LETTERS FROM THE LITTLE-FOLK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 79

LETTERS FROM THE LITTLE- FOLK. -

Motto:— We, writ* for "the .benefit of others, aof for ourselves. -- - (gj- No letter to "contain more than 450 words. - Dear Dot, — The weather" Is still- very rougfi, and there isn't much sign of it clearing- ujj , yet. It is not very good _ weather for tlr farmers, and much of their grain isn't cut ye£ Some of them have half of their grain threshedl,.while the other half is untouched. The flowers ~_ are all gone now, except? a few winter ones.' I \saw in last week's Witness an -account of Santa Claus's trip to the place where I live, and was greatly disappointed that I hadn'tf - the good luck to see -him; ..but let us hopa we shall have better Jiick' next- time. Can you "" play the accordeon.Dot? I have been trying to learn to play it, but I can only play" two , or three pieces of dance tunes. If there were enough L.F. round here we could get up .» club, but, as 'there isn't, we shall have to! , do without one. If the Lawrence L.F. couldi " manage to- get' one up, I— and I am sure all the rest of the L.F. round here — would doall in my power to assist them. •. There* seemst to be -a good number "of L.F. in that place"; " although "the last 'time -I was "in, about a month ago, I did not. see a single badges W« have^ two lady teachers " here now, but I da. not know how long they will stay. We gave ■' our old schoolmaster, a concert and dance, anaccount of .which you ,wilL- have, seen -in lasQ. week's -_ Witness. He was presented with -a " gold' chain, and the pupils'* and ex-rmmls-gavaV Mm a: sUver-^mountedTljiofter:— Tours truly, i^^- *' '- ;-"\\ s •;-••-"*-' - VA^? A> - ' "Dear Dot, — As I r am at' home'* Uy" myself id^day'arubthe'house is quiet/;! just- thought that I. would writs, to you. -I haye 1 been^-away, for a "holiday^'which lasted three "months. I enjoyed myself immensely, and was -Beginning to 'wish it was longer still. ~\l .was f at" the J>.£.F; * Tpicnic in .the'Oamaxu' Gardens, andienjjoyed- * myself' immensely^ I drdvejin "with Llndo Adair, her sister, and her -brother. I am, very; tired ,to-day, sasr- I had no- sleep - last night, 1 for I- had the toothache. I had: it on Sunday, ■ but I am glad to say, it kept "".away , for tha " picnic, "though it- started again coming home. II isn't a nice day. at all; 'quite stormy. I take a great interest in reading Quago's notes and extracts of ,the club papers.- Winter, is fast* aproaching now.' We hare had sorne^ very hard .frosts lately.. My male, Remember Me, is learning the dressmaking,- so Ido nofc see._nruch of- her^a'f present.-.,! at onV " time going^ to learn dressmaking," ked then £ was thinking.jof learning bobkkeeping'; but as I, was going, away from Maheno I could nofcget very well to it. - We, are going "seven ; milea from here, and as the-bokkeeping is at nighff I could not get^to'it very well. A'few of our members have -reached the- retiring age now, and' some 9 f ftem mil ]iS' gh&tlj ZHissci ErerytWng: raonct "afioat "hers teafcs dry, and bare, an 3 ' v £li4te • is very . little £eed, and hardly- any flowers out. "What tinjea th« Dunedin L.F. have -with their clubs. X- would enjoy very much" being there,' and "may have , the opportunity Bonie^.day. 'I'hoJpe'tho DJjJF. Bay will be -a- success^' as~it promises to be, considering the amount of exhibits promised. While I • was away- for ray holiday , I. had a good many .rides "on horseback, and i". adopted Brenda's - scheme, , of .riding „ a'stridei -seeing" that I always -wont alone. How I enjoyed those rides! .Nothing gives me mors pleasure than, riding *ori horseback. Dear \Dot; j * would^you mind .telling ,me -where~auto.- cards are obtainable. , I" shall -.bring this to a close. -I will,* write 'and give you, a- description of 'pur new place when I, reach, it aiicLhave a- look" around, as I have 'not been there vet.—^Yburs , truly, ' . INQUISITIVE POLL. .[I-am afiaid yoiv are riot, so inquisitive i&? your name would lead" uV to infer, 'LVP., yqu would not have" put "such" a question, but ; would have known every line in ourVpage. Th« address for obtaining .auto, cards appears every week in the heading to the page, as you wilt see if you read the. few lines beneath the.picture 'of the badge.