SOCIAL NOTES FROM INVERCARGILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2985, 31 May 1911, Page 79

SOCIAL NOTES FROM INVERCARGILL.

oisr DIT That the forthcoming D.L.F. social la 'causing quite a stir locally. That Shasta is all there to see that everyone will have a right royal D.L.F. time. That Smoking Flax lias been declaiming his “part” so loudly lately that neighbours are beginning to object to having a Sir Henry Irving or Oscar Asche in the same street. • That Luced'a has a good "part,” and that she fairly revels in it. That Millicent is right out to sell tickets. That Midgi© is getting a great way on with her specially-trained girls. They will evidently cause a sensation. That we will have a “hand-round” supper. That Messrs Griffiths “and Brokenshire aro going to bring clown the Victoria Hall, and that the “make-up” these two genuine comedians will wear will be a ehow in theme elves. That is, the “makes-up,” to say nothing of the comedians. That Little Johnny What's his-nanie'a Face was like a wedge, But it grew plump and merry When he heard M;r Credge. That Miss Stella-Glennic will surprise tin natives, to say nothing of the D.L.F., on Thursday, the Bth June. That tickets are going oft like the proverbial hot cakes, and that ticket-sellers nra having a “good ole” t time. That Wakatipu Lad can dispense the neatly-printed ticket and rake in the needful 2a Gd with the greatest ease. That the world is round, and the social/ vcill soon be round as well. That Mr Ei. R. Gcdward will bring along his banjo. That no more need be said in that connection. That Mr Cbas. Bowling is getting up something special for onr concert. That Iris (commonly called Lil) is going to create a stir with a new and taking eong. That the Mayor of Invercargill, W. A. Ott, Esq., has readily consented to act as onr chairman. That there will be a regular “tone-impnrt-ing committee” on the platform. That Dot will form one of the number. That we thank her kindly for her consideration. That Shasta, will also be-on the platform. That Mr Alex. Sutherland is simply great as an M.C. That he bears away tho biscuit. That wo wish our concert eocial and dance to be a financial success. That it will be so if all interested in D.L.F. matters will try to be present. That Dot’s deputy gets a very cordial invitation to be present. That the club will also like to see Mr Pemberton put in an appearance. That the holding of the affair in a place like tho “Victoria,” under expensive condi-

tions all round, is, to quote an Americanism, '"a big deal' Hut that wo are sure D.L.F. will "make 3,00 d." That thing'3 are being talked round Southland. , ~

That we hope to see a representative crowd from the Dunedin Club. That I suppose we could arrange something in the way of “billeting.” That the club requires support. That, good support will be to attend the social. That the entertainment will be cheap, but of first-class quality. That Octava and Midgie will attend to the, catering. , .. . That all the clubites, from the president downwards, upwards, and crosswise, are pushing things. That if you wish to knew any more it will be necessary to write to the secretary or read our advertisement in to-day s issua. LAVENGRO. LETTERS FROM IRE UTILE FOLK. Motto:—We write for the benefit of others, not for ourselves. No letter to contain more than 450 worts. Dear Dot—lt is very wet and cold to-day, but we cannot expect anything else. We are not milking any cows now. I tnuik J. will tell you a story. A little girl was taken into the country for the first time in her life. Seeing a mother hen about to gather her brood of chicles under her wing, she rushed up to the lion and shouted, “Shoo, you ugly thing! How dare you sit on these pretty little birds? Hero are also .some riddles:—(3) “What is the best thing to make in a hurry?” (2) 'When w a newspaper like a delicate child t \o) “Which of the four seasons is the most literary ?” 14) “When is a chicken s neck like a bell?” We have had a week’s holidays, but the school will open to-morrow, and I am not glad. With kindest regards to Irema, Happy Queen Bess, Novice, Mountain Bell, and all the other D.L.E., Yours truly, BLACK PANSY. [I exnect her country cousins smiled at that little girl’s mistake. Black Pansy Thank you for the riddles.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —I think I will tell you about a picnic we had on Easter Monday. We arrived at our selected spot about 10 o’clock, and some of us went for a bathe, while the others went for a ride on the bushes. We then went further up tlie river, and boiled the billy. After lunch we went down to the stream, and we began to make stones jump on the water. One of us picked up a big stone, and a. iizard crawled out and ran up the rooks. One of my friends wanted me to pull its tail, but I was not' on for it. We then climbed up a very steep hill, arid walked along a good way, and then two of my companions and myself began to descend again We found it much harder than it looked- as it had a good deal of siatey rock about it. The further wo went down the steeper it got, and as .we had nothing but dead tussock to hold on to it became very difficult. At last we thought we bad gone too far, because the three of us got stuck, and as one of us had a little girl on her back, she sat down and began to slip. She called out to me, but as I was stuck. I just sat down too. The other one of us got caught on a lawyer, and she wanted me to come and take her off, so I got up and slipped a few feet,, and then landed nearly on one of the others. However, I managed to get the girl off her back, and wo began to climb up the hill again. At last we got to the' top, and, my word! we were torn with the plants and thistles. Then one of the men came and helped us down a new way, and wo fhen had our tea and started home. As we could not get across the river, one of my companions and I walked right through the stream and landed on the other side with soaking feet. When we got home we were very tired. With love to yourself and all the D.L.F., — Yours truly, LAMPLIGHTER’S NIECE. [Ycu must have had quite a thrilling afternoon. Lamplighter’s Niece. 1 don’t wonder you were tired when you reached home.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —There have been a lot of changes in this place. I. E. C. lost her dear father and I lost my dear sister (Elfreda), who used to write to you, and my sister Otagoite is married, and has a little baby girl. One of my sisters is staying on the West Coast. We have a new teacher, and we all like her very much. We are having very cold mornings, but we can’t expect anything else in winter. The rabbiters are busy just now, but they are only getting 4Jd per pair, iso lit takes a lot before they can make wages. We have just moved on to our farm, and we are going to milk 20 cows, so that will keep us going, but it won t tako three of ns long. If you will allow me to write again I will tell you about the place I live in. I am going to tell you ■some of the names of the books I have read—“ Alice in Wonderland,” Hans Andersen’s “Fairy Tales,” and several others. I am going to try and tell you a story about the Red Shoes. —Once upon a time there lived a little girl who was very poor and had to wear a pair of old wooden shoes. One day her mother died, and she followed her mother's funeral to the graveyard. When she was going home an old woman gave her ,1 pair of red shoes, which would not stop dancing when she put them on.—l will finish my story next time. With love to LE G. and yourself,—Yours truly, LITTLE MAB. [I am sorry to hear of your losses, Little Mab. Yes, do write again and tell me what your farm is like and bow you get on with the 20 cows.—DOT.] Dear Dot, I have had another doll since I last wrote to you, and her name is Rose. I have four dolls now. I got a prize from Sunday school, auci its name is “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.” I have read three stories in L- I here was a fire in Arrowtown last h riday night, and a man was burnt in the fire. I am in the First Standard at school, and am getting on well. I am nine years old. I will be 10 on September 3. With love to all the D.L.F.,—Yours truly, ARE.OWITE. Dear Dot,—l was very pleased to see niy first letter in 'he Witness. Some of the letters are very Ihng and nice. I think I will tell you a story of the three dwarfs: puce a lady’s husband died, and another man’s wife died. This roan married tho lady. The lady had a girl of her own and the man had a girl of his own. It happened one day the lady wanted some strawberries in the middle of winter. So she sent her husband’s daughter.—l will finish the story next time I write.

