LETTERS FROM THE LITTLE FOLK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 87

LETTERS FROM THE LITTLE FOLK.

Motto: — "Wo write for the benefit of others, f not for ourselves. Cj?*No letter to contain more than 450 word*. Dear Dot, — It is about a month, now since I last wrote to you. THe Wyndharm Pipe Band held' theii carnival here on the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th of last month. There was a- great turn-out fox the four nights. I was at it, and 1 I •enjoyed myself very much. Six girls danced the sailor's hoxnpipe, six danced the Highland fling, eight! danced the Irish jig, and also two oilier girls danced the sword dance. There were a lot of oil paintings to be given as prizes. j We had * fall of snow lately, but it didn't j last a day before it melted away. I see by j the papers that the people of Otago have | had a rough time of it with the flood «nd I snow. There is going to be a sawmill down 1 here soon — only about *our males from where ■ I a,m.— Yours truly, SNOWIE. ' Dear Dot, — This is my first letter to your page, and I hope I may be allowed to become one of your happy band. I have always ■taken a great interest in your page, but have never summoned up enough courage to write before. The weather -has been terrible lately. About a week ago there was 4ft of snow where I live, but it is gradually going away. Pleajse, Dot, would you give me the names of a few good books, as I do not know many, and I am very fond of reading.—Yours truly, MOLLY. [It is not many weeks since I published two lists of books suitable for young people ; but if, when you axe writing again, you tell me what sort of books you prefer— travels, history, or adventures, — I shall be' glad to suppiy you with the titles of a few. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — I was very pleased to see my letter in the Otago Witness. -We have been having terrible weather lately ; it has been snowing and raining nearly all the week. Thank you very much for the pretty post-card, B. D. A. We axe going to a dance on Friday night, 32 miles from here. We are leaving here on Wednesday, and will be oom- ' ing home on Sunday. My mother and my brother are away in Canterbury. They have been away three weeks. My brother is under Ja- doctor's care. We live 16 miles from a j railway station and 30 miles from a town. I' I have not done any riding for a long time, [ but I am going to have a good ride on Wedj nesday. We have to ride, as "the buggy is | too big fox two. I have only one sister and one brother. My brother is the eldest ' and I am the second eldest. It was my sister's birthday on Sunday, and she got al nice lot of presents. She also had a lovely cake ms-de.— Yours truly, IVY LEAF. Dear Dot, — This is my first letter to youT I page. lam not -j, very good writer, but I j will do my best. lam nine years old, anc| |lam in the First Standard. I have four brothers and no sisters. Deal Dot, can you skate or slide' If you do -come up here ' and you will have plenty of fun. We had ; plenty of snow and frost so far. When I firs started school I used to feel lonely in the mornings, is I had no mates, but in the evenings coming home there were some little dotterels running along, and they used to whisper to me, so I will call my name Dotterel. Do you think -that mil! lo? Goodbye, dear Dot. — Tours truly,* DOTTEREL. j [Yes, it will do splendidly I think it is n nice idea to take your name from the little j birds that cheered jour loneliness. Are you [ still chums with them?— DOT.J i Dear Dot, — I was very proud to see my little letter in the Witness. The Carnival Week has bean such a busy tveek for a lot of us little girls that I had not time to write. The carnival was such a great success that they raised £300. A family is leaving here I for Dunedm on Tuesday, and one of the httle girls is my playmate.- I shall miss her very much. I have just been sending her a post-caxd with three wee pussies on it. The weather ju-st no-w is v-ery wet and cold, and we look for snow on the ground in the mornings and are disappointed to see none; but mother does not agree with us. It is wonderful to see some pretty flowers out just now when we get so little sun. I think I have made this letter a little longer than the last one I wrote to you. I hope I will gradually improve in my letter- writing through writing to you.— Youxs truly, FUZZY. Deax Dot, — It is more than two years since I last wTote to your page. We are having } rough weather down here just now. My • thirteenth birthday wa3 on the 21st of July, j There was a, football match on the 18th of \ July — Wyndham versus Edendale. We are milking fom cows at night amd six in the morning.— Yours truly, THE GREY GOOSB. [I don't publish riddles now without having the answers, Grey Goose; but I should bo quite willing to insert a few riddles weekly, to be furnished by UJ*Jf., if enough of you , €*sired if .— D^?,] J

