LETTERS FROM THE LITTLE FOLK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2528, 27 August 1902, Page 67

LETTERS FROM THE LITTLE FOLK.

Motto : — We write lor the benefit of others, not for ourselves. Dear Dot, — I see by the pacers that Con has come .home again. 1 think yours was the "best idea, Dot. Is tWr editor going to continue hia "mincing machine" for ever (or rather as long as the "Witness lasts) ? Although, -we out in the colonies felt very bad about the King's illness, I think he felt more for the people than of the pain he. was suffering. I'll just tell you what happened here, and how we heard of the King's illness. Well, it came about thus : The night before the day of the Coronation my father was going to the schoolhouse to practise with some lady friends, and while there ho heard that the King was not expected to live. lie came homo and told my mother, but we children were in bed, and we didn't 'hear the news. • Next morning we were all delighted at the lovely day it was going io be. When mother got up, however, she said that it might be thundering and raining, but we didn't take much notice of this. After breakfast mother -said to father that Ue had better tell us at once, but after dinner, or rather just at dinner time, came home with the news rthat the King had said, that the children .were to have the day out. Well, I shall just give you a bare account of what happened then: — (1) Speech from the chairman; (2) Hoisting of the flag by Mis ; (3) Chil"dren's drill; <4) Sirging of the National Anthem; (5) Games; (6) Refreshments; (7) Games ; (8) A, ball. And, Dot, do you know what 1 I hear someone remark at the ball — that the oeopLe of the district seuied to enjoy the King's lllnesa. Shocking, wasn't it? I think I've written a long enough letter this time, but I imagine I'm a bit like Kate Carnegie, so I suppose you won't mind it twice a year. With very best love to yourself and the editor for having the patience to read a letter a yard long, — Yours -truly,

DREAMER. [The ball was certainly stretching the King's permission considerably, Dreamer, but 1 am sure he would not niind it a. bit if he Ipiew. He has proved himself so solicitous for the people's happiness that be would be pleased to hear of the committee and their friends and guests enjoying themselves even though he himself was ill.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — At present I am spending a holiday at a small township on the sea bea-ch. It is a very pretty little place, situated at the mouth of the Mataura River, and some very nice boating trips can be had up the river. There is tT lighthouse a few rmlos from here, and after the wea-ther clears up I am going to see it, so next time I writ© I shall be able to tell you all about it. Since last I wrote 'I have met four D.L.F. Last night I went out and forgot to put my badge on, so of course I met a D.L.F., and as I hadn't my badge on I didn't like to speak. We had a dread"iully stormy day for Coronation. It hardly "ceased raining all day. I did not go out at "all, as it was so rough. I am learning pingpong, and think the game very mteresing. I am very fond of reading. I have just finished "Ijest Wo Forget," by Joseph Hocking, and am going to commence "Won By Waiting," by 'Edna Lyall. Ha 3 Con arrived home yet? How good it was to hear the news that he is improving. In the cemetery here there is a grave in which are buried about a hundred of the bodies that were recovered from the Tararua wieck. You will remember the -Tararua was wrecked on Waipapapa* Beach, 16 years ago. There is a iombttefl* so.

the grave, which was erected by the children attending the local school then. The grave is still attended to and weeded by children now going to the school. With love to all the D.L.F., Dot, and the editor, — Yours truly, MORGANS.

[It is nice to hear that the Tararua Acre is still being attended to, Morgans, and I am sure your remarks will be read with pleasure by any relatives of those drowned who may see them.— DOT.]