VALERIE G-IBLIB. [Let us know the rest of the story Boon, Valerie Girlie.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —The weather has juat taken a change. It had been blowing' all the morning, and now it is raining. It isn't oa bad when it's raining as when it's blowing, {or the latter gives us much more wcrk,

as cur house is surrounded by trees of all descriptions, and when it blows the leaves come down in a hurricane. It would not bo so bad if they all came down at once, would it' They don't however, but a.re always coming down, and, by locking at the remaining ones, anyone would think that they would last for ever. My sister has such a lovely little kitten, Dot; but it was too greedy the other day, and fell into a japr of cream, hurting its foot by the action. It is such a long time since I wrote to the page, and all that time I have not looked at or read one letter in the page. Now, you may think by this that I'm not interested in it, but this is not the case; and, to make up for it, I am going to read them all in a heap. I know several D.L.F., and in one of the later months of last year there was a girl staying with one of my neighbours whom I soon found to be a D.L.F. As soon as we knew one another's N.D.P.'s we became good friends. And so, Dot, by writing to the page we have quite a number of friends, have we not? Wo will soon have our friend "Winter" here again. There is frost every night, and sometimes it is rather oold. Give my love to Portree, Pegotty, Wayward, and the numerous other D.L.F.—Yours truly, MANDEYILLEA SNOVELENS.

[You get a good deal of "Friend Winter" in your country, do you not, Mandevillea Snovelens ? Do you have any skating ? DOT.]

Dear Dot,—l was pleased to see you had accepted me as a member. There has been nothing startling about here since I last wrote. You asked me how far it was to the danoe at Menzies Ferry. Well, it is about three and a-half miles. Do you like moving pictures, Dot? I do, if they are funny ones. There are pictures in the hal labout once a week, and sometimes twice, so we see plenty of them down this way. I know who Mother's Sunshine, Waggles, and Esperantist are. I don't know if they know ones. There are pictures in the hall about Seaward Downs on the 10th, 11th, and 12th of aifchis month. I believe it was a suocess, though I was not at it. There is a quadrille at Menzies Fc-rry every second Thursday. I was at it once, but am waiting for the Edendale one to open. I have no more news this time, so will close with love to Mother's Help, Mother's Sunshine, Waggles,, and Esperantist, not forgetting yourself.—Yours truly, EDBNDALEITE. [You seem to have quite a gay time 5n your part of the w r orld, Edendaleite, with pictures and dance3.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —This is my first letter to you, and I hope you will let me join your happy band. I am eight years old, and am in the First Standard. We have had a few showers of rain, which has made the grass grow. We have one cow, but she is going dry now. My brother and I trap rabbits. With love to all, —Yours truly, SINBAD THE SAILOR. [You are very welcome to the D.L.F. ranks, Sinbad the Sailor.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —I am beginning to find it very cold, and I have not had a turnip for over two months. I live in a hole with two other grey rabbits. Some boys are trapping here, and it is very hard to hear my poor mates crying when they are caught in the trap. If I am not caught I will write to you again.—Yours truly, BLACK RABBIT. [For the farmer's,, sake I suppose I ought to hope you will be trapped, Black Rabbit, but for your own sake I hope to hear from you again.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —As the nights are getting long now I find more time for letter-writing, reading, or sewing. Since I last wrote to you two of our school teachers have left this district. The head teacher went to Bluff to teach, a,nd the first assistant went to Arrowtown to take up the position of head mistress at the High School. On the eve of their departure they were each presented with a handsome present from the school children. The head teacher received a travelling bag, and the first assistant a silver manicure set. Last night the lovely spell of fine weather broke, and we were not sorry, as our tank was dry. Last year I got a proficiency certificate, and just missed being dux by half a mark. Four of us just missed by half a mark, so you will understand that it was keenly competed for. We are having our term holidays just row. Last Easter Monday some of my mates and myself went to the bush for a picnic. We left "the corner" about 10.30 and arrived at. our destination about 11.30. We" then proceeded to boil the billy, but after sll our trouble we could not drink the tea, for it was as bitter as gall. We then divided into small parties and went into the bush. We got some nice crape ferns and plenty of supplejacks. We had afternoon tea, went into the bush again, and after another tea, and some more fun proceeded home, Up in the bush we got such pretty In rries, being white, red, ■ yellow, black, and blue. They grow on small shrubs. Coidd you tell me what they are. They have a frirall stone in the centre, and, 1 am told, are poisonous. With love io Hiram Green, Possum, Grethel, Lady Evelyn, and yourself Yours truly, LADY . GRACE'.

[What was wrong with your tea, Lady Grace? I hope you knew better than a ;me Boy Scouts whom Sir R. S. Baden-Powell discovered putting tea-leaves into a can, filling it up with cold water, and setting it on the fire to boil!— DOT.] Dear Dot, —We have been living in Inveroargill since I last wrote to you. I would sooner live in the country than in the tewn, but I suppose it is whatever you are brought up to. I am at home just now. Wv have been in town since Christmas, and I have only, met one D.L.P. in that time. It is much more lively in town than it is cut in the country. I go to the pictures twice a week. I went to a v/odding and dance out at Tisbury last Wednesday. I enjoyed myself very much. Purple Heather is staying at our place for a holiday just r.cw. Sno is married to one of my brothers. They were married about a month ago. My sisters and brother are like me —lazy in writing. We are getting very cold weather down here just now, as the winter is coming on. With best love to all the D.L.P., not forgetting yourself and the editor, —Yours truly, LADY LEAF.

[lt is very hard to say whether one likes town life OT country life best, Lady Leaf, Both have their advantages and their disadvantages.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —I still have all my pets except one —my cat T'ibby, who died lately, but I have another kitten and a duck. It is very frosty in the mornings now. We have been having very foggy weather lately, which is very disagreeable. The creamery is only going every other day now, but I think it will close before the winter is over. The roads are lovely for cycling on here, as the metal is all worn down. With love to all D.L.F.,—Yours truly, Dear Dot, —How are you getting on in town ? I have four sisters and seven brothers. I have ono cow and two horses. Do you liko riding horses, Dot? I have only

been in town once in my life, and I liked it for the first time. We have 11 pigs at home. We are very close to a river, and we can get plenty of water. —Yours, truly, RALPH THE, ROVER.

