SILVER ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 63

SILVER ISLAND.

[All Rights Reserved.] No. 45.

Br

Edith Howes.

CHAPTER X. The pleasant summer days went by, each notched on a stick in true Crusoe fashion by Jim. The three young islanders bathed and played and fished and snared and shot and cooked and ate, and hunted for silver. Wherever they went that quest was never forgotten, except by Wuffies. He grew tired of it, and discovered for himself a more engrossing occupation. While the others were taptapping and chipping and splitting pieces of rock, he would be quietly stalking some bird as it flitted and fled through the bushes; stalking not to kill, but to hear at close quarters its song as it came to rest. He would listen and listen, often sitting for half an hour under a tree, softly whistling in mimicrv of the bird above till at last he could call to it in its own notes. Sometimes the bird answered him, calling from the tiee top and awaiting each time his reply : sometimes it flew down to look for the whistler, flitting closer and closer till almost, but not quite, within his reach. Once a fantail, friendliest of little birds* flew' on to his shoulder and sat there for a moment while his heart swelled with pride and happiness. It was a splendid game. He was a good whislter and had a good ear, and though he could never hope to produce the liquid depth and beauty of the beilbird’s and tui's notes, yet he w r as able to give a very fair imitation of their calls. Soon he" knew every bird-song on the island, could trill like the little grey warbler, shriek like the kaka or drop into its honey-sweet carrot whispering, call up the wrens and robins and tomtits and wekas by their own notes. Once when he was calling the weka call, his linosed pole in his hand ready for a catch, a hen and three young chicks came to him. To brine- her nearer he threw hdr a piece of cooked fish. She seized the fish, broke it up before the chicks, and watched them eat it, keeping none of it for herself. From that day Wuffies laid his pole aside and caught no more wekas.

Enid and Jim went on with the hunt for silver. Their hope of finding that glorious reef was fast fading; it was impossible to break open the big rocks, and chipping disclosed nothing. But smaller fragments when broken often showed the glittering specks, and these fragments they carried carefully home, stowing them in a kerosene tin brought down from the cave for the purpose. The two often turned the pieces over and over in their hands, wondering how much they were worth. “The rock has to be crushed and washed away, and trie silver stays behind because it is heavier,” Jim explained. “Of course there isn't very much silver here in these bits, but we can tell Uncle and Dad where we found it and they can come with proper tools, picks and things, and find plenty more.” It must be confessed' that there were also odd uncomfortable moments when both Enid and Jim doubted whether those very shining grains were silver after all. Were they quite the right colour? Were they not too bright, too glittering? And yet, what else could they be? Was this not Silver Island? And then Jim broke open a rock that epaikled with yellow grains, brilliant yellow grains Iving so thickly that here and there thev formed little lumps and masses. Jim stared at it spellbound for a moment or two, then “Gold ! Gold ! I’ve found gold!” he shouted. “Enid, I’ve found gold.” Enid came to look, and became as excited as he when she saw it. “Oh Jim, it is! I'm sure it is!” she said. “Silver and gold ! How rich we shall be. Oh, isn’t it splendid? Isn't it lovely Now they bunted for gold as well as for silver, and near this later discovery thev found many fragments of rock containing the yellow grains, some more thickly set than in the first piece, some less, but all sparklin'' and beautiful. “We might find a nugget.” Jim said, and they scraped about in the earth and turned over boulders and raked the floor of the creeks with their hands and feet wliene-< r thev thought of it, but they found n- nugget. However, they collected many pieces of the golden-grained rock. “We’ll have the treasure box for this.” said Enid, and they made a special expedition to tile cave for Arthur Seymour's ir -n handrd box. They bundled out the tin containing bis grey and uninviting treasure and left it lying on the floor of the cave. “Fancy bothering with that stuff, whatever it is, when there is gold on the island 1” said Enid.

Wuffies was with them on this occasion, for the new discovery had excited him too, and had drawn him away from his birds for the day. He picked out a piece of the grey stuff, looked at it, and smelled it, scratched its soapy suriace, then put it back in the tin. “1 wonder what it can be,” he said. “Treasure!” jeered Jim. “The great find of Wuffies, the. Discoverer ! "Worth thousands of pounds ! Going to make us all rich for life!” “Anyway, what did he hide it for if it wasn’t treasure?” Wuffies asked defiantly. “And he couldn’t sell it unless it was worth something, could he? Yah! I bet it’s worth more than all your old gold and silver.” And he returned to his birds and would net be drawn away again for all the ore on the island.