Dear Dot, — I was very pleased to see mf first letter "ia print. We are having very stormy weather here just now, and the roads are very muddy. We have a grapbophone and over 50 recoards. I was going over td I Chum's place on Saturday, but it was too' wet, so I didn't go. We have not had. ourr school examination yet, but we are expecting to have it soon. Nearly all of us have' colds just now. and I vn v just getting one. Eeally, Dot, I think those stories in the Witness are grand to- read. This is all the newal now, as this is suob a. quiet place. — YourS truly, FAITH 11. Dear Dot, — I have two sisters learning music. We have three boarders just now, but I think they will be leaving us soon. W-e axe getting our school done up just now. Two of my sisters walk three miles to school' every day. but my little brother and I justf go across the road. We are going to hav-a a bachelors' ball here "next -week. I shall be going to it. I will write and tell you , all about it when it is over. One of • myi brothers has* been having trouble with his! back. I know a good number of D.L.E\! about here. — Yours truly, , A WINTER FLOWER. •Dear Dot, — It is now a long time since I last wrote to you. lam very fond of reading. My favourite authors aie W. H. Gv Kingston! Captain Harryatt, Captain Mayn-el Reid, Edward S. Ellis, Gordon Stables', and Paul Blake. Una Trewinnonl _ and I learned to swim last summer. Through one of the Milton footballers teliing me " about the O.R.F.U. sending footballs free to all schools applying fco? them, our school got one.- I see by tha Times that Central Otago has had heavy falls of snow lately, and the Taietri has sTifferedf greatly from heavy floods., - The clay-roadai down this way are very bad. I think I wilß stop new With love to Pi-ri-pi. Bret Haft»,( the editor, and yourself. — Yours truly. • LATOURD'ATJVERGNE., P.S. — A few -D.L.F. weare asking where JJ got my N.D.P. Well, Latour d'Auvergne was the "first Grenadier of France. You wilHfind the story of how the brave fellow defended a pass oy himself against a number' of men in the Sixth Imperial Reader.^ L. d'A. Dear Dot. — I am in Class II now. Oui< teacher is going away soon. and. we will geti a new teacher. "When I get all my tahlea right my teacher gives mte a pretty oard. I get my feet wet sometimes when I ami^ going to school. It is nearly always raining?* now. I wish that it would -stop, «n<| the nice sunny days come again, so that B could 1 go bare-footed to school and wada in the water. Did you wade in water when*-,-you were a little girl. Dot? It is nice. .Now j I must stop. Someone is helping me tq write this. — Yours truly. OLIVE PRIMROSE. ; [Yes, indeed, I did, and loved it like you,, j Olive. Spring is really coming on as fast aa ! it can, dear: do you see Jhe trees coming! into bud?— DOT.] Dear Dot. — I wis pleased, tae see ma.' firaO letter the ither week. Some yin wis askin. I */ whit pert o' Scotland I Jam, frae*, Weel. it wis Glesca. We hae had a big) flood lately. My, Dot it was a big yin I An."-, noo the roads are a' glaux an' claartch. Yiqll can hardly gang onywhere wit-hoot gaein upi< ower the buit taps in glour. You askiffi me whether it wis quid Scotch tae say you'ref gay an 1 , welcome. It is quid. Dot. ( hae gotten a fitba at cor schule noo, an' th«f laddies are trale prood! o' it. I think Ir well stop n<x>. — Yours truly, JEA& M'FARLANE. Dear Dot,— We haye had i lot. of rainf lately, and a big flood, too. One day m^ u-ncle was going away to the back of oiui sheep run in a sledge, and he took me witfl( him. There was a stone on the road, an<x we did not notice it, and the sledge tipped| right over with me in it. But I was noaj hu-itt a single bit, except that I was flung} into a gorse bush, and I felt a bit fchoany.f We had our dinner under a flax bush. Wei went through two creeks in tEe sledge, anqr nearly got wet. " We got home when th»' f sun was going down. We received a footbalßj for our school yesterday, so we will have grea-ff fun with it — don't you think jo, Dot? Ewonder if real white wizards play football?