[We are getting on very nicely in town, thank- you, Ralph the Rover. I think I prefer it to the country—in the winter, at any rate.—-DOT.]

Dear Dot,—The holidays are all over since I last wrote to the page. The weather here at present is very miserable and dreadfully oold in the mornings. I was at the Bluff regatta, but I didn't see one D.L.F., although, by some of the L.F.'s letters, they said they were there. I was also at the Bluff to see H.M.S. Cambrian, and I had a very pleasant time. It wasn't bad at the regatta, but, >as usual, it turned out wet. Well, Dot, have you had any wild ducks yet? I have, and I like them. What has become of Dolly Gray? It is ages since she wrote to the page. I am bad enough, but she is worse. I was at a benefit concert S r -^ ay ni ° llt > and 1 had a grand time. Ihe Jmday before I was at a harvest home 11 a rS~ d an « n J°yabh> time there as well, llns last Saturday I was in Inverca-r----glll, and I went to the pictures in the afternoon, and hi the evening I went up town, and on our way I kept watching for the eclipse of the moon, but I didn't see) it after all my trouble. Has the harem start been displayed in Dunedin yet? It caused a great sensation in Invercargill. I didn't see it myself, but I heard all about it. I dont think I would fancy it. My sister and my cousin are writing for this week's Witness, but they won't tell me their names so I am anxious for this week's Witness to try and find them out. I received your letter, Portree. With love to Spring Flower, ,u y &£?■> P Snowdrift, and all other L.F.,—Yours truly, DALIAH SPRAY. Dear Dot—As I have been reading the Otters in the Witness I thought I would r 11, T. J ?, m U 1 Jt to °- I don't know any Little Folk. I will tell you about some of my pet animals for a start. I have a, pet lamb, a greyhound, and some turkeys, and towns. I have also two oats—one black named Johnson, and a tabby named Jeffries 1 oor J eff caught his paw in a trap the other day, but fortunately it is not broken I have a few traps which I set every night' I sell the skins when I get enough. Just now I have 80. Dot, don't you think trapping is very cruel? I lived in Dunedin for three years before coming up here, and mucli prefer the town to the country. Dear Dot, did you see the pantomime " Humpty Dumpty " two or three' years ago in Dunedin? Do you remember Miss "Betty Oh Is singing "Au Revoir, My Little Hyacinth?" I thought it such a pretty song, and have never forgotten it. I will close now with love.—Yours trul}', LITTLE HYACINTH. [Do Jeffries and Johnson follow their namesakes' examples, Little Hyacinth? Yes, it always seems thai trapping is very cruel, but I suppose it cannot be helped.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —I have just come homo after being out all the afternoon. I was down at Rugby Paxk watching the football match. I like watching football. I was going to join the hockey club, but I thought I would have to get up too early in the morning to practise. We are having glorious weather soeang it is winter. We have even get violets out. You don't see many out this time of the season. All the leaves are beginning to fall off the tress, and it makes everything look so bare. All the apples are done now,' and I aim very sorry, for I was very fond of them. It is very cold these mornings cycling to work. But after you begin working you soon get warmed up. I was at a concert and dance lost Friday night, and I enjoyed myself immensely. The concert was very good, for there were a few comic performers. 'The concert was over Dy half-past 10, and then the dancing began. The dancing ended up at about half-past 3. I had just to run across the read and I was borne. The next day tells the tale. There have been a few motor accidents lately. "That was a- terrible accident that happened to Mr Mitchell, but it seems it was accidental. They have gathered a good sum of money for his wife now. Coronation Day will be a very exciting .day. There will bo two holidays next month, but the worst of it is they won't be together. This is the wrong time of the year to have holidays, for we can't go picnicking. The days are very short now, a.r.d it won't be long till we have the shortest day. Love Lies Bleeding is staying in Invercargill now, but I very seldom see her. I think it is a while since I saw a letter in the page from you. Bill Muggins. I think I will now conclude. With best love to A Waif of the Sea, Bill Muggins, and Love Lies Bleeding, not forgetting yourself.—Yours truly, BLUE-EYED BESS.

[Yes, it is a, pity the Coronation festivities oome in the winter for us, Blue-eyed Bess. Our English cousins have the best of it, have they not?—DOT.]

Dear Dot. —We only get tho mail twice a week, and there is always <t great demand for the Witness—some for the pictures, and others for the D.L.F. page. The weather has been very cold and raining hard. So now the river will bo in higher flood than ever. Some of the spring bulbs are over four inches above the ground, and the sweet little violets, cowslips, and primroses are beginning to flower already. I think the little spring flowers a.re the best of all, and they have such a fresh sweet scent. Do you like garden" work Dot? I could be in both the vegetable a.nd flower gardens day after day, and not get tl.rsd of looking after them. Winter is fust approaching now, and there is stiil plenty of good feed in the fields for the animals which are locking well. 1 have seen lately by some of the Little Folk's leters that colds have been going about. Well, they have visited im too, and at present I have a disagreeable one. With love to all the D.L.F.—Yours truly, DAISY BELLE.

[I am afraid your spring flowers will get rather >a surprise later, Daisy Belle, if they insist on coming out now. They will find it a colder world tha.n they thought.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —We have had a, week's holiday. I have missed five days this year, two this quarter and three, last quarter. I was not at school yeste>rday, because I wasn't well. My sister and I are learning music. My sister has a cactus with buds on it. It 13 very pretty. I have 73 post-cards. We have some roses out. My. sister and I will try to make something for the Guild of the Poor Thing 3 of Bristol. The post office, here was shifted to-day. My brother helped to shift it. I will tell you a story called " A Trapper's Story."—One day a trapper, whom we will call Beaver Jim, was sitting under the bank of one of the. frozen rivers of the west. He had had a long journey on skates, which he had now taken off, and while he rested they lay o.n fchie ground near him. Suddenly he was surrounded by «, crowd of yelling Indians. Ho knew that his life hung upon a thread; many an arrow was fitted to the spring, and several tomahawks were- raised. He showed no fear, but addressing them he asked what they wanted Just then one of them noticed the skates. When told than use he put them on, but

fell down continually. They made Jim put them on. Suddenly he darted away. Many a night .after round the camp fire, when the pipes were lighted, did Beaver Jim tell the tale of how he outwitted the Indiana, and described their blank looks as he darted away. With love to Sheilah, Long-wood Blossom, Lily Blossom, Snow-white, Princess Pat, and yourself,—Yours truly, QUEEN' TOTTIE.