Enid and Jim carried the box between them to the camp, and there stowed in it all their golden treasure, adding more as they found it, till in time it was almost full of broken, glittering rock. Beside it steed the tin of silver ore. Many and rich grew the day dreams of Enid and Jim ; higher and higher grew their Castles in Spain. “What about staying for ever on the island?” Enid asked mischievous!*. “You thought you would like to, you know.”

“Ah, but there are no goats on the island,” Jim answered in the same spirit. He looked thoughtfully at the gold. “When that box is full we’ll go hack to Home Bax- and tell them all about it,” he said, “and then we’ll bring Uncle here and show him where to find both the gold and the silver.” “And Uncle will write to Dad, and he and Mum will come doxvn to the island, and we’ll show them our camp and everything, and we’ll have a lovely time,” added Enid. “And Dad and Uncle will bring men with picks and blasting powder, and thev will blast open the rocks, and there will be a mine here,” Jim went on, “and the mine xvill be ours because we found it.” ‘And we’ll all be frightfully rich, and we’ll be able to buy the loveliest presents for everybody,” Enid finished happily. (To be Continued.) PROTECTION OF BIRD LIFE. D.L.F. COMPETITION. The following letter is commended to the careful attention of L.F., especially in country districts: Dear Dot,—Let us make a humble start on our bird crusade. We want to interest our Little Folk in our native birds —teach them what they are like, what interesting habits they have, and, above ■all, to love and protect them. We want our children to know that many of the.se birds, only a few years ago quite common, are now becoming very scarce, and we are anxious that each and ex'ery child should learn to use Ins or her eyes, tell us about these birds and where they are Some of us will select, say, three best letters from June, 1923, to June, 1924, and award a prize accordingly. Eacli competitor should mark his letter “Competition Letter, No. I,” etc. Of course common sense would tell you to select your descriptions at fairly wide intervals of the year, so as to include _ winter feeding, changes in plumage, mating of birds, nest-building, young birds, natural enemies, tricks or schemes of mothers to protect their young, etc., summer feeding. PRIZES. We have much pleasure in notifying L.F. that we are carrying out the suggestions proposed by Dr Fulton, and are offering the following prizes: First prize, £2 2s and the book prize donated by Mr Oscar Collings, entitled “Animals of New 7 Zealand,” by Hutton and Drummond. Second prize, £1 Is and a book prize “Wild Life in Australia,” by Le Souef. Third prize, 10s Gd. LETTERS FROM THE LITTLE FOLK. Kotto. We write tor the benefit of others, oc? to; ourFclxcs XTfr letter to contain moTe ti»an 350 words. Dear Dot,—May I join your happy hand of L.F. ? It has been very cold here. I am eight years old, and in Standard II at Albany Street School. I have a little brother who is five years old. I will not write a very big letter because this is my first one.- —Yours truly, BAGGY BREECHES 11. [You are very welcome to join us. dear, but as the N.D.P. you have chosen is already appropriated you might third: of another one and enclose your name and address with the new one please.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —It was raining last night, bui it is a lovely day to-day. Mr Anderson un x-eiled the High School Memorial gates on May 9. Many places have be-en flooded, cut so far we have escaped. We are playing hockey and basket-ball. There is a dance at Balfour to-night, and I suppose there will be a number of people going from here. The Anglican Church is having a bazaar tomorrow, and I think I will go. I am learning the violin, and I like it very much. 1 see a lot of Little Folk about here. I met an Old Writer at Christmas time. Her corn de plume was Johnnie Wajker. We are having cur term holidays at- present. My mother and sister are away for a holiday. I went to the pictures last night, but they were not as good a 3 I expected them to be. I know Gentle Annie’s Mate. She goes to the same school as I do. I have been reading a goo-d book named “Peter Simple,” by Captain M-arryat. Kindest regards to all the Little Folk and yourself. Yours truly, A SWISS MAID. [Periodically there seems to be an eoidemic of changing N.D.P., and I must say I do not approve of it. —DOT.] Dear Dot,—l was very pleased to see my first letter in the Witness. I have a little kitten which I think is x'ery pretty . beside my brother’s pup. Our schoolmaster is going away about June. The days are getting very cold now. Thursday was especially so. Love to all D.L.F. —Yours truly, RAIN FAIRY. Dear Dot, —May I join your happy band? I am feeling lonely these days, so when I happened to read some of the letters in the Witness I decided to write to you and read the other letters. I am 16 years of age, and am a telegraph messenger. During these periods of rainy weather I often get very wet, as I have no bicycle with which to ride out