} * I will stop now. With love to Bret Haxte, Pi-ri-pi. Bernecia, Lola, Trix, and you ana the editor, — Yours truly, THE WHITE- WIZARD. [I don't suppose they do; but I think the! Wizardß that do play football must enjc3<| life much better than those who don't. B', am quite pleased 1 to hear about this newt c football of yours, and hope you have manyj ' a good game with it. — DOT.] Dear Dot.— l should like to join your paga now, if you don't mind. We are having verjil bad weather out this way at present. I havay had toothache for a long. time, but I don'ttj like th-e thought of getting my teeth out. 1 ! We have not any cows milking this winter;!' a good thing, too. I say, for I don't likefj getting hem in in this wet weather. It iaJ all right in the summer time, as long aa' the dogs will work for me. My brothe^ sprained his ankle and his wrist a litle while. j ago, but as he is not at home I do noflj I know how he is now. We have had nor snow this winter, but I wish there had been/ some, foT it is great fun out snowballing/ It 19 -rather cold on the hands. I hava ( chilblains on my fingers just now, and thest, axe all swollen and sore to the touch. B, think I will have to stop now. as I haver more letters to write and no more news.— < Yours truly. HILDA. Dear Dot, — It has been very cold and wetf here for the last few weeks Thero was at I carnival in aid of the Pipe Band held hereT i last month. I was ait it. and enjoyed myeeli. j very well I had two dips in the bran tub,' i which was presided over by a man dressedlas a clown. Some of the children dancedf some very nice dances. The carnival lasted! for fouT nights, and there was a large attendance the first and last nigEts, but there 'were not many the other two nights. On thief last night the Inve-rcargill Pipe Ba-nd waa present, and pl-ayed very nice music on the pipes. I enjoyed reading the stories ira Special Subject Week ; I read every one of them. With love to Long Tongue, Rosin*, Curlywig. and yourself. — Yours truly. ERIX-GO-BRAGH 11. Dear Dot.— < This is urj first letter to youf page. I would Jike to join your band. 1 walk two miles and a-half to school. I ami eight years old. I have three brothers.— Yours truly. QUEEN IDA. [Now you are a D.L.F.. dear. Did you expect that your letter would look ds smalJ as this when it was in print? — DOT.] Dear Dot, — The weather here lately has been very wet. and the roads_ are muddy, but it looks now as if it- were going to clear ur» again, and I think it is about time. In the evonings when I come home from school S sometimes make a bee plant, and have made 50 boxes and 500 frames fcx them, and now; I 6hall have to wire and comb them. Tnd 1 farmer? about here are preparing their land' for the next crop. This mormrg nine trucks of lime came in with the lia->, and the farmers who owned the lime iveae coming ia and out of tie station all day. One day

' we are using the Fourth beoks, though we haven't got our places yet. — Yours truly, A-BARE-LEGGED HIGHLANDER. Dear' Dot, — This is my first letter to your page. I .hope you will accept me as one of your Little Folk. lam very muoh interested in your page, so I thought I would write, too. We are having wet weather down here, and the roads are so muddy. My sister writes to your page. Her N.D.P. is Smiling lyassie. Dear Dot, I am learning th-e piano, and I like it very muoh. Our teacher comes up every Wednesday. We are milking six cows, and I milk three. — Yours truly, SERENATA. [You may join us, certainly, Serenata. I wonder if you got your name from one of the pieces you are learning to play? — DOT.] Dear Dot,— l have been reading the Little Folk's leters in the Witness, which father takes every week, and I thought I would: like to send you a few lines. I am eight years old, and I am in the Second Standard. I like school, -and I have a nice teacher. Feilding is a fair-sized -town, and it haa splendid country around it. It is not so cold as— Dunedin, there is no snow here. I have three brothers and no sisters. May I become one o' your little brigade? I will write agaiH. Good-bye. — Yours truly, OROTJA. [Yes, Oroua, you *nay join as. lam glad to admit you to our ranks. We have quite a umber of recruits now from the NorthIsland, and you will make one more.