[I once read a story. Queen Tottie, about a man who escaped from a pack of wolves on his skate<3, so they can be very useful sometimes Don't forget your promise tc help the Poor Things of Bristol.—DOT.]

Dear Dot., —I have just had a nice holiday in Dun.&din, although I spent part of the time getting my teeth stopped. We visited the Winter Gardens, and there was a beautiful show of chrysanthemums. We went to Fullers' Pictures one night, and some of the pictures were very interesting. W© went to St. Clair on Wednesday, and we found it a difficult matter to pass the street corners without putting something in the boxes' in aid of he Women's Ward. Gabriel's' Gully jubilee will me held here his week. We expect Ihere will be a large number of visitors in the district during ihe week.—Yours truly, CLE.UATIS.

[I hope you did no pass by all he collec-ing-boxes, Clematis. Every penny was welcomed, I can assure you. —DOT.]

Dear Dot, —It seemed quite spring-liko this morning to hear the birds singing. Lately, both night and morning, a thrush perches itself on some pines not far from the cowyard, and during milking it pours forth its beautiful strains of music as if filled with pure happiness. A week ago this afternoon it was bright and sunny, and it seemed too good to stop inside, so West Coaster, Water Lily, and I went for a walk. We left home, and, going through the orchard, we crossed a ditch which runs ajt its foot, and then away across a paddodl'.c on to the road. We were nearly over as far as we saw it was brown on the back, two quails cross the road, and so wo stopped, hoping to be able to see them closely if we could, and as we looked fou!r more crossed the road and disappeared. We could stiil hear another one calling out in a hole just through the fence, which is covered with brambles and young trees. In a short time it flew out and lit on the fence, and looked at us in surprise—it evidently did not know we were tbare, —and then hopped down and out of sight. As far as we saw it was brc-wn on the back and the breast was striped brown and yellowy white alternately. From here we went along and turned up the line a short distance, and started climbing up the side of the ballast pit, Water Lily leading. West Coaster following, and I bringing up the rear. When we reached the top we viewed the scene that lay before us. Water Idly, in ont of her last letters, told you" about being up there, and about a walk through the bush. Instead of going along the same way we turned and went along a track just on the top of the hill. There is not the variety of ferns on this part of the Coast as there is in some places. However, we thought the bush very prettj-, and in every direction you look there is always something interesting to be found. In the decaying vegetation at the roots of trees, over logs, and up. trees, grow luxuriant lycopods and a delicate, filrnly little fern,. Here and there are Prince of Wales or crape ferns as well as others. In one. place the hill dips back, and as we looked dowjn we saw ferns growing in all their bealfty, their long fronds hanging downwards and shaded by the trees further down. Hopping about from twig to twig, busy catching insects were three little fantails. Shortly afterwards we left the brow of the hill and went and sa-w a miniaturo waterfall. Asmall stream fid Is down into a gully somel 10ft below. Coming out, we came by the track which Water Lily told you of. On the top West Coaster show-ed us a hen tomtit. It is very seldom you ever see them. The reason, I believe, is that the cock birds light, so. After coming out of the ccol bush it seemed so very hot. liudeed, we have been having very mild weather - for this time of year, as we have not had) a proper frost yet. Nearly every morning, however, we have fogs, which are not very pleasant, especially when they do not clear up till about dinner time. The leaves of the poplars have all turned yellow, and have been falling off this while, which tells us that winter is indeed here. With ove to all, not forgetting yourself,— Sours truly, BLUE VIOLET. '

[That is a very interesting letter, Blue Violet. You are evidently not one of those people who go out for a walk and come; back saying they have seen nothing.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —No doubt you will bo thinking I ani a very conceited person, judging by tho latter part of my nom do plume—Nonpareil. It is the name of a very nice apple grown in this district. I saw by Orion's letter last week that he evidently does not like Beaumont. Well, I hail from there, though I am now working at a place about lrwlea away, and I think it is a verypretty place, and I think he would say the same if his home were there. Winter is coming fast now, with its cold mornings and nights and short days. Did you watch for the eclipse of the moon the other night? AH I saw was a ring round it. This is a very cold place in winter, and the mud would frighten any stranger. You wouldn't believe hou r muddy it is until you saw it >:>r walked through it. I am taking partin a dialogue at a concert on the 19th, and haven't had long to practise my pieces. I often recita at socials and concerts, but I find the more I do it the more I am asked, and it is hard to get good recitations than "take" well. Can you recommend me any book, Dot'? The answer to my riddle was —A bet-die. Ilsre is anolher:—"What goes up when tire rain comes down ?" I must close new, with love to all tho L.F., not forgetting yourself,—Yours truly, SCARLET NONPAREIL.

[There are plenty of books oi : recitations published, Scarlet Nonpareil, and any of the (booksellers in town would tell you di a, good one. A. B. Patcrson's poem! make good recitations, and so do Henry Newbolt's.—DOT.]

Dear Dot. —Really, I don't know why it is, but I always seem to write to the IJ.L.F. Page the day I go to see Laurie Mac T started to walk up to her home this afternoon (it is about two miles to there), but when I had gone about quarter distance a friend caught up on mo and gave ms a ride; ho had a nice rubber-tyred gig, and a little pony, driving. When I got there Laurio Ma.-.i wns amusing a baby. It was such a| fat baby boy. Afterwards we had a game of marbles, and she won two from me. I cannot play marbles very well. There must be an interval here, dear Dot, and I nm sure you will not mind, as I am going to a church social to-night, and I will tell you all about it when I finish your letter to-morrow. —The concert was very good, Dot, I can assure, you. All the singing was very good, also the speaking. I was very intteiested in a speech about patriotism. Wo often got a composition on patriotism at school, and, as I like composition, you may

be sure I keep my cars open to oatch any useful knowledge. Among the speakers was a lady missionary from Canton. She gave the audience a very effective speech about some of the work in China. It would take up too much space to tell you ail about the social, so I must pass on to something else. Does not the garden of ohrysanthemums look pretty just now? We have about 12 different varieties. Have you any? We h&.ve two beauties—a deep red and a pale yellow. Thay put one in mind of he cactus dahlia. I found "out that it is a cactus chrysanthemum. The frost is killing the cosmeas now. The bulbs are just beginning to peep above the ground in some places in our garden. We have a- gcod collection of about 20 different kinds. I have a little rose tree still flowering, and it has five buds on it yet. I was once on a holiday to Christchurch. I stayed in Dunedin for a few days coming and going, and I liked Dunedin better than Christchurch. It is a much prettier place. Now, dear Dot, I must conolude my letter, with love to the L.F. and yourself,—Yours truly, BILLY BINKS.