Dear Dot, — I have been neglecting ?11 my letters the last two or three weeks, but now I mu3t start and answer some of them. Coronation is over at last, and such bad weather it was that day, but that did not stop the people from turning out in their red, white, and blue decorations. In the morning at 10 o^clock there was a Coionation service held in the Theatre Royal, and at 11 o'clock the school children's procession started, consisting of Waitaki High School boys and girls, North, South, and Middle School boys and girls, the boys and girls of Enfield, Windsor, Ngapara, Kurow, Duntroon, Pukeuri, Totara, Maheno, etc., schools, pltogether numbering about 4000. Then there were the bands — six of them, including the Garrison Band, Citizens' Band, Salvation Army Band, Kurow Band, and the North Otago Highland Pipe Band. At 11.30 a.m. the foundation atone of the fallen troopers' monument was laid by the mayor and 'four children, two representing the town schools and two the country schools. At 12 o'clock there w»3 a military display, while luncheon was provided for the country school children. At 2 o'clock was "the" procession, and a grand sight it was. It was a trades' procession about a mile long : decorpted lorries, bakers' carts, butchers' carts, bicycles, snd clowns. It would take too long to t?ll you all about it, but if you would like to see the account of it — that is, if you have not seen it — I will send it to you. I met a lot of BvL.F. on Coronation Day, but of course 1 did not find time to speak to them. I saw 'Sweet Galtimore. "She wes one of the girls who helped to lay the foundation stone, and one of tho Patty-pats represented Justice on one of the Jerries, With love,— Yours truly,

KHAKI'S PLAYMATE

[Thank you, K. P., but as it is so long after Coronation now. th« interest m the newspaper description has passed. You evidently had a most enjoyable day. — DOT.J "Dear Dot, — I am going to tell you about a walk my mother and sistor and I went for today. We started about half-past 12 o'clock, for we had seven miles to go. We went n<j far as the dredge my father works on. We intended to go farther, but we thought it was far enough when wo got there. We stayed on the beach a little while watching the men shifting the dredge up the river, and then, as it was getting late, we turned and went homeward. It -was about 4 o'clock when we got home, and we were very tued, so we shall go to Blanket Bay early to-night. Last Christinas my sister and brother, two of our friends, and myself went for a picnic up the Blue Mounlains. It was a lovely morning when we started, but when w<i were about two hundied yards from the top it started to rain veiy heavily. We got under a flax bush, and had some lunch, and then we started for home, but you ought to have seen us, Dot! All our hair hung about our faces, and we looked like drowned rats. When we leached home cur mother stood at the door laughing at us. It wasn't very nico to be laughed at when we wsre so^ wet, I can tell you. However, mother ga^-e us a good tea, and then we were all right, but wo shall not forget that day hi a hurry, as you can imagine, Dot. About three veoks ago I went down to Moa Flat for th.o day. I went with the coach at half-past 7 in the mcrmng, and got down there at 8 o'clock. It was jolly cold in the coach, but I enjoyed invself very much. With love to all the D.L.F., not forgetting the editor and ycursslf,— Yours truly,

SMILING GWEN

[That certainly was a day to be remembered. Smiling G-., and you must have been a comical looking lot of girl's for your mother to be so amu=ted at the sight. What a pity the Witness photographer was not about. — DOT.]

Dear Dot, — I have a good deal to tell you, but my letter I think will not be very long. I don't think I have told you about my pony yet. 'She is a dark bay in colour, and not very email. She gave me many fails before I could ride well ; but I can inniiage her 'better now, and have not had a fall for a long time. A good while ago father changed her foj a smaller and quieter pony. When she came back she was quite quiet for ? while, but she soon went back to the old v, m y and I had more fall«. I changed her again, but when she came back she was worse. I have not changed her again, because I think she learned bad manners while she was away. Our next door neighbour sold Ins farm about a fortnight ago. Two of his children v. ent to school, and they were both girls. There is only one other child, and phe is also a gill. When they left one of them gave me her pet canary. Its cage is too small, and as soon aa I can I am going to get a. larger one. It seldom sings or whistles unless the ruin is pouring, but sometimes when I i>ut it out m the sun it sings a little. I call it Sweet, mid give it fresh water every day. Onp duv father and the man lode over tho farm io get some cattle Father fourd that cir of his best Jersey heifers bad hurt her leg \ery badly, so she was brought down to the trap^hed, and laid on some hay. Her leg is not swollen, but father is afraid it is broken. She is a very pretty, purebred Jersey, s>rid her name is Duchess. A little while ago the flag wad raised at the school by the cnahniau of committee, who made a spe-ech, and then someone shouted "Three cheers for tho chairman," and lie got ihia share. Then the people sang "God save the King." After that some of the ladies- went into the school and shut the door, then called all the children round the door Presently the chairman came to tho door Then out popped something that looked like a, bag covered with smaller bags of lollies. It was chased by the children all ovei the paddock, until all the bags were pulled off. It turned out to be a man covered with a lobe. With love to all the D.L.F. and yourself,— Yours truly,