— DOT.] Dear Dot, — I hope you will accept me as a member of your happy band. I have always taken «■ great interest in your page. There has baen a lot of rain here, and it is very co!d. I know very few D.L.F. I have two sisters and no brothers. We are milking one cow in the morning and two in the evening. We have two dogs, .Jour oats, and six horses. lam very fond of animals. — Yours truly, . LOVE LIES BLEEDING. [Th* last writer, who is also a new member, •ha<i no -"sisters, and you £ay© no brothers, little Love Lies Bleeding. Your family of girls should have been mixed 'with his family of boys, so that each of you might have both) brothers and sisters. You also are welcome to our page. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — It is a long, long time since I last wrote to you, and many things have happened since then. I suppose you will think I -have forgotten all about you. I have bsea to school here for two years, andl I like it very much. I shall be going "home for the September holidays in a little over a fortnight. We have had a very good winter this year, have we not! My favourite pastime is riding. I like ariding veiy* much. I don't know what I should do if I never had a ride. I mass it very much when I come to school. I like hockey and tennis the best of everything here, I tMnk. One of my schoolmates is coming, with, me for her holidays. I think we sh«H have & nice time. — Yours truly, QUEEN OF APRIL. De*r Dot,— As S.S.W. has now passed I thought I would -write again. I did' not see the Witness before last, so I suppoee my atoxy would' be in it, as it was not in the last one. It's Only T&e -and Princess Mabel's stozdes would b« in. fch» one before last, .too. Dear Dot, when I wrote last, you asked af the ojvl was » native one. I think it is a native of our country, as my ,si*ters, wibo are older than. I, can remember seeing it wihen they were young, so it must be pretty well O;n in years. There is a tui that oom.es! to our place every summer, and it imitates the hsps and lhawk-s. ; I think- tuis are rather nice- birds. I like listening to them singing. A -football team has been star-ted tut Kspuka. They 2iave played tihiree matches, one at ■ WoodJ-ands, -where they were beaten by three points to nil, end Wo at tihe Gorge, when ] they beat that team by three to nil the first i<Lme and six to nil the second. Two of mybrohers were in x the last matoh, and we hear nothing but football from' one endi of ihe week to the other. It is gireat fun listening to them. I was at a concert and dance hield at K-apuka, and had a fine time. It was half-past 4 when we got home. Grandmother was 95 years old. lost Sunday. How would you like to be- tn*t age, Dot? She cannot walk very well no-w, and she says she will bay« to get stilts (meaning crutches). It's Only Me ha-s gone out to Biverton for a) holiday. She. -will not be back for a fortnight. I was down a,t my sister's place yesterday foelping them to shift into th«£r new house. It was fine fun. Princess Mabel I and I 'are going down there this afternoon. The Inveroargill competitions star-ted yesterday, and they will «nd on Thursday night. My brother -has cantered fox two o"r three terns, and I Trill tell you ihow h« got on next time I write. There is going to be •■» concert at Kapuka in add of th« Dunedia orp>h<ans' fund. I -will not be going, as I'm going to stay with my sister that night. I must now conclude, as it is dinner time. — Yours truly, RUBY PRIMROSE. [Did you see, an intetres-t/Lng (paragraph about the imported owl hi ifoe Witness of August 5? It is in Mr Drummond'e notes "In Touch withi Nature,"' on the third last page. Mar Drummond reminds readers of Sir Walter Buller'« importation to Hawke'3 Bay. 35 ago. Nothing more was heard of tihem for 25 years, and no other owls were introduced- in the meantime. But after al space of 25 years an owl was found in : Wellington, which was evidently a descendant of this fir&t pair of birds, so that they had not altogether died out, as might have been supposed.— DOT.] Dear Dot.