[Thank you for the message to my sister, •B|iily Binks. I shall let her know of your sympathy. She is much better now.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —We had our quarterly exam, over a week ago.. I felt ashamed of myself when I heard that I was third, because I usually get first or second. It is getting very cold these mornings. When I get up I sometimes get the breakfast and help to do the dishes, and then I can get ready for schoal. One of the horses in the stable pulled back one night, and nearly choked. Mother went away for three weeks to see. my aunt, .and she enjoyed' her holidays very much. Black Bess is growing like a mushroom. House flics may not be very plentiful at other places, but they are just a plague here, and we are killing a 3 many as we can —Yours truly. MARSH MARIGOLD. [We cannot always be first, Marsh Marigold Better success next time!—DOT.]

Dear Dot, —We are milking three cows, but wo don't send our milk to the factory now, as it will stop .at the end of tho month. We have a oow coming in at the end of this month too. T'hey only take milk on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I know a Ic-t of D.L.F. up here. We have set sweet peas for spring at the school. All the girls have a. plot each, and the boys a plot of vegetables. I hav© sweet peas out in my garden at home. We have no, chrysanthemums at all, but my cousin has a lot of coloains. She has a baby boy now. It is. a nice little tiling. She has two glr's and a boy. I must close now. With love to Warrimoo 1 , Bonnie Jean, Hollyhock, Foam Flower, -and 1 all the rest, not forgetting yourself, —Yours truly, SWANHILDA. [I hope the sweet peas will be a succeai:?. SwanhiM.a. I think they axe one of the prettiest flowers that there are.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —We flre only milking our cows cnoe a day just now, as they are not giving much milk. Dear Dot, I think I will write you a little about the magpie. They live in Australia. The colour of them is black and white; some have black backs, and eonKS have white. They mate about April, and make their nests in spring. They buiid their nests in trees, and 'they lay three eggs of a light green colour. The yonng magpies are of pink oolour, but they are soon black, and their eyes open on the eleventh day. Their feed is moths. They leave their nests when they are a month old. After they leave their nests they live on grubs, and trey sing when they are four months old. The song is flute-like, but it creaks in West Australia. Each magpie has a feeding ground of its own. —Yours truly, TOBY.

[Did you read about the magpies in a book. Toby? Perhapo some cla-y you could tell some things about our native birds that you luavo found out for yourself.—DOT.]' Dear Dot, —I always read the L.F. let-ten, and I think some of them are very interesting. I would be very pleased if you ■would admit me as a member of your Large band. Winter has come again, Dot, but I don't like the wot weather. We had an awfully dry summer, and we were very thankful to get rain, I saw in the papera that people were buying their water in Eome places, but we had to drank water out of a creek. I don't fancy creek water to drink, do you, Dot ? The days are getting very short now, and the mornings are very chilly. —Yours trill/, RENA. [I am very glad to bear from you, Rena, and wi.ll enroll you as a member. —DOT.] Dear Dot, —I was very glad to see one of my letters in print: I find it very hard to get out of bed those mornings, don't you Dot? We have just started to make our garden at school, so there is not very much to tell you about it. My mother, has a lot of nice flowers in her garden Some of the chrysanthemums are not out yet. I think the frost is stopping them. Well Dot. I will close with some riddles:— Why does a hen go over a road?" "Why does a rabbit scrap e ?"-Yours truly,

Dear Dot.—l am writing to you for the first tim<» My father has a lot of horses. and he is taking some to Melbourne 1 have a black pony ; and her name is lui. Our best horse is called Agitation, and my father got a gold medal for a prize at the Taieri show/ We are going to play a game of football on Saturday, but I think we will get beaten. I will let you know in my next letter if we win. I am going to a church social on Thursday night I am m the Fifth, and am 12 years old. 1 like reading the L.F. letters. We do not live far from Wairongoa 'Have you been there, Dot? There aire a lot of birds, and rabbits at the springs. I have eaten a lot of- apples this year, and they have done me no harm. I have a garden at school and it is doing very well. Well Dot, I will give you a few riddles:—" What goes upstairs with its head downwards? .What gees up a hill, and yet.it stands still ? Yours truly, , .*£" [I shall be most interested to hear whether vou win your football match, Snuffy. I hopo you will have a good game, at any rate DOT.]

Dear Dot,—l am 11 years old, and am m the Fourth Standard at school. We have started to play football at out school, and llike playing. I saw Waggles letter in the page a week or two ago. I have read a numbel of books. Some of the names are ••Biver and Forest," "The Master of the cttiell " " There's, a Friend For Little ChildrU/" "Sons of the Vikings," and some othlrs I know a number of D.L.F. about here ' With love to Waggles and all the DLF. not forgetting ywrself,—Youra truly, SAMBO TWEEDLEPUNCH. rl sometimes wish I could play football mvaslf Sambo Tweedlepuncb, on these cold days but I am afraid I wouKm t be a success!—DOT.]

Dear Dot,-=-Sinc 6 I last wrote to you I read Inquisitive Poll's retiring letter in the page, and I was very sorry, as I always enjoyed reading her letters. She aaid I were acquainted at school,, but we have not seen Biuch of each other since- then. The weather

is very cold up here now, as the winter has fairly set in. and the bed feels particularly warm at 6 o'clock in the morning. We had a gcod fall of rain a month or so ago, and it freshened things up considerably, but they are getting brown and burnt again. My brother and one or two of his friends want cut hunting wild pigs yesterday, but _ they did not get any. I wo® very much interested in th*i articles on the Brave Poor Things of Bristol, and I am going to try to make something for your Christmas parcel, but I am not very good at sewing, so I will have to take my time about it. I have got a pet lamb which I reared this year, and lie is always in mischief. I have to tie him up at night, as he eats the leaves of the flowers and fruit trees. If he comes into the garden in the day time my brother puts the dtegs on to him, so he keeps away till night, when all the dogs are tied up. Do you like mushroom sauce, Dot? My mother was able to make a good lot of it this season as the mushrooms were very plentiful. The weather prophets have promised the farmers a very severe winter this year, which will, they say, kill out the plagues of flies and grubs and other pests which have been worse than usual this year. and I think if it gets much colder than it is now they won't be wrong; but the cattle will suffer, as most of them are thin owing to the scarcity of food in the dry weather. With best love to all the D.L.F. and yourself,—Yours truly, ARIEL.

[I hope you won't forget your promise for the Christmas parcel, Ariel. The long winter evenings are a good time for sewing, are they not?—DOT.]