with messages. The other day a tooth in my bottom gums just about drove me- frantic with pain. The swelling is not properly down yet, but when it is I arn going to get it out, and also have four false teeth in my front top gums. I have not yet learned to dance, but I will certainly learn later, when I have my artificial teeth and long trou-ers. Love to yourself and Coupons for Kisses and Sweet Kid —Yours trulv, LONESOME LOVER. [I have put an auto in for you, Lonesome Lover.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —We have been having cur term exam, this last -week, but it will soon be finished, and then we will be getting our term holidays. There is a earnval abo-ut the end of this month, and it is to bo hoped we will have fine weather, as there will be a big crowd there. I wished to be remembered to A Dark Damsel and The April Girl. — lours truly, THE BEAUTIFUL LAND OF NOD (Dipton). Dear Dot, —Since I last wrote to you the New Zealand flourmills have been burnt down, but they managed to save the grain shed. About a week ago w e had some very wet weather, and all the creeks and rivers were very muddy and rose very high. We had our first term exam., and I passed. We had were going to break up for our holidays on the 11th, but our teacher decided to break up on the 18th, so we have another week to go to school. Our hens are only laying one or two eggs a day now. Lcve io all the Little Folk, not forgetting your own dear self.—Yours truly, SEA HOLLY (R-augiora). Dtear Dot, —There has been plenty of rain lately, and I supose you were surrounded with water too, Dot. Wo have started our winter games now. I wrote to Verandah Fairy a few months ago, but I have not had an answer yet. I have jusft finished reading “Hope’s Legacy,' which is a very nice book. The mills have all pulled in, as the harvesting is finished. We have hard frosts every morning, and some ice for slides. All the plants have gone t-o sleep now. Love to verandah Fairy and all the rest of the L.F. and your own dear self. — Yours truly, PLAZA. Dear Dot,—We hax T e finished our examination up here. I came first in the boys and fourth in the whole class. Mr Parr gave us our examination. The inspectors have not come yet. The weather has been fine- here this week, but it looks like rain to-day. I hax'e a brother who- writes to the page a 3 Doughnut. My father has not been coming- home these nights, but he has come home to-night. My cousin is staying here just row. There was a football match today between Coal Creek and Roxburgh East, and Coal_ Creek won by 15 points to 3 points. They arc busy up here putting up the electric poles and making a race for tho irrigation.—Yours trulv, GREEDY BILL. Dear Dot, —I thought I would write a letter to _D.L.F. My playmate and I have good fun at school playing- basket-ball. I am walking to school now, because the horse is lame. I leave for school at 8 o'clock. — Ytours truly, DAISY IN THE FIELD. [You have an early start in the morning, Daisy, but I expect you are nice and warm when you reach school.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —I was away to Dunedin for holidays at E-aster, and I liked Dunedin very much. It was the first time I had ex-er been there. Football has started again here, but we have not got our new ball yet. The men here played Balfour men last Saturday, and xve xx-on by 4 to 3 points, so there was not much difference in t-lie teams. Tho la-dies hax-e started hockey again, -and are going to form a new union up this way. Did the floods in Dunedin get into your house, Dot? Our auntie lives up on a hill, so she is all right. Love to all D.L.F. — ’Yours truly, A FOOTBALLER. Cl suppose you are anxiously awaiting the -arrival of th e ball to begin play, A Footballer.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —We are having boisterous weather just now. I wonder what has become of Bunch of Roses, Kimi, Red Maple, and Joyce’s Little Maid. I hax-e not seen a letter fro-m them for a long time. We are busy feeding our cows on turnips at present. The garden looks very bare just noxy. The days are drawing in noxv, e-nd it is X'ery cold. One needs to- have a good fire to sit beside. The road is getting gravelled for the xx-inter, and I think it is far better than the mud. Since last xvriting to you xx’e had two sends-off. and they turned out a great success. Love to Holly, Led Maple, Joyces Little Maid, Kimi, Bunch of Roses, and all the rest of the D.L.F., not forgetting yourself.—Yours truly CLIMBING IVY.'’ Dear Dot, Dunedin has been having a terrible flood, but I suppose it is all down again noxv. Since I last wrote my father met with an accident, and was in the hospital, but is home again. There was a man run over by a traction engine yesterday, and was killed. I have been crocheting a lot of hats lately. My mother knitted "me a jumper, so I made a hat to match it. I have been reading one or two of Zane Grey’s books, and I find them very interesting. Our flower garden is looking well agai# noxv, with all the different kinds of chrysanthemums out. The road and footpath up here are being gravelled, and it will be a big improvement. 1 will close hoping my correspondents xvill hurry up and write. Best lovo to A Scotch Lassie, Blue Golliwog, Gold Branchen, Stella-Maris. Haxviian M-aid, Kathleen Max'ourneen, Milkmaid ll,* and A Stray Sunbeam, not forgettig yourself. Yours truly, ROSEPINK (Tuatapere). Dear Dot,—We are having good weather just noxv. There was a big play here last night, and my father and mother were at it, but it was not nice. There is a show 7 up here next xveek. We are not putting anything in it, but the man that lives next to us is showing six white Wyandottes and five Orpingtons. It is great to see him training them with a- stick to make them stand straight up to show themselves. We xx-iil be having a great clay on Monda-y washing the white hens, as it is a big job. They are giving many prizes. Mr F. Boyle is giving a gold medal tor the most points in poultry. It will be a good show. The school children get in free, and I am going to it in the afternoon. At- school we play skipping, and the boys play marbles and football. Love to all D.L.F., not forgetting your own dear self. —Yours truly, VAQUERO. Dear Dot,—l hax-e been looking at some of the flood pictures in the Witness. You must have been having very wet weather while wo were having n beautiful. We hax-e four little ducks a xx-eek old. They were swimming about in a pond this morning, much to the disgust of the foster mother hen, who xvas chicking about on tho bank. We are having our term holidays just now. We are luckier than tho Otago children, for we get a fortnight instead of a xveek for term holidays. With love from—Yours truly KIEKIE.