— This is my first letter to ih& \ page. I should like to be one of your happy band — may I? Igo to school almost every day. lam five yea-rs old, and- in Primer 111. I have two sisters .and one brother j writing to the page. We are having vary i wet and cold weather here lately. Wha.t kind of weather are you having? Dear Dot. as fchis is my first letter to you, and -the first I have ever written. I will close now with kind regards to all D.XT.F., yourself, and | the editor,— Yours truly. V. ' DADDY'S PET. j ifVVoll, little one, it is a very good attempt j for a first letter. Did you find it a troubl© to think -what to say in- it? I remember i wheel I first used to write letters I always wanted the grown-ups to tell me what to ■write. I hope you will wTite to me asaan. — DOT.] Dear Dot. — Since I last wrote to you my j sister has had the scarlet fever. She was ! in bed for three weeks. We have removed from Queenstown to Fair lie. I like being up | here very much. We have a veTy nice house I and grounds, and a lovely clear stream runs through the back part of the garden. We wade some boats and sailed them on it to-day. We did have fine fun. We live a mile out of Fairlie, so we will have a good way to walk to school We have -not started to go yet, but will start on "Monday — Yours truly, CHRISTINA. D«ar Dot. — 'Mignonette is writing another story about Given, as I am busy -with S\mday | school lessons, Outlook Knots and Puzzles. I have just past Standard IV day schoc' We are surprised to hear about all the floods and snowstorms that other people are enduring We have had a glorious irinterj with v-ery little i

frost and very hot days. In fact, the ground is so dry rhwt some of the farmers cannot begin their ploughing. We are so glad to hear that Blondel is getting better. — Yours truly, DEWDROP. [Thank you for the violets, Dewdrop; they were still sweet when they reached me. — DOT.] D-ear Dot, — This is our first letter to your page. We live on a plain, which is bounded on tire north by the Tafcitimo mountams. on the west by the L-ongwood Range, and' on the east by the Moonlight Hills; to the south, on a calm day. we can see Mount Aglem on Stewart Island. Most of the farmers about here have finished ploughing, and will soon commence sowing the grain. The school examination was on July 29. There are 42 going to- school, but probably soni'3 of the older scholars will be leaving now. tVe are having very good weather, and so far have had no snow or floods. We collect post-cards, and have about 120. We are learndng music, and like it very well. We knw three D.L.F. who live near here. — Yours truly, TWO SCHOOLGIRLS. [You must have some beautiful views of the mountains &irls, when you have them lon all sides like 'that. They look very fine I at sunset, don't they? — DOT.] ] Dear Dot, — The bicycle ride which West Coaster and I had, and about which West Coaster told' you in her last letter, was the first time I have ever been to Nelson Creek, I though I have lived on ith'B coast all my life. 1 Since then I have bean through Nelson Creek again with my aunt, .and! we went about three miles, beyond the township on the Bell Hill road-, and arrived, home just at dark. One Sunday afternoon lately we were at church in, Ahaura, and West Coaster and I , were tiding the bicycles. All went well until coming -down the -street on the way home, when there was a, loud bang, and West Coaster exclaimed that my tyr© had 1 blown out. I jumped off as quickly as I could. 1 Sure enough the back tyre was at flat as a) pancake — much fiater, in. fact, — 'and one of us I would have to walk 'home. West Coaster , made me take the other bicycle and go offl home, while she started to walk, wheeling the damaged one, as we had nothing to patch it with. When the trap overtook her Grey Valley got out, and t)hs bicycle was put in tihe trap, and two of them walked homie down the railway line, it bsang the shortest way. They arrived home shortly aftex the j others. The Special Subject Weeks were very good. I was glad, to see such, a number of ' the younger L.F. writing, but I should have 1 liked to have more stories from the older i ones. We are once more in the first montihs jof spring. The w>infcer has been -eery mild , this year, and we have had some violets .all ] th« winter, and primroses have been out for | a long time. My brother is ploughing, getting ready for the crops. He is using % young rising three-year-old colt called Nell, and he has also been breaking in a young riding hoTse, Phyllis. They are both very quiet, and have given on % trouble at all. I must now