Dear Dot,—Some of my friends think I have gone to sleep, but I have waked up at last. I have been setting seven rabbit traps for about a month, and have caught SO rabbits. One afternoon, when I went down to set my traps, I had some fun with a weasel and a rabbit. When I had just finished setting the traps I got ~~up and was walking homeward when I saw a rabbit running along the track and the weasel after it. I ran behind a stump and watched. Once the weasel lost sight of the rabbit, and came running up till about a yard off me, and did not see me. Having watched a good while, I waited for a chance to catch the rabbit. Very it came quite close to me, and I chased it. The rabbit was so frightened that it ran into the first burrow it came to. It did not take me very long: to grub the rabbit o"t and kill it. Meanwhile the weasel had made off as fast as has legs could carry him. When I killed the rabbit I took it home and skinned it. The skin turned out to be a very good one. For good, skins we get over Is 3d per lb. My brother and I have a football now, and we go out on cold mornings and kick it to make our toes warm. Well, Pink Wool, my seagull is all right, but he makes a terrible noise when he is hungry. How do you . like going to school these cold mornings? Happy Myrtle, you are my cousin, are you not?—"Sours tiuly, ENGLISH LADDIE.

Dear Dot, —It is a long time since I last wrote to you. We have had fine weather lately. I think I will tell you a story.—One day a lady said to her son, "You must take this letter to your father; but mind you don't get captured by the enemy." His father was staying at a town, about 20 miles distant. "All right," said Jack. "I'll take it." He had not gone far, however, when he was captured by the Boers. The soldiers hound him hand and foot, and_ then took him to a distant town. Then the Boors put him in a room in a very large house. A few days after he had been captured he saw a •speck high up in the sky. Jack thought it might be a pigeon. So he whistled, and to his amazement the bird darted down towards him. It was Piddy, his own pigeon. There was a note from his mother tied on to its leg. He answered it and then set the bird free. Next day he heard the tramp, tramp of horses' feet, and he was soon riding home with his father. — I will close with a riddle. What goes on and on and never stops?—Yours truly, JOAN OF ABC.

Dear Dot,—l think we are in for ai wiet winter now, because it's raining very heavily ; in fact, it has been all day. It blew 1 great guns up here last night. Most of the farmers about here are starting their ploughing; we are going to start to-morrow if the weather keeps fine. We are going to get a dairy factory here soon, but there is much dispute as to where it should he situated. Some want it in one place and some in another. There are a good many people going from here to the Gabriel's Gully jubilee. My father is going, because he was at Gabriel's Gully in 1861. He often tells us what things were like in the told gold digging days, how different from what they are now. There were no motor cars and trains to take them from place to place then. If they wanted to go anywhere they nearly always had to go by bullock waggon or walk. Horses were verydear in those days. It cou'd not have been very pleasant for the diggers to have to carry heavy loads over the hills day after day. I don't think many of them would do it now. I am going to take a different N.D.P. this time, because I did not like my former one. Well, Dot, I shall close with a riddle: —"When is butter Irish?"— Yours truly, PRINCESS FRILL.

[Ye®, Princess Frill, we live in much easier times than the pioneers did, and yet we grumble occasionally-, don't we?—DOT.]

Dear Dot, —Last week I promised to write about South Africa. I will now give you my impressions of Durban, when I first saw that city. I do not think I shall ever forget the first glimpse of Durban. It was at sunset. Pink rays were nestling on the distant hills, sometimes rising into view • across the clear waters, flat-topped or conicalshaped, while "the clear summer atmosphere became more evident as we drew nearer and nearer to the land. Closer came the lights of Durban, the lighthouse, the breakwater, and then the wharf. As we rounded the bluff to enter the harbour hundreds of lights shone out in the distance, and wo knew at last we were in the "garden colony of South Africa." Stealing in between the barges and the various ships anchored near, we drew up at the wharf just as the shades of evening began to fall. Several huge iron cranes were wheeled up alongside our berthing place, and a- squad of kaffir coolies soon made their presence known by their chattering and mournful singing as they picked up their coal baskets and got in line preparatory to -trooping on board. On their heads they wore three-cornered sacks, and about their loins cloths, and in the dim light of the evening they looked like hideous barbarians. It is said that colours seen by candle light never look the same by day. Next morning we rise, and in the sunlight see Durban a.s only that lovely city can look during the gala season, which happened to be in full swing at the time of <mv arrival. For three months in the year the climate of Durban is perfect—that is, during June, July, and August. After that the heat becomes so intense that those who can afford it seek refuge in cooler towns further south. Beautiful hills shaded with green surround the harbour, which was alive with shipping of all descriptions. Beyond the wharf lay