— DOT.] - Dear Dot,— We live about six. miles from Gore, and we- often see some D.L.F. passing in the trains. ' I do not know many L.F.,~ but I hope< I shall get acquainted with some more of youf band of writers.. I used to liv« at Wairuna once, and I think I know ono or two L.F. there," though they will not know who I am. There are not many D.L.F.. about here, or if there are' I 'do not- know them., I am now going to Jell you about a picnic I was at at East r Chatton' last January., ., We left home about 10 o'clock, and,- after walking six miles, we arrived there about 11.30. We then had some ' tea and cake," and all had_ a game of ' rounders. * After ' playing for *abosi an hour we sat down and watched the races fox half an hour. , We then went for a loßg walk along the road, and had a look at everything that was worth seeing. On coming bacfe tc the picnic ground, -we had a "bRcKrVwaT race," and many other ' games. The Vettw was boiled again, and after we had Aaien a* much as we dared, we got on top c£ :t titti and watched the bicycle race. Then os.O» tV young men's high leap, which I- liini Yrai won by-*'Mr Sheddan, from Waiksk* .VafUy. A'fier that we started for home", a*d 'irrf»w?' there about 8 > o'clock, " verj tired' after bi.il day's", outing.— Yours truly,' > * - „- ■ .',-•- " '*■"-■, -.. LYBIS3.. Deal Dot,— The weather is \-ery,co!i a«n - at present. " There was to be a ccaoort ' %nA ball on Friday night, but all the singer* had colds, so there was only a dan.c*. 'Fellow is round here. at present. ■He i* staging with Bramble just now. Wfr had a DJj.TSV picnic on Thursday. I shall not aascriba iti however, as there will be others xxartormiSLj that duty. Everyone at it seemed to ©njoy it. Nuggety Bob is back from her hoH&y. My sister is very busy doing Ivanj work. Joan D'Arc is back at school now. She is suoK a lively girl. There was a terrible explosion in Kumara the other day. Several men were killed and others injured. Winter is corning on, and it is so cold in the mornings now. — Yours truly, BILL BAILEY Daar Dot,— We have had very wet weather up here lately, but I suppose it is the same down in Dunedin. Some of the farmers hava got their crop 3 threshed, while others _ who live away in the back-blocks are not finished cutting yet, in consequence of the bad weather we experienced during the summer. I was at a social a few weeks ago, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I was also at the sport& at Christmas time, and there I met a large ntraiber of L.F., and I spent most of the day in the company oi two oi them, who are very, nice girls. I -was sorry to see that Reta had to write her farewell letter, because- her letters were always very interesting. I think T. I. C.'s and Quago's notes very interesting as well as amusing. There are .a mrniber ofi dredges working about here, and I am glad toj say most of them are getting fair returns^ One of them is working just at the back, ofi our place now, and I can tell you it makear plenty of noise. .A dredge waa sunk nearyRoxburgh, some tinier ago, and they are bv.^-j. trying to raise her now.— Yours truly, ' • LITTLE BRIGHT EYESV Dear Dot,— l think there is to be- a D.L..S* picnic here to-morrow (Good Friday). We havo. had bad weather lately, and the hills nea^ are covered with snow. A friend has come t»< spend the evening with us to-night. One rJ our schoolrooms has to be pulled down ? p, a new ono built in its place. One Satur;«j| one oi my mates and my sisters and I <?r9

to a, bush about six miles away. There is a sawmill there, and my father drives the trollies "which carry the logs to the mill.- We rode on - these trollies to -a place where we found a lot of ferns,' -which were easy to get at after we had got through the lawyers. 2 got a nuraber cf sore scratches on my hands', but for .my trouble I got 42 roots of lovely ferns, which - ar« growing splendidly. -Out examination is to take place in about three months. The farmers are very busy harvesting v and we are sorry to ssy the weather is against them. One-man hadto keep the threshing mill ever a week on account of the bad weather. — Yours truly. MOTHER'S HELP. Dear Dot, — The Easter visitors are to be seen ploughing their way through the mud. We have had fearful -weather .lately, and it is needless' to say that the reads correspond with the weather. "'A poor lookout for the visitors tcCatlins district!" is the general remark. I see by the Witness that there tWU be a goqdiy supply of articles foi exhibition at the bay. I am very sorry to say that the, Ratauui D.L.F. picnic -was an utter failure. Two 'or three L.F. turned up, but were disappointed at finding ihe paddock bare— not a person to bs seen. I think the Ratanui L.F. should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, for, as the day was gcod, I don't see -what wa3 to hinder them from coming. Wilful Lassie rode seven or eight miles to it, only to be' disappointed. The last time a picnic. , -pas proposed, the day -turned out wet; but I suppose it would have been 1 all the same if the -day