olose. With love to Mi- Editor and the L.F. and' yourself,— Yours truly. BLUB VIOLET. Dear Dot, — May I join your band of Little Folk? I -went to the club with Lola, and Trix, und I enjoyed myself very much. I take a great interest in the Little Folk's letters, -since I have known Lola and Trix. Lola is 'bequeathing* her old pen name of "Muriel" to me on condition I bear it honourably. If she means by that I ani to write papers to the club I'mi afraid I shall disgrace it, but I am! willing to try. Hoping you will accept me,— Yours truly. MUHIEL. [I am quite sure, Muriel, that if you begin in that .spirit, and can keep it up, you will indeed 'bear Lola's name honourably. She will not expect of you more than you are capable of doing. You are welcome to our page. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — It is a long time since I last wrote. The .mornings are very cold, but we have had noNrain. I have still got my 'pets. Our school examination by the head master is just over, an^fl I think it will not be long till we have 'the inspectors coming round to examine us. lam in the Fourth, Standard, and I think it is difficult. I have not very faT to go to school in the mornings. The cold, frosty mornings' miake our hands cold for work. I still learn music. I hope to have noore to tell you next time I write. — Yours truly, " PRIftCESS EN A I. Dear Dot, — Winter has gone and spring haa come again,, but it is still frosty in the mornings. I think we are going to have nice weather -after the floods. Tie river which runs quite close to our hou£e was very high, but Jl dad no damage. I think S.S.W. was very nice. Some of the stories were very good. I vra.3 going to write 01 story, but I took the subject from, a book, andi when I s*w your notice in the Witness I did not send 1 it. I tear Madame Philidia is going away from Goodwood. I hope she still continues to write to the page. I have about 60 post-cards new, some- of which I got from. D.L.F. I like animal studies and views best. I will answer your post-cards- later oni, Crimson. R-am'bler, Lady Lilias, and Gwen, as I have no nice cards at present. Our hens are beginning to lay now. I think most of the D.L.F. about h«re have gone to sleep, .as they hardly ever write now. — Yours truly, PANSY BLOSSOM. Dear Dot. — I am glad to think that -winter is gone and spring is here once more, as r do not like going to school these cold mornings 1 liked S.S W. very much, and liked reading the stories. We are getting a new room added to our school. It is to be- opened with a, concert in a fortnight. I do not know when, ovir examination is to be, but I expect it will be about the end of the month. We have a nice little grey pony. It is very quiet, and I feed it every night and morning. We have two little pups — a white one and a black on«. They chase the hens all day long. Whatever has come over all the D.L.F. about here? I have not seen a letter from any of them for a long time. We- play football at our school, but we have not got 1 « very strong team., as there are not very many big boys, and we do not play any oth^r teams. — Yours truly, MAT. Daar Dot. — I will try and 1 describe the "bonspiel" that we had in St. Bathan3 last week There was a big crowd of men from Naseby. Ttougrh Ridge, Hill's Ci~eek, Ca-nibrian. and St. Bathans. They play with large, smooth stones, the handles of which are screwed on. an-d they weifih from 361b to 401b each. The rinks are 38yda long from what they call the "tee" -to the opposite tee. The players have to throw the stones one after the other from one tea to the other, and those that get them nearest count one for each Bto-ne. The game is 21, and sometimes it takes all the morning to play one g-aiu-e All the players have broom?, and if a stone is not coming along quickly enough the men rim in fTont and- sweep the ice to make it easier for the stone to travel Father says it is a Scotch game, and) all playeis are supposed to speak broad Scotch on the ice. It is funny to .hear them sometimos. I went down every day to see them. — they played three days, — and to takfr my father and brothers some lunch, as they do nof J