the city. Omnibuses, motor cars, and Victorias driven by Zulus and kaffirs, and gaily-decorated rickshas stood alongside the wharf to convey passengers to the town, two miles distant. One could get there for 3d by the tram, but a ricksha fare amounted to la each, and was a novelty one could not afford to miss. Our Zulu, like moat of the others we saw around us, beamed with happy smiles, jingled beads, and brace- ' lets on his arms, eported a headgear of j horns, feathers, and other decorations that might have done honour to any king, and looked generally pleased with himself and the world at large. Nothing can compare with a ricksha ride. It is glorious. Running smoothly along on rubber tyres as swiftly as a pony could trot, he carries us to the town. Occasionally he jingles a little bell, and pedestrians in his way move aside to let him pass. He dashes past a, tram car in motion, and rushes before it across the street, finally easing down at the Post Office. This seems to be the usual rendezvous. Lined up alongside the gardens which are opposite the G.P.O. there are scores of gaily-decorated rickshas awaiting the call of service, raid, dashing along the main thoroughfare, there are several others. The streets are long, wide, and busy, although there are no heavy waggons and horses to block the main thoroughfare. The shops, which have on their gala attire for the benefit of visitors who crowd the street, are as beautiful 'as they are varied, some being built in English r' 'o, some foreign, and plenty of American s scrapers. The Town Hall is a beautiful k■---?_ building, aiid the dome of it, I was told, is built of white .stone all the way from Gainaru. By looking at the shops the visitor can easiy tell the city is cosmopolitan. Gailydressed Malay, Indian, and Arabian women may be seen marching about the streets in their peculiar national costumes, all wearing fancy silk handkerchiefs or shawls over the head" and face, leaving only the eyes exposed. And the Zulu policeman—what an imposing figure he is, standing at the street oorners, with his hat tilted on one side of his head, and calling mule waggons to order and directing pedestrians across the streets. The beach at Durban is beautiful. Every afternoon the band plays and the skating rink 3 are crowded with people. On a Saturday night it presents a most lively and brilliant appearance. There are openair concerts, punch and judy shows, and the grea.t wheel, which is lit up with many- . coloured electric lighta, attracts a good many people. And the parks, avenues, and gardens—Durban revels in them. The Public Gardens are perfect. There are several shady walks and hothouses. We spend many an afternoon under the shady trees and watch mournful and gay, careless and cautious, folk passing to and from the flower-beds. But the kaffirs! —they are everywhere. Some look like chimney sweeps, others are greased up to "blinking" perfection, dressed in their best and out strolling with their chums or sweetheart's. Some of the latter are fullbred, some half-caste, or what is known as Cape girls, and others anything between a Chinese and a Malay. Well, Dot, I think I shall close. I did not think my letter would be so long, but shall write on Capetown again.—Yours truly, AILEEN M. RAYNE. I Dear Dot, —I have just returned from a week's' holiday, and enjoyed it immensely. Have you ever played "Donkey," Dot? It is a very amusing game, and it also makes you have your wits about you. There are different ways of playing " Donkey,"' but they are all played with cards. My favourite way to play " Donkey" is to deal all the cards to those playing, take them up, and ; see if you have four of the same number. If you have, quietly put them down, and the last one down is " D.," adding a letter for 1 eaoh time he is " Donkey." If you have no four numbers alike, wliich often happens, eaoh one has to pass the other a card until one gets the four, and then, watching his opportunity,, he quietly puts them down. What kind of weather are you having in Dunedin, Dot? We are having -real winter weather here, and it is raining in torrents . while I am writing. Now, Dot, I will close with giving a riddle: —"What goes up a chimney down, but cannot go down a chimney up?" With love to Portree and the 1 other D.L.F., —Yours truly, SNOWDRIFT. [We have not had much rain, Snowdrift, in town, but plenty of frosty mornings and j sunshiny days. It is much the nicest kino ' of winter weather to have, I think, though I don't know how the city water supply likes . it.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —This last week we have been having very unsettled weather. The bar--1 vest season is done now. It was a very short season We have all our potatoes picked and pitted. You are beginning to ' get a lot of letters again. Winter is the I season when one enjoys reading most; with la nice bright fire and a book or the Witness I en© can soon pass a winter evening. Mother ! was away for a holiday lately, and we wero l on our own. My sister was in Dunedin at i. Easter, and she enjoyed herself very much i I see that a good many of your girl corres- | pondents have been talking about crowing I also was at that this year. It is very hot work on a hot day. Have you ever done any riding, Dot? i am very fond of it, and I ride about two miles every night for the cows. I have a very quiet horse, but ouo3 ! I tried a young one that was getting I " broken in," but alter getting off to open ' a gate I found she wcu.d not let me on 1 again. ' She tried to kick and bite, so I led her and walked home. You may be sure I I did not try her again; she is too flash 1 for me. We have just been doing up our I garden, and as there are not many flowers ! out it looks bare. In my garden I have ; violets, pnraroaco, snowdrops, and snowI flakes, anemones, and small match-heads. In i the way of daffodils I have a variety—the ' single and double ones, ham and eggs daffoIdils; also I have the cream ones and tno i pure white ones. I have a tree of baby 1 roses, and they are pretty, and also a pure j white one named Frau Carl Druschki. I I think that is the most unattractive part of a flower—their long Latin names. We i have also two tea roses, the Marechel Niel '■ and the Cloth of Gold. We have not a very i large collection of pot plants. Among the I ones we have are the scarlet geraniums. I fuchsias, asparagus, and three kinds of wandering wiliie, the bronze, the striped. and the silver leafed. With love to all the D.L.F., not / ™lL^urS A tru,y,

[The rose you mention has a German ramc, not a Latin one, Country Maid. There are so many new ones always being produced and having to be named that it is no wonder they arc given rather queer-sounding ones sometimes —DOT.] Deax Dot, —I would like to be in your page. I am in the Second Standard at school. The weasels are a great trouble to us. If we don't go at ones we won't gei the eggs. One day when I was away at school? and motheT was away visiting, two weasel's were fighting in the garden when wo came lack.—Yours truly, PERIWINKLE,

[Weasels are horrid things, are they not Periwinkle? Do you do anything to get rid of them?-DOT.]

Dear uot/-It is <i very long time si ■ c- I last wrote to your page. I suppose yc. thought that I had forgotten you. W getting a i.ew post office, and they o started to lay the foundation. W© are getting waterworks and freezing works here shortly. The water works are to bo finished in February, but I don’t know when the freezing works are going to start. Since the last time I wrote to you I have left school, and I am learning the coach painting trade. There is a new steamer for the river which is being built in Dunedin, and it is going to be here in six weeks’ time, it is being built by M’Gregor and Co, in. Otago Foundry. _ There is a new drapery building being built here two storey® high, for A Stewart, Milton, There are football matches hero nearly every Saturday. With love to all the Little Folks.—Yours truly.

NUMBER THREE. [I am vca-y pleased to hear from you again, Mimber Three. You seem to live in. a Verv flourishing town.—DOT.] Dear Dot,—This is my first letter to your page : so I hope you will print it for me. weather down here is getting very cold. We weather down here is getting very cod. We live close to the sea., about 10 minutes' walk, and when the wir.d blows off the sea it is very cold. We cam© down here for a holiday, and wo go to school, and it is a. very nice place. My youngest sister and I have lived with our grandmother nearly a. 1 ! our life. I have three sisters and five brothers.—Yours truly. IVY.

[I am very pleased to hear from you.. Ivy, and I hope you will write again and tell me about your doings.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —I know a number of LF. about here; there are so mans' that I cannot mention them all. Winter is coming on very fast, and it is very cold going to school in the mo.ininsrs. I am 13 years of age. ' I am, reading a book called "The Lamplighter." It is a very nice book. I can't remember who it is written by. Some of the children at our school go into Oaimaru 'every second Wednesday to learn cooking, and they like it very much. I have received a number of post-cards and autos from the L.F. —Yours GRANDAD'S GIRL. Dear Dot.—l don't know what has become of a.ll the L.F. in Herbert: they must be asleep for the winter. My sister goes to the cooking class in Oamaru onee a fortnight, and she often brings home some nice jam tarts. There is a ping-pong in the Herbert Hall, and my sisters and I are going some nights, and there is also a dancing class on Wednesday nights, _ The Coronation of King George V is coming off soon, and many New Zealand people have gone over to see it. I wish I was there to see all the lovely things. Or doctor got married and went over to the Old Country for his honeymoon, and he is going to be away a year or more, and we will be glad when he comes back. I think this is all.— Yours truly, LINKS OF LOVE. [lt certainly w"! bo interesting in London Bft Coronation ' aie, Icnkra of Love, though after all there will be such crowds of people that most of them will hardly sea anything at all.—DOT.] Dear Dot,—l have be-on away from school for about a fortnight with a sore face, and I am glad to get back to school again. When our teacher got married the girls gave him a present, and also the Boy Scouts gave him one. He was pleased, and invited the girls in for tea after school one day.. Then" the boys in the infant classes on Tuesdav, and th* rest are to go in for tea on' Friday night. We are milking 12 cows just now but it won't be long before they are dry. Well, dear Dot, as my sister is busy writing to you just now, and my elder s:stor is scrriously thinkimg of doing so, I will stop with love to all the D.L.F.- and yourself.— Yours truly, PINCUSHION.