BLUSH EOSE

[What a cunning idea, Blush Rose, and what fun you must have had in shipping the animated robe of its burden of sweets. It is a great pity about the Jersey heifer. I hope her l«g is not really broken, but oiJy strained. —DOT.]

Dear Dot, — The Coronation celebrations are over at last, but all I saw of them was the I fireworks, and I only saw them at a distance. I On Saturday morning we were all flying lound getting our work done, as we were intending to go down to Milton in the afternoon to see the fun, -when down came the rain, and that put an end to things and we had to content ourselves at home. Since last writing I have been told who you are. The young man who told me says his mother knows you. I have also met a young man who used to work m the Witness office, and 1 was trying to get him <o tell me who you are, but he kept it secret. He also said he knew Harry and Solomon Slow. What a pathetic tale a Lonely Girl's Brother had in the D.L.F. Page a week or two ago. His sister must have had a narrow escape. I have had a good many -"spillers^ since I learned to ride, and I have ricUUu since I wag ibout seven jr*w» ffitW t but

I never had 'anything like that. Did you ever ride on horseback, Dot? I think it is grand fun, especially if you have a pony with plenty of life in it. I have a pony of my own, and I used to go sailing along the roads at breakneck speed. Sometimes if the pony shied suddenly I would go flying out of the saddle on to the road, but I didn't lie there very long. I would jump up, look round to see if anybody saw me, and mount my steed again, and make her go all the harder for throwing me off. I have practised riding different way, such as sideways, straddle-legs, sitting on the tail — you get the longest ride that way, because you are sitting further back — and doublebnnking. Jessica and Ophir are getting crack riders now. The first ride I had with Jessica was one time she was over for a visit, and I was going to see her part of the way home, so to have some fun I got my pony, and we both got on, and went trotting gaily down the road, laughing so much that we could hardly stick on. Dear Dot, was Con among the troopers who returned last week? Nut was, for he has returned to his home. I have not seen him yet, but I suppose I shall see him soon. I got some South African lollies that he brought home. Scotch Heather said she was at the Bruce winter show. I wonder if she was there in the afternoon or the evening. 1 was there in the afternoon and I kept a sharp lookout for badges, but I did not see any. In fact I have never met a strange D.L.F. since I got my badge, and I wear it constantly. Some of the little folk are great for discussing bocks. I am very fond of reading, but I do not care for fairy tales. I have read "Alice hi Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-glass," but I think they are just silly fairy tale 9, thotigh you get great amusement from them. I am at present reading "Pickwick Papers," and it is great fun. I very seldom look to see who is the author of a book. If the book is good I never trouble about the author. With love and best wishes to Con, Nut, Jessica, Redstart, Texas • Jack, Ophir, and Currant Duff, not forgetting yourself and the editor, — Yours truly, '

[It wa<? very kind of the young man Iroin the Witness office not to give, me away, and I am certainly obliged to him. However, as you had already been told who I am you really did not need the information from him, did you?— DOT.]