[I Lave p o3 ted the badge. Kiekie, and j hope you receive it safely.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —The weather is very bad up here lately. What a bad time the” people in Dunedin Jiax-e been having. 1 don't suppose they will be wanting any more rain for a while. There are some fantcrils around here, and one day one ca-nse into our house and xvas looking for little flies. They put their tails out like a fan. My sister found a fantail s nest xviih some eggs in it, and she kept it to see xvhen the young ones would come out. When they were just about ready to fly away, the cat ate them. It has been raining lier e a- lot, so we did not go to church. I like the story “Silx-er Island” very much, and I am waiting for the next Witness to come, for I want to find out if they ever found the man. Love to all the L.F., not forgetting yourself.—Yours truly, TIM (Kauru Hill). Dear Dot,- —The weather up here has been very bad. It rained all on Sunday, and cn Monday morning about 9 there were about 2ft of water on the ground, at Flaxton. There were about 1511 of water in some places, and at there were about 6ft < f water. The Ashley R iver overflowed and spoilt Waikuku Beach, a fine place for camping. There are a lot of big holes in the road.—Yours truly, FISHERMAN. [We are not likely to forget our flood experiences, Fisherman.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —We are feeding cur cows on turnips now, and they are giving mere milk. The head teacher of thi* school is going aw ay soon, and a man teacher is coming. My s-ister is rabbiting now but site is not getting- many rabbits. The school children had their txamination last Monday. Wo are separatng and sending our cream to the Waitaki Creamery. My aunty is getting married soon. We have been hax-ing lovely weather this last day or two, ana to-night it is freezing. We did not hax-e any floods here. It must have been terrib’e up there, Dot, to see most of the people ho-meless and their homes washed avay. I am glad it did not come here. Our flower garden is all weeds this year, as we have not had time to attend to it. We have two- fox terriers and one Scotch terrier. They are black and white. W© also hax-e one cattle dog. Love to all the* Little Folk, not forgetting your own dear self. —Yours truly, LAUGHING EYES (Bahia). Dear Dot, —I suppose you think I have forgotten to write, but I have been busy with exams, at school. Wo have a fortnight’s holidays now. It has been raining here for the last week, but not as bad an in Dunedin. Maureen’s playmate goes to the same school as I do, but she is in ahigher class. We were going to hax-e a concert before breaking up, but on account of the rain we lia dto put it off. Lox-e to The Sport and Maureen’s Playmate, and not forgetting your own dear self. — Yours trulv, MAUREEN'. Dear Dot, —I always read with grea-t interest the letters on the D.L.F. page, and I would like very much to- join your band of little writers. I am in Standard V at school, and am 12 years old. We have great fun at school playing basket-ball, and xve intend playing a match xvith a neighbouring school. Standard V and girls of our school used to go into Inx-ereargill to the Manual Training School ex-ery Tuesday. Some days we cocked a dinner, the others xve baked cakes and all sorts of good things, I am learning music, and have played at school concerts. My brother obtained some petrol tins, cut