Dear Dot,—l am going to tell you about a pig-hunting party we had a few weeks ago. We' left home about half-past 9 in the morning, and got out to my aunt s at Flamborough about half-past 10. A party had gone out before us, eo we got ready to go and joint them. We did not manage to reach them, however, as the little cara got too tired. So we boiled the billy and had our lunch. After that I went up to the rest of the party, and as they were out of sugar they asked me if we had any leit, and as we had I went, down to get it. After I had taken the sugar up Mistress Jean came down with me. Some of the party had now to climb a hill called Flamborough, and Mistress Jean coaxed mother to let me go. We kept the others in sight for a good oart of the way up, and then all of a sudden they disappeared. We reached the top after an awful climb, but could not see tb« others. We searched about for a time, and at last we saw them taking a rest in ©ome tussocks. Two of them were sleeping. We had been talking together, and had just swid that if a pig was to come the sleepin" one-s would get a fright, when a dog went up to one of them- and made her wake up. She really thought it was a pig. We then went back home through the bush. The bush was beautiful, but very steep, and the tree ferns were of every kind. There were ako plenty of small plants. Just as ■we were coming out of the bush we met two pup-ok"-. and then we knew that the pier-hunters had taken that track. We left for hcrre at about half-past 4 after spendin" a" very enjoyable day, but being very tiled. With love to all the D.L.F., not forgetting yourself,—Yours truly, g b y THE MAID OF THE MARSH.

[You don't say whether your pig-hunting narty caught any pigs, Maid of the Mursh. I wonder if they did?—DOT.]

r P , ar Dot, —I was at Stevenson's Pictures a-t Edendale last Wednesday. They had a \i rcn . y searchlight there which could be seen a, long way off. Some of the pictures were: "Ranch Life in the Great Southwest." "Making Casks at Cette," "The Great Italian Hydroplane," "The Blue Nile," and "That Horse Did Run." Our school got a twelve-and-sixpenny football from the Rugby Union for 6s. The last two years we got one free. We did not get holidays last week when other schools were [jetting thairs, as we had two weeks extra at Christmas, as there was scarlet fever in +.he district. My cousins came up, and we had good fun in the evening, though I was ■-oinp- to school through the day. We had n quarterly examination last Thursday and Friday. I am learning Esperanto., but I have no teacher, and have to learn it from b:>oks. I can now read and write in it fairly well. I shall give the D.L.P. a riddle:---"When is a starving man like a baker?"—Yours truly, ESPERANTIST. [lt is very enterprising of you to learn Esperanto all by yourself, Espcrantist. Did you find it difficult ?-DOT.I

Dear Dot, —Things are very quiet down here, and I think all the Waikawa L.P. must have all grown too lazy or too old to write to Dot. Winter is with us again, and the nights are getting cold. I have not been very well lately, but I am keeping better just now. I was as far as Kaitangata last Christmas. I stayed a few clays, and then went on to Owaka, and from there to Tahatika. I spent an enjoyable fortnight

!> &>ah> - there. I waa awaj Lorn o.vmo i.-tvM w ■•bs, but that is ;.'jt ior-;. holiday-making. :.iofi,c-r a .night at Easter, eo i stopped at home and kept house. Wa have about 19 miles to drive to the station froon our place. The day I wont out I was driving in an open coach. When we h;rd gone about five miles on our journey ii commenced to rain, and it never ceased until I reached the station. I had no umbrella, but, fortunately, a gentleman in the coach ient mo his, but tire wind was so strong that my arm was not strong enough to hold it up, so the gentleman held it for me. In one place we went by the sea coast, and the wind was so' strong that the umbrella had to come down. Five miles from the station my kind friend left us, but my brother, who had bicycled ahead of me, was waiting with another umbrella, so I was lucky. When I reached Invercargill I was soaking and nigh frozen, and my hat was completely spoiled. Never was I so glad of a warm fire and tea as I was that night when I reached my cousin’s place. I was very tired, so I was soon in the warm blankets and dead to the world. The moonlight nights are very cold and still, but the sea seems to roar the louder as if troubled find restless, as it lashes its foam against the rocks and shore. We people that live near the sea do not notice its roar very much, hut anyone coming from inland cannot sleep for the roaring of the sea. The answer to Clutha’s riddle—“l went to the wood and got it, the more I looked at it the more I disliked it; 'I brought it home because I couldn’t help it”—is “A thorn in your foot.’ With best love to Lady Sue, Queen Totty, Scarlet Runner, and Hazeldell, not forgetting - Queen Dot, —Yours truly, LITTLE MISS VANITY. [I hope you were none the worse for your wet drive, Little Miss Vanity. There is ncthing more mis-erabJe than driving in oold and rain, is there? One can only sit and freeze.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —This is my first letter to tho page, and I wish to besom© one of your happy band. I go to the Papatotara School. I am 11 years old, and am in the Fifth Standard. I have a cat and a dog. Tho cat got caught in a trap, and he lost a part o-f his paw. As this is my first letter I will close. I will write a longer letter next time.—Yours truly, QUEEN’S PRIZE. [I am very glad to welcome you ns a D.L.F. member. Queen’s Prize I expect that cat will know better than to go near tranS in future.—DOT.] AUTOS AND POST-CARDS. Links of Love (care of Saunders, jun., Herbert) washes to exchange autos and postcards with Little Snowdrop. Dusty Miller, Puddock, and any other D.L.F. willing. Grandad’s Girl (care of Mr J. Saunders, jun., Herbert) wishes to exchange autos ana post-cards with Pineapple, Tea- Rose, Micky's Chum, Tommy’s Rosebud, and ac] other D.L.F. willing. Tommy’s Rosebud (Jessie Kirkland, Chaslands) would like to exchange post-cards with any D.L.F. who are willing. Chips (care of A. M. Dawson, Esq., Oropuki) wishes to exchange autos with Brer Rabbit, Biue Rocket, and Longwood Blossom. Quecnie Blatcb (Lynwood Station) would like to exchange post-cards with any D.L.F. willing. White Heron (Post Office Niagara) would like toi exchange autos with A Rare Old Bird, Lucky Plum, Dolly Dimple, Lady of the Nile, Livingstone’s News Agent, Biackeyed' Susan, and any other D.L.F. willing. Genevieve II (care of Mr P. James, Ng;vpuna) wishes to exchange autos with Princess Yarra, Ivanhoe, and any D.L.F. willing. Anne of Green Gables (Foot Office g-ate) would like to exchange autos and postcards with any D.L.F. who arc willing. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. G. S. (Tima.ru). —Many thanks for your contribution and the offer of jerseys. They will bo meet welcome. Nemesia. —l am afraid your letter must have miscarried somehow, so you had better rewrite it. Orange Blossom hae not sent full name as well as address.