had been fine. I think the Ratanui L.F. need to be wakened up- a little, and I liGpe next tims {hey- will try to niake the picnic "a s-nccess. — Youra tiuly, - • .SYMPATHf. Dear Dot;— lt is a' very long time since my nexo de plume appeared in your columns, bnt when one is,. writing' all day .you enjoy ,a change al, night. Since my' last letter Cornish nas, taken his departure, ' and I wish him every success in his new duties. We have a creamery in Lawrence now, and the town is very much busier in- the mornings, with the milk carts rattling along, although it is 'very dull even then. We have had most delightful weather for the Easter holidays. I did not go from home, for my sister is away for two- weeks, and I must stop at home. I went to Dunedin on- New Year's' Day, and came home on the following day, as I had to go to business on the 3rd. I enjoyed myself immensely, but it was all too short. I have two and a-half miles to walk to business, leaving at 8 in the morning, and arriving home again, at 7, so you v/ill thiuk it a very long day. It is with my very deepest sympathy for Priseilla and Lady May Trevelyn that I have to tell you of the very sudden death of their eldest sister.' I did not know of her death until the day of her funeral. I know it is very, hard to part with one you dearly love, for my father died only 18 months ago. In lexpressing xn{y deepest sympathy " with them in their sad bereavement, I know, Dot, you and all the* L.F. will join with me in asking Priscilla, Lady May Trevelyu, and their people to accept r it. — Yours ' truly, 808 I. tludeed we will, Bob I. It is sad to think that Priecilla and' Lady May will never see their sister again, but there is the consolation of knowing that she is free from pain and suffering, and that they may hope to meet her -in the better land when their earthly Career is over. Also accept my sympathy yoarj self, dear, even though the- sharpness of your grief has been somewhat assuaged by time. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — We v are all ba'ek to school again, though some cf the pupils have left, and ether new ones have" come. There are about. 90 'children -at our school, -and there' are 20 in ray, , class. '''„-< Our ■<exa. ruination >is approaching , ,and we will have to. prepare for it. The weather in district is very uncertain, for tlxoxigli soiue days -axe fine otkera £»g3.isi sire wet. We have about 14 cows milking-, and we take our milk to the creamery. On my uncle's faim there are about 100 cows milking, but ■as he has a- milking machine the labour is not so heavy as would otherwise be the case. He has eight men, I think, acd he takes his milk io town every morning. On 1 Easter Friday I was along at the Casth, but I did not get any grapes. On the Saturday I was out aiso, and on Easter Monday I was down at the beach with my brother, and when we got down we tcok our boots and stockings off and went into the wayes and had a bathe. Wo then played on a big sand bank, and after we had had a good lime there v?e came horna and get our tea. — Yours truly, GOLDFINCH. Dear Dot, — I have been going to write to you a great many time 3, and I hope this letter will reach you all right, ti3 my first attempt only reached the fire. Ido not know any L.F. round here, as it is only about a yeai since v.-c cam? to live here from the Taieri. I was up in Otsgo Central for a holiday just before I came down here. I enjoyed the trip, as I had never been up there before, and it was all Mew to me, especially the gold mining. I hope I shall have another trip up there, as I have an aunt living in that district. I am expecting to go to the winter show in Dunedin, and as I shall ba wearing a badge I hope to meet some of the L.F- - The mill just left our place- ye&terday, and I was not Sorry either. It came to our place on Sa airday, and we had some of the men for Easter Sunday.— Yours truly, ALDYTH. [Of course, you will meet many L.F. at the winter show, Aldyth. You will naturally come to the office to be in the group which will be photographed, and I think you will also attend the D.L.F. social in the evening.— DOT.] Deai- Dot. — The weather vrer are having at present is not at all good for the farmers. It has been raining almost every day for th» last fortnight, and if there was a fine day it. would almost . surely be blowing. My brothers are very nearly finished cuttisig the crop, but it is not very quisk work this weather. Some of ouv neighbours have got their crops cut and in the stack. This has been a very bad year for fruit, because as soon as it was a little ripe the birds attacked it. We are having our Easter holidays from school just now. My brother and sister came up from Invercargill at Eaeter for a iew days. We are milking four cows', but they are not giving much milk this cold weather. We have over 30 cows and calves. Father has five horses and ft foal one year old. I sometimes go for a ride on the hack. I went for an eightrnile ride the other day, and the roads were very muddy. Wo are feeding three pigs at present. My sister has two kittens, c' which she is very fond.