them up, and built a house of them, after that xx-as done he put a chimney (also made of petrol tins) and a fireplace in it. Then he painted it white, ■with a red roof, and called it Sunshade Villa. He put a nice netttig fence round the house, and I have a nice laxvn and a garden xvith x'ery pretty flowers in it. I have planted rambler roses round the fence, and they have started to grow nicely, so there should be quite a pretty show next year. We are getting holidays from school soon, and I am going away to spend them with a little girl friend of mine, so 1 am looking forward to a good holiday. Give my lox-e to all the D.L.F. xvnt-exs and keep tons for yourself.—Yours truly, MAORINA. [I hope you hax-e good weather and enjoy ycur holiday, Maorina.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —May I join your little band? I have often heard my friends say how interesting it is to write to your page. I am II years of age, and I left school last year. I think our school days are the happiest. We in Cookston are x-ery lucky compared with the people in Dunedin who have been flooded out of their homes. I saw the pictures in th© Witness this xx 7 eek, and some of them are very funny. Love- to Sxx’eet Blossom, Plain Joe, "Water Lily, A Little Hard Case, and your oxvn dear self.—Yours trulv, PADDY THE NEXT BEST THING 111. [You are very xvelconie to join us, dear, but pleas© choose another N.D.P.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —May I join your happy band of L.F. ? I always read the letters in the Witness, and I find them very interesting. We are having a good few frosts lately, but nice sunny days. We are having our examination now, and I have passed so far. I have one sister and one brother. The days are getting short.—Yours truly, YELLOW PANSY. [We ere very pleased to have \-ou join us, Yellow Pansy.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —There are quite a lot of D.L.F. about Dipton now. Verandah Fairy is coming to stay xvith us for a week. Crimson Taniger is bringing her out next Thursday xveek, and xve are looking forward to her coming, as we will have some good times. There is to be a carnival in aid of the Dipton Hull here in a week’s time. On Monday night there is to be a concert, and Tuesday competitions. Wednesday and Thursday a. bazaar, and Friday and Saturday are to be the final nights. We have our term holidays just now, but I am not going anywhere. We have just finished cur term exam., and I got 2-80 marks. Wo play basket-ball at school now, and our colour is red and th e opposite side is green. Lox-* to all the D.L.F., especially Egyptian Marigold, Daisy in the Field, Verandah Fairy, Beautiful Land of Nod, and especially j yourself.—Yours truly, NOIE (Dipton). [I am pleased to learn that Verandah Fairy is able to get out of hospital, and I am sure she xvill enjov her stay with you DOT.] Deer Dot, —The weather here ha-s been very wet, but it is finer now. We are having our first term holidays from school. We go back to school on Monday. We are- digging our potatoes now. I passed my first term examination. lam in Standard 111. There are two others in my class, a girl and a boy. Lo\-e to all L.F,. not forge Vin- - own dear self. —Yours trulv, A HAPPY BOY’. ! Dear Dot, —Wo arc noxv in our first term I holidays, which I am not enjoying very j much, as I hax-e not been enjoying the best of health. The term exams, .are over noxv I

