph is simply a person's signature. A D.L.F. auto is usually written on a little shp of paper ; the size of an envelope, and in addition to 1 the signature it has the real name of the sender, the date of birth, and address; also the noin-de-plume of the person to whom it is to be sent. If to go through Dot, it must be enclosed in an unaddressed stamped envelope, with a note to Dot to say whom it is I for. In view of your threat not to write j again if your letter is condensed this time, i I could not possibly insert it in full ; otherwise it would probably have escaped condensing. I, of course, cannot allow any writer to dictate to me what is to be done with her letter. Peppermint Cure —Yes, the name and full address must accompany each letter you write. D. N. A.— The next group is already prepared, ready to appear whenever there is space for it, and unfortunately your photo arrived too late to be included in it, so it will probably j be a long time before it appears. ' LITTLE FOLK'S RIDDLES. By Royal Queen: — Why does a sailor know there is a man in the moon? By Alpine Princess : — (1) What is the first thing a man plants in his garden? (2) Why do we go to bed? (3) Why did the boy stand on the burning deck? By Silvanus : — 1. What is it that a girl often looks for, but never wishes, to find? 2. What ship carries the most passengers? By Trilby, the Pussy Cat — 1. Why is a red heiring like a. mackintosh ? 2. What should 3'on keep after you have given it to another? By Seven Young New Zealanders — 1. Why is a hen immortal? 2. Why are washerwoman the silliest of all women.' By St. Bathans • — What is it that ties two together and yet only touches one? ANSWERS TO LAST~™ r EEK'S RIDDLES. By Lady Avice — (1) Because it holds his calves. (2) Because it follows him only in ■sunshine. LITTLE FOLK'S BADGES. Badges have been sent as follows —James MiHan, jun., Charles M'Lean. Helen K. Campbell, Emily F. Campbell, Roberta Walker, Isa M'Lean. OAMARU COT FUND. Previously acknowledged £1G 5 4 Jean B. Crchworth 0 10 £10 G 4