.leave the ice flßtil nearly dark. One evening the curlers haviß a. special dinner prepared for them of beef «nd greens, and lots of other good 1 things. , sben they hold what they call a "curlers' court," w.h,ere new members are miade curlers, and: the old members 'have great fun at those times. Well it is all over now, Dot, and I am sorry, for I love to watch them play. But school begins tomorrow, so no more holidays until Christmas. I axn making some scrap-books for tha orphans, and, will send tliem, with any toys I have, as soon as they are finished. The post-cards of the sn-ow axe not ready yet, but I won't forget my promise, Dot, when, they arrive. Please. Queen Bess, hurry up and answer my post-card. — Yours truly, ROMPS. [Romps, I hav e never had such a good id-eta bsfore of a curler's bcnspiel. lam especi- ■ ally delighted to hear of the way the men have to go and^wieldi brooms, so as to sweep ouft»n easy path for their stones. I bs-Keve curling has beea indulges in on the Leithi occasionally, but I have never seen anything of it. It must be most interesting to watch. But is it' not cold for the lookers-on? I should think they would wan* to throw the stones about themselves. — DOT.] Dear Dot,— l have not bsen well. I hadl a bad cold, and now I have a. sore throat. Scarlet fever is going- about. I hope lam not going to get it. JSiy cousin in Sydney sent a, letter to you. He would like to become one of your happy band. It seems so funny : I was just going to write and tell him to writ© a letter and s-endl it to me, and I wouldl send it on to you with, mine. There are five cases of fever in. our school — ■ two girls «nd threfe boys. I was not afl school to-day. Do you like violets? I think they are lovely. We have had a few nice days but it 'is cold when we first get up.— Yours truly, CORNSTALK. [Thank you for the violets, Cornstalk. They were sweet. Now here comes the Australian cousin's letter. — DOT.] Dear Dot,— l hope lAm not tco far away to write to you. My aun>t in Iriveroargill sends us the Witness, and I always read the letters. We live 48 miles from Sydney. This is a coal-mining place, and my father and my uncle work in. the mine. I am 10 years old. I have a- garden, and bay© some goctj cabbage and green peas. We have some gullies here with lovely ferns and tree-ferns, and the creeks are full of watercress. We have plenty of birds in the bush. It ig cold here at night and in the morning, but the days are nice and warm. My cousia in Invercargill writes to you ; her name is Cornstalk, — that is wha.t we ar© called ii 3 Sydney. We are going to Sydney to see the fleet when it com.es. With love to Cornstalk, — Yours truly, A MIXER'S LAD. [No, you are not too i-ax away. I have several Little Folk writing to me from Australia, and am glad to have another in, you. It is very interesting to work im the garden", and I see you have turned your attention to the practical side of it. Axe you able to keep your family supplied im vegetables? Write again, kd. and tefls us more about your bush and the birds. — DOT.] Dear Dot, — After a, silence of over three years I again, take up- my pen to write to you. You will te thinking 1 have forgotten there is such, a thing as the D.L.F. Page, but not I! It is only because I have nothing of any interest to -write about. Although living in a, fair-sized town, it is so quiet and uneventful that we might as well be away out in the back-blooks. Since last writing I feav© left &qhool and started to work. lam working in the same plaoe as lady Lou and Bride's Blossom. There are a few mere D.L.F. about here, but I don't know theii noms de plume. I did enjoy reading tihe stories in Special Subject Week. Some of our D.L.F. wouldl make first-rate authors and authoresses. lam very fond of r&adiog, and am always trying to make up stories, but I could not write one good enough to put in print. J like reading Ethel Turner's books. They ar« so quiet and homelike, without being dull or uninteresting, and. their interest never flags all through. And then they are so pathetic in tome places, and so humorous in otjiers: on© moment you will be laughing- and the next the "tears are welling in your eyes — %it least they do in niine. We are having lovely spring weathier now — sunny afternoons and bright moonlight nights. The violet, that sweetest of all flowers, seems to ba rather plentiful this year, and Here and there in the gardens you will catch. * glimpse of «| bright tuft of yellow crocuses or primroses or jonquils. I love the spring flowers best. TJiey are so delicate and, fragrant, while the svimmer flowers are rather