Dear Dot, — We »re going to describe the Coronation, which was held 011 August 9. By 10 o'clock all the school children were assembled in the park, from which they inarched to the station to meet the country schoolchildren. Then the children marched through the town a few times, and at 12 o'clock assembled at the place where the foundation stone was to be laid and four children, two from the town •and two from the country schools, one of whom was Sweet Galtimore, helped oo lay the foundation stone. Then the country children wero niarched to the Wear Street Hall for lunch. The trades' procession started at half-past 2; but, to the disappointment of the people, the sky became cltouded and the weather changed considerably. Within 'half an 'hour it rained heavily, but still the prooession went on tiU 4 o'clock. The torchlight procession began about 7 o'clock. It was somewhat slow, but the Highlanders livened it up a bit. It finished at 8 o'clock, at which time the concert began. Dear Dot, we felt very tired the next morning, but it is all over now, and we were very glad, — Yours truly, TRILBY TWINS. [I am sure you would be tired, but the reminiscence of it all is very pleasant, is it not? —DOT.] Dear Dot, — You will be won-deiing what has become of me with my long-promised description of the Maori tangi. Catheriue Ellison, for that was the name of the girl who died, was called away on the Sunday morning, and when the little boy went and told 'the other Muoris they all went up and started to wail. Their custom is to put a big Maori mat on the floor and lay the coffin on it, and the mother of the dead one sits at the head of the coffin, with all the others sitting round the room with Maori mats round them, and they nevp move till the person who has died 13 buried. They sent word to all tho other Maoris in different parts of Otago, and when they came they put up a Union Jack halfmast, and all the old Maori women got round it and Hvailed, and the day before tho funeral they kill a cow or a bullock and ate it. When they wail they make a noise just like a dog howling, and when any stranger conies one goes into the room and wails, and when she is tired the others follow her example. On the day of the funeral the mother had a Maori mat on and a wreath round her head, and all the old people sat round the outside of the house and wailed till the others came back. They sometimes read the buripl service in Maori. When a son or daughter dies the mother always gets her hair cut short by the hu«barrdf And it is their custom to throw all their clothes over a certain oliff down here and also the scissors that cut them out. With best love to you, — Yours truly,

CINERARIA.

[You have given us a very interesting description of the Maori mode of mourning, Cineraria. The Maoris are not the only ones who wail, however, as it is a very ancient custom. —DOT.]

Dear Dot, — Spring i 3 with us once more, and the trees and plants are all budding. The weather, however, is not very fine at present. So the Coronation is over at last, Dot. We did no' have such fun this time as, if all had gone well at first, we should have had. Having it on a Saturday prevented us having ft dance, which in my estimation is best of all. Still, we were looking forward to having a good time, so you may imagine our feelings on waking in tho morning to find the rain pouring down in bucketfuls. It kept raining all the morning', but in spite of that a good crowd gathered at the school at 10 o'clock. While we were in school it cleared up, and it was fine for the procession to the Public Hall. The school children all received souvenir cards and medals, a number of ex-pupils receiving them also, and of course I had to be among them. It was snowing in the evening, but nearly everyone turned out to see the fireworks, which looked very nice indeed. The snow-flakes looked lovely in the coloured lights. At 8 o'clock there was a conversazione in the hall, which lasted until 10 p.m. I see Bridesmaid has not written lately, but I must try to coax her to write soon again. She and I were together nearly all the time on Coronation Day, and we hud some grand fun. We were talking to two boys who, although not D.L.F., are almost as interesting, as they are Black Watch's couainw, and were able to tell us a good deal about him. There is another D.L.F. boy in this 1 township, but I do not know his norn de plume. I asked him one day, but he wanted to know mine first, and I would not tell him, so I did not find out after all. Many girU who don't know when they are well off complain about what terrible teases their brothei s are. I wish some of those discontented girls would send me a brother, as I have neither brother nor sister and I find it pretty lonely sometimes. I notice that many of your writers tell about their adventures when riding, co I shall tell you about the last ride I had. I was staying with one of my mates, and once we went for the cows. M. gave me her saddle and took a man's, which, however, she was not used to riding with, so when her koise jumped ovee an old. tin. ah*

found herself sitting on the ground. Because I laughed she said it was my fault for taking her saddle. She got on again and off we went. Our horses were not well matched, for while M. could hardly hold hers in it took all the hammering of * which I was capable to make mine move at all. We did have some trouble to get those cows home. They seemed to understand the situation, and gave us all the trouble they could. We landed safe at last and found M.'s brothers waiting for us. It was then I discovered that the laugh was against me. One of the boys came behind my horse, and gave her a sharp cut with a stick. That was enough to put life •eveu in old Bess, so off she went, with me hanging on like grim, death (with my "hands, toes, and teeth," as the boys afterwards said), and screaming at the highest pitch of my voice. Luckily for me, Bess stopped before I fell off, so I did not get hurt. M. and the rest laughed imtil they cculd scarcely stand. I laughed too when I was off the horse, but not before. As I have gone beyond the limited space, I must now conclude with best love to all, — Yours truly,

&RAZIELLA.