— Yours tru'.y, A TELESCOPE. Dear Dot, — I have had a very busy time of it these last few days. I have been housekeeping, aria: find there is a lot of work to do. I can appreciate my mother's duties now, and understand iow - tired she must be after a day's hard work. Nobody knows until they try ; do they, Dot ? I have to cook a good •dinner every day, for father has been cutting, and is now leading in. My word, it is most beautiful to-day: it is something like fine weather just now, though last week we had nothing but rain. All the farmers are leading in just now. It won't be long- before the threshing mill is round again. doesn't ihe time pass quickly? Mv mother is in town just now at a, big wedding, and I hope she wjll enjoy herself. My sister Uaisy ia one

i * of the bridesmaids'. -She is -a little darkie, and >_ I think she.'will look nice. Daisy is d^res_sed i" in -white silk, and;, a ->gieat bis hat like 1 a i young umbrella.. On her dress- she -has -short ; sleeves, and she" is wearing white- shoes an^, ; stockings. The wedding is to be on" Easter , Monday, and it is to 'be celebrated at Caver- • sham, and afterwards at Kew Primitive Methodist Church. She is ths last: of the "daughters i to be married. It will be a sad day for her parents, won't it, Dot?- Her other • sister 'was' ; married on the 9th of November. .Some time ■ since I sent for a puzzle r and got 20 packets ; of post-cards to sell, and I have~ got rid of them all but sis. I' am going tcTsend them up \ to Milton to be sold. I got a list of jewellery, and I can choose anything I ]ike. I hope I shall get a good present._ I have had a puzzle [ watch and chain bsfore^ but the watch was no good. It would go for a few hours and ' then stop, so I just gave it away to" one of my little cousins to play with, and mother got me touch a nice silver watch, and it hardly ; ever stops. \V. R.s grandfather got a let of ; nice presents, did he not? They have a ; family of 21 children. My word, didn't they have a lot of children to keep, ajid among ; them were twins. Twins are a handful, and I do not want my mother to have twins again. If one starts to' cry, the other follows suit. ; Then, again, -you never see twins from each other. I know my little brother and sister are always together. I have ' a gcod deal to say still, but I think the 450-word limit must have been reached by this, so I shall leave ihei.xest.'ov«r for-*another- letter. — Yours truly, LADY AKATOKE. ; • Dear ;Dol^—'lti,-was; very Jiot -to-day, sjnei- 1 i felt so' lazy that-T could -hardly So"' any thing. I have 38 post-cards now. My father wsa cutting oats yesterday, • and my,/ two' sisters, and ,"roy only brother and "I wfent r to see 'the crop ' being exit.' Pather gav'efiny brother a- ride on the binder, and he \tfas~, quite "pleased.- -' .¥e ~ areiiavihg out harvest holidays, and f am r vexy glad, f ot 'Tic have two' miles tp walk to school every morning. • My mother is away to' town at but she is coming home next Thursday. My grandmother is away to Christchurch, but she too is coming bsck soon. We have three cats, whose names are Nigger, Jummy, and San Toy. Juminy is a big grey^ cat. She is so heavy that my sister Eeta can hardly carry her. She ie a good huntsr, and sometimes she stays away for two or three days at a time. Niggei lied . San Toy are black kittens. Nigger is bigger than San Toyj but they are both the same age.— Yours • truly, ' ,TANTAIL. - Dear Dot, — I have just finished milking my cows. I went for a. lon»' bicycle rids the other day. I rode from here to Oraakau — about 24 miles. I had no lamp on my bike. I walked from here to Alexandra, and got the bike. It was dark when I left, and I was riding along pretty fast, when I "went flying into a fence. Fortunately I did not hurt myself. I got up and brnshed the dirt off myself; then I.crpssed the. river in the chair, and rode to Springvale." There 1 met a waggoner, who gave me a ride over, the river , again. Mounting my bike, the next stoppingI place was Chatfo Creek. • I than walked about ', two miles. vp 'a long. hill. I got on my bike at the top. and went^at a good speed till I came in sight, of Omakau, after which I soon reached my destination. There --was a dance in the hall, and a3 I rode up to the door the first one I say: was Indian Chief. There \-werc fcur ,,D,L.F. there.. I am working in a -fruit' orchard four^rnileg irorn Alexandra.' 