gaudy. However, all flowers are beautiful, without exception. I often ithink what a dreary place the earth, would be without flowers or birds. Although so small and fragile, they seem to make everything brighter. Give me a' sea* under a shady tree with a book, and surrounded by flowers, and lam con>t«n.t. Now, deal Dot, I shall have to draw this scribble to a close, or my pen -will be running away with me, like the one in Roby's story. Hoping to have something of more, interest to write about next time, — Yours truly, E. A. L. [There is no need for you to wait for events to chrouicle, E. A. L.. or to plead that your town is so quiet that it is no use writing letters, when, you have written me such an interesting letter this time without a single thunderstorm or public holiday or festival of any kind to describe! Great letter-writers have proved their greatness by making ordinary "tiunlge seem, interesting. No-w, look at your own letter " You had nothing to write about but the spring, spring flowers, and your love of books, yet it was quit* ft pleasure to me to read. Even common things have soul and beauty, and it is the writer's privilege very often to distil out that beauty for those who otherwise might have been unconscious of it. All the happiness in the heart of your yellow crocuses, E.A.L.— is that not worth trying tc put on paper?— DOT.] Dear Dot, — This is my first letter to you. I am in Class 111 at school. I should like very much to join your band. — Yours truly, SNOW-WHITE. [I woudei what you are going to tell me about in your next letter. Snow-white? Will it be a surprise for me? — DOT.] AUTOS. i Mat (Willie Park, Cairn Head\ Flag Swamp) wishes to exchange post-cards with Lord Roberts, Wee Rainbow, Waka-tipu Lad, Red Wing, and any D.L.F. willing. Pansy Blossom (Nellie Newlands, Cairn Head, Flag Swamp) wishes to exchange postcards with Princess Rose, Rosa of My He-art, An African Daisy, Katty, and Jiy other D.L.F. willing. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. ! Pbiscilla Peel — I hope the badge reached you safely this finite-, Pripcilla.; will you let me know at once if it did not? I sent it to you on the 11th. You will get used to Wellington u\ time, and perhaps even grow to like it better than Dunedin. Perhaps, if you came back now. you would find Dunedin too quiet, aud would miss

] the bustile and; gaiety of Wellington} 3.9. you think so? N Kirkana.— Xou wiould see that last week's Witness treated- the matter you wrote" of, and would see also how entirely I am in agreement with all that you say. Thank i you for your letter. Weeping Willow. — Very many t&anks to you for the violets, which a-irived' perfectly fresh and sweet. I was delighted to get th&m. ANSWERS TO RIDDLES PUBLISHED AUGUST 12. 1. Because he is guided by a minister, 2. The year. 3. The letter M. OLIVE. Cuddled up in auntie's lap — That's Olive. Guarded there from all mishap — That's Olive. Hair as gold as gold oan be, Blue eyes full of girlish glee — Someone slips from auntie's knee— « That's Olive. Snugly seated om the rug — That's Olive. Longing for " nice fings " to tug— That's Olive. O'er the carpet like a flash Someone creeps — then comes a- crash, And in the middle of the smash Our Olive, Someone makes foi mother's dress; That's Olive. 'Full of teais and contriteness, — That's Olive. Someone knows the dearest, best Plaoe on earth to be caressed And forgiv'n- is mother's breast,-' And that's our Olive! — Blondel. THE WEST WIND AND THE PINES, The west wind breathed and sighed, And hushed was the close of day As the sun sank down to rest In the pink sky far away. The hushed breeze floated on, Restless and soft and sweet, Floated to the tall, dark pines, Witih the seashore at their feet. It lingered among the branches, Bathed in a gold sunbeam, - And dozed awhile in the twilight Like a sweet bird in a dream. But the tiny waves on the seashore Galled to the western wind, And mingled their babbling voices With the moaning 3©a behind. And the west wind rippled o'ex them* O'er the bubbles on tihe sand, And lingered among tihe darift-weed Cast up from the sea to land. So the pine tire-es saw -with, sadness, As they stood in sombre pride, They were not so loved by the breezes As the sea win its foaming tide. — By Dora Chapple. ' D.L.F. BADGES. Badges sent to Priscilla Peel, Mother's Girlie, Lady Sue, The Brave Old Grenadaer.