[It is a wonder you did not send Bess off quicker than ever with -all that screaming, Graziella. However, I suppose the boys knew she would not continue her gallop very long. — DOT.]

Dear Dot, — We have had a lot of frost and sr.ow up here. I like going to school when the frost is on the ground, because we can have grand slide 9, but I often fall and cut myself. When the snow is on the mountain and the sun is setting the snow is such a pretty colour. It would make a pretty picture, would it not, Dot, surrounded by evergreens? A coal scam has been discovered in a section in this district. If it proves a success it will be of great value to the district, as it is in the uuddle of a fanning centre-. There, hr.ve been a lot of sales about here lately, and I was at one. of them, as the owners were friends of mine. It was very interesting listening to the auctioneer selling off everything, and some tilings went to very high prices. It was very disagreeable on Coronation Day. It started to snow in the morning, and I could not go anywhere. With lovo to all the little folk and the editor, not forgetting your own deaf self, — Yours truly,

[That was most unfortunate, Lena, as it is to be hoped it will be many a good day before we have another Coronation.— DOT.]

Dear Dot, — My last letter was in, tho Condensed Column, but I do not mind. It is Billy, I think, of some of the little folk to make such a fuss over their letters being condensed, and give the column such names. I don't know what we should do without that machine. There is such a difference between the letters now and those of long ago. The letters were then few in number, while now there are so many that you do not know what to do with them all. Oh, well, the machine is there, and that is all right. Old Writers' Week was not as good as I expected, many of our old wiiters not turning up. Where has Wullie gone to? We have not heard from him for a long time. Dear Dot, have you ever seen a mopoke? One came and perched on the pickets in front of our dining room window the other night. There are two or three about here, and you can hear them making <a noise throughout the night. My brother caught one a few years ago in the orchard, and he showed it to usi. He put it in the chaffhouse one night to ep.toh the mice. At the first glance at the feathers- it looks like a hen, but they have funny-looking heads, especially their eyes. I am glad to hear that Con and Nut are back again. It is a grand idea about the autos for Con. You could give him nothing better. I suppose he will spend many a half-hour looking through them all. With love to Florodoia and your ow^i dear self, — Yoms tiuly,

MAVOURNEEN.

[You are fortunate in having seen a mopc-ke, Mavoumeen, as being a night bird it is seldom, seen, though often heard. The face of course is like all the owl family, and the eye 3 being immovable is the cause of the quaint expression.—DOT.]

Dear Dot, — At last the long-looked-forward-to Coronation has come off, and we in. Oaniaru celebrated it jn grand, style. It was a lovely morning for the schools' procession and for the laying of the foundation stone for a monument which is to bo erected to our fallen soldiers. Hut what a change m the afternoon! Just as our fine trades' procession was starting off, and when, we were all gazing at it with mouth and eyes wide ope.ii, a most terrific gale arose, with clouds of dust, which very soon made U3 close both eyes and mouth, and make a rush for the shelter of the verandahs. Dojvn came the rain in. torrents, and when the procession came along our way again the scene wa3 changed. The rain must have damped the ardour of tho competitors, for there was a very poor turnout at night for tha torchlight procession. With best love to e\ ervone.— Youis truly,

TWO CHTJMS

[Well, I suppose it might have been worse, Chums, for you «.t least had the satisfaction of having it fine for part of the time, while in seme of the higher districts the little folk tell us it v.as snowing, hailing, or raining all day. —DOT.]