'J?he fruit is- nearly all .down now. I was very. tired after -my tide. .There is" a. D.L.F. picnic here to-day, but I cannot get to "it. .',On/iny'jway 7 home next day I,did not, "go very far 'before I met n. JD.L.F.- pushing her bike, as' 'her tyre had come, off- I fixed it for' her, and then*/ , left- -for Jfome. — Yours' "truly. •- ' *'*"" ■ ' . *• ' \ " - INDIAN' LAD. " DeaT Dot,— Although- a silent reader of, Jour, page for loaaxiy years, nevsr nzitil Z2o'w liave v I found the courage to write; .but when all is said and done I suppose il is nothing serious. I live in a very lonely part of the back-blocks of Canterbury. It is a pratty - place in the summer, but in winter it is like a barren wilderness. There are plenty of rocks and tussocks and wind and rain. We have had a very wet summer, and now one can easily see that the cold winter is drawing near. All the lovely leaves are turning from gieen to yellow, and as I sit here beside lie open window everything is as silent as tbe grave, bar the noise of the creek as it winds its way down the shingly river-bed to the lake, which is about a mile and a-hali from the house. I often g 0 for long walks in the summer time. There are not many ferns lound about here, but there are plenty near , the coast. lam looking forward to seeing , seme badges in town soon, as I intend to go for a long holiday and have a jolly good fling.— Yours truly, TELEPHONIST. LETTERS IN BRIEF. Buttehcups axd DaisiE3 was having her Easter holidays at time of writing. "A few days ago it was Buster Brown's birthday, and iit wa3 also her little niece's birthday. Buster Brown is my sister, and she has a new teacher I now, and he is very good to -the pupils." i Electha tells me about the Oama'ru v -picnic., "We are having splendid weather just now, i and I snpposedt was partly that v which caused' ! the D.L.F. picuic in the Gardens to bs such a success. Siverbell is staying at our place j just now. and we arc enjoying ourselvesvery j I much. Most of us stayed to sec the Dunedin ! ( and other girls off, and it was nearly dark ' . whtn Silverbell and I get home." j SixvEEBELi. tells me about the Oamaru j picnic, and getting the group taken. '• We had ! magnificent weather for the Easter holidays. They were slightly marred by the rain oa Tuesday afternoon, but that did not interfere ; much with the holiday-makers, and not at I , all with our picnic." I Kickitovek stayed at home over the Easter holidays. "On Friday morning I aid some gardening ; then in the afternoon ' I walked across to ihe Meadowbank Bowling G-reeu, ! which is just next door to us. Seeing that j we had some visitors coming. I had to sleep ou a mattress in the drawing room, and I can tell you it was fine fun." -I Tulip has two miles to walk to school. ' "'There are a lot of pigs on the road going to school, and I am very frightened of them. Mamma has a nice flower garden, and she gives bunches of flowers away to her friends who have no garden of their own. Mamma is going to Dunedin for a holiday, and my sister is^ going with her: I live 12 miles from Milton. There is a big bush at the back of our house, which I will tell you about next time I ! write." 1 QtJEE^ Maude marvels at the number of times the words "Dear Dot" have appeared in print. "We are having very rough weather at present. ' Nearly all • the farmers are busy carting in their crop. Our harvest is almost over now. Our school is freshly painted, and it looks very nice. My father has been away in Canterbury. The church is nearly built now. It will be very pretty when it is finished. ' AUTOS. The folov.-ins L.F. are desirous of exchanging autos. — Vanda, L.F., Tuapeka Mouth P. 0., via Lawrence. Little Bright Eyes, care Miss Jang Kitto, Miller's Flat P.Q, ' - - -

- " TO -COIiPvESPONDENTS. - Little Bright Eyes.— lt would require to ba a v-ery -"short one, dear, because ;there< would -not ba time-to read it if it were long. *. ' Cohpobal 'llL— l hope you got the badge safely. L.F. in sending, fox badges should do very careful to give the pio'per - address.Some L.F. asU, that-thc badge 'should be' addressed to, their norn do plume instead of^ ! * to their proper ntj»e;-'and"T*do""not like that. > for an _ address, as-it;is-,EQ easy -for a letter so addressed. t o go astray."' 5 * r'~~ Queer Felxow. — Yes, but condense sfs'imlclr-, as you can. You see, the first part appears ~ this week. D.L.F. BADGES. * n - The v f oilowing badges have been sent: Corporal II," Catling Aldyth, Electra, Telephonist. Silverbell. •• ' "-