Dear Dot,— l wrote to you about four years ago when coming from school with three of my mates, and when I think of it I always have a good laugh. One of my mates says she has never looked at the D.L.F. Page since. Dear Dot, I know six D.L.F., but I don't think they will find me out. We live near the Molyneux River, and there is a great number of dredges on it. Some of them get very good returns, but others only work a few weeks and then go into liquidation. I wa<3 on a dredge, and the manager took me uito his office and showed me about 200oz of gold. It did look lovely, and I felt inclined to take a. handful, but of course I could not do that. Did you ever se« a dredge, Dot? I do like to go on board of them, although it ii very noisy. Coronation Day was very wet here, but I "suppose it was the same everywhere. My sister wiites to you, but her letters are always condensed. I have just been making a paper fail for my youngest sister. She is going to sing "The Japanese Fan," with a number of other children at a bazaar. With leve to the D.L.F. and yourself, — Yours truly,

ISLE OF BEAUTY,

[Why, whatever was in that mysterious letter to cause so much laughter and result in one of the writers never looking at our page again, Isle of Beauty? I fancy that is a little overdrawn, and that she takes a sly glance over it now and again. — DOT.]

Dear Dot, — I am going to tell you about an experience I had lately. It 13 rather amusing now, but it was very serious at the time. The other morning when I went to feed my fowls I could see neither sight nor sign of them. So I went back to the rco=t, there to find all the hens cackling and hiding among the ferns. As a sparrowhnwk had a few days before taken a hen I suspected what was the matter, and I was right, for just under the log on which I was standing was a cheeky, little sparrowhawk. Running back to the house for the gun, a little Remington, my brother and I set out to shoot the hawk. I must tell you that my brother, who is younger than myself, was boasting that he was- going to shoot it, and saying I would miss it. However, my bxAttast bid. fijst skotj a&4 aisteii, I bad a

shot, and hit it, though not hard enough t» be fatal. We put the hen the hawk had killed up on a log, so as to get a better shot at him if he came back*, and come back he did at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. My sister was tha first to see him, and called for me to bring the gun. »We went back and found that my pony was within a few yards of the hawk, which wss tearing away at the breast, of Jhe. hen. However, by crawling I managed to get between the pony and the hawk. I fired and, hit it. It then crawled under a large red pine log, and prepared to fight, but it Let me get first shot, and it did not want a second, for I had killed it. My sister then ran and told my brothers and mother, and they gave three cheers for Maple. My brother is not so apt to boast now. Dear Dot, do you know if old writers will ■exchange autos with any of the little folk ? ' with love to all the little folk;— Yours truly,

MAPLE.

[Why, one would have thought that sparrowhawk was a moa, it took so much lead to kill him, Maple. However, you did really wall, and I am sure I should not have succeeded in taking such a good aim. Indeed, I am afraid I should have shut my eyes and perhaps shot the poor pony instead of the hawk. — DOT.]

Dear Dot, — I was very much surprised tc hear from my brother that he was talking to our comrade Con on the Oamaru station tonight. I am sure all the- little folk -will be glad to hear that Con is at home again. I was in town yesterday for the Coronation and I'm sure I saw about 60" badges; but "like thd Two Little Maids I had forgotten my badge, so I couldn't speak to very many of them. Was it not . a pity that ,the nor'-wester came on? The dust was simply awful. My sister had -the job of brushing our coats and hats, and she declared that there was enough dust to cover half an acre. A friend was "waniting to know if my ink had dried up, so I am writ, ing ,to show that such is not the case. I have been waiting for the letters to decrease, but apparently there is no chance of them doing that. My brother has a poisoned arm, so he can't knock us about now, for he has his arm in a sling. The last nonsense we were up to wo broke a ohair, so we had to put a stop to all that kind of thing for a while. I am sorry that Harry has lost one of his mates, he being shifted to Invercargill. With love to all little folk,— Yours truly,

AVERNA. [Why, Averna, you can't have been reading our page very attentively lately, or you woula have known that comrade Con had returned by the Orient. That is bad for your brother, but evidently good for you. — DOT.]

Dear Dot,— l saw by her letter that Averna was complaining about some of the D.L.F.'s badges being tarnished, but I am one of the lucky ones like herself, because mj badge is not in the least showing any marks of blackness, or even dulness. Averna also tells us that her school days are ended, but I cannot altogether envy her, as I think oui schooldays are the happiest, now that my own are drawing to a close, and I suppose she will think so too before many more days go by. My sisters and I often go for a picnic, and when we do go, we generally make a pretty good day of it. We boil the billy each in turns, 'for you may be sure we all like gathering f«rns better than boiling billies and acting as cook. I am sending you a very pretty specimen of some of tho ferns that grow in the bush, not far from here. I do not know the name of it, as I never saw this kind till we .came to live in the country. Dot, which do you prefer — living in the town or in the country? I must say I like the country, as you are able to do a bit more rough-riding than in the town. I must tell you tifiat my sister and I are Tbmr boys to some extent. We> go rabbiting, and riding straddle-legs sometimes on horseback we are out of sight and hearing. My brother has a greyhound which he thinks a lot of, and* of course he will not let us use him, because h<i thinks we spoil him with our "Hulum and sooum" on all sides, but we do uot mind, aa we seldom return without two or three captured bunnies. With love to all my little friends, not forgetting our dear little Dot and tho editor, —Yours truly,

NELLIE BLIGH I.

[You forgot to send your name and address 1 , Nellie Bligh ; please do so next time you write. Tho country is the healthier life, no doubt, and I think after all that we get greater pleasure from tho simple country amusements than we do from tho more pretentious town ones.— DOT.]

Dear Dot, — So th-e Coronation passed off successfully this time, which is a good job. We were all looking forward with great interest to it. I am going 1 to give you a description, of how it w«s spent up here. Well, in tho moming it started to- snow, and it hardly knocked off all day, but we did not care much, as we enjoyed ourselves capitally. At 1 o'clock all tho school children came up, and the teacher hoisted the flags — tho Union Jack and tho New Zealand flag. Tho children saluted the flags, then they sang three songs, then marched into the schoolroom, and finished their singing inside. After the 9 ing ing three cheers were given for King Edward VII and three for their teacher. Wo had a few fireworks at night. The school teacher got them, — don't you. think it was very kind of her to do' that? The schoolboys during the week cut a- lot of scrub, and we were going to have a bonfire. Some of the young men got some tar and were going to light it, but it would not go, as the snow had made it wet. There were, however, some Chinese lanterns, and they were very pretty. Then- fro finish it up, we had a dance. I think everybody enjoyed themselves, and if they did not it was their own fault. We are having grand weather lately ; there is about 2in of snow now, but that is nothing. However, it will be away soon, as the sun is getting stronger every day. I should like to exchange autos with Dot, Jessica, Harry, Tangles, Black Watch, Non, Troublesome, and any other D.L.F. who would like my auto. Please address to "Snow, care Miss Nellie Needhanr, Macetown,'^ and they will reach me safely. With love to Nancy, Sharpshell, and yourself, — Yours tiuly,

SNOW.

[It was a pity the bonfire would not burn, Snow, but no doubt you will got it off some Saturday, or, if it is not too late, on tho King't' Birthday, November 9. -DOT.]

Dear Dot,— l went to Dunedin on June 26. One of my eyes had gone nearly blind, so 1 had to go and see Dr Ferguson several times, and there you have the reason of my visit a.% such an uninviting part of the year. O\ course having got to Dunedin I prolonged mj stay as long as possible. Harry did much to make my holiday very pleasant. He conducted or directed me .to many interesting and pretty places. I visited the Roslyn electric car line, the Museum, Leitli Gardens, and Green Island Beach. I think Green Island Beach is an ideal spot for picnics, etc., the on^y objection being the distance out and the / bad road — at least the road was in a very bad state when I was out. I still fancy I see Harry pulling; up grass and rubbing his boots and brushing his clothes, so as to look a little more civilised before going home. While in Dunedim I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Jim, Black Watch, Sol Slow, and Bort. I also had several! other little folk pointed out to me. I sawt two little folk on June 27 standing on thej Dunedin platform, -speaking tc a returned! trooper. I think one of them was C.C.M., and) if tliia cakhea the eye of the other young i*ay,'