and I cannot say I shone in them, for I only came ninth. As usual, my beat subject was algebra, in which I came second with 88 per cent. Wo are playing football at school now. I played for the Palmerston -Boys’ High School Fust Fifteen last Saturday, and we were defeated after a very even game—3—o. It was the first defeat of the season, I usually play for Phoenix, but I have only played tlnee games for them, and we have lost them all. Unlike you, we are enjoying mild weather, and, in fact, wo could not flooded out, for wo are on the highest ground about here. You seem to have a surplus of water your way—at least so it seems by the pictures in the Witness. All my old correspondents have not written for some time. I see there are some L.F. in Palmerston North. My father is busy digging potatoes, so I suppose he will be wanting me to help gather them (worse luck). Kindest regards to all the L.F., especially Tarati, Camomile, and A Blushing Maid, not forgetting your dear seif.— lours truly, INDEPENDENT (Ashhurst). [I hope you have recovered from your indisposition. Independent, and that you are once more enjoying life. —DOT.] Dear Dot,—May I join your band of Little Folk!* We are milking seven cows, and are sending our cream to the dairy factory. We are expecting the chaff cutter on Tuesday afternoon. My mother and sister are going up to Dunedin for Sliow Week. I hoar that the floods did great damage in Dunedin. We arc up on a mil, and did not get flooded out. —Y T ours truly, COWBOY COLIN. [You are very welcome to join us, Cowboy Colin. —DOT.] Dear Dot, —We are having very good weather lately. Although it is frosty in the mornings, it is always fine in the afternoons. The examinations are finished, and the term hok'days began on May 11. Isn’t the flood dreadful ? I wonder how many people have been turned out of their homes. We are high and dry here. I went to the pictures 1 2<st Saturday, and it was such a lovely day. 1 like reading, and I am reading “St. Winifred's” just now. I have quite a lot of books. My favourite hobby now is collecting stamps. I think I have a few of each country, and I am very eager to get a good many more, which I hope will not take very long. I have only 395 stamps at the present time. Do you collect stamps, Dot ? I have a new bicycle and a camera since I last wrote you, and I am always very eager to see the photos. Kindest regards amd best wishes to yourself, Dot, and all L.F. —Y r ours truly, LOVESIG-N. [Stamp-collecting was never a hobby of mine, Love-sign, but I am sure it must be very interesting.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —The weather is very dull here just now, and we have had fogs every day. It has been raining for nearly two weeks. We are having three weeks’ holidays just now, and nearly two are gone already, and we have had nothing but rain. I pity the people in Dunedin in the floods. The people of Oamaru are thinking of building a monument in front of the Post Office here° YY e have had our first term examination, an-d I am jolly glad it is over, because it was hard. Kindest regards to Stilts Kiwi Sleeping Beauty, and Pinkie, and ’all the other L.F., not forgetting your own dear self. — Yours truly, FLAN NELL FLOWER. _Dear Dot, —Wo are having very frosty weather here just now. Some parts of the country have had a rough time with the lam. 1 notice some of the farmers have not got their crops gathered in yet. All the farmers up this way have theirs in and are just doing the hay, but can’t get an early start because of the frost. There are very few flowers now, as the frost has killed them, and nearly all the trees have lost their leaves. Lie poor trees look so bare all winter, but when the spring comes I think they make up for what they missed during the winter. Love to all my correspondents' not forgetting your own dear self —Yours truly, VERONICA. Dear Dot,—l was glad to see my first letter appear in the Witness Lassie the dog, has s,ven pups, all black and white. I he old sow has 10 little pigs; she squashed one and another one died. lily mother and father came up from St. Leonards on SaturonJ’4o??d hom « to-day- My birthday is on 30th of this month, and I am going down to St. Leonards. I am reading “The Arabian Nights, but I do not like it very much Love to all the L.F., not forgetting jour dear self.—Yours truly, rA ’ BEAUTY rNn 3 , 1 .pwbably will not have another chance of sending you birthday wishes until too late I wish you many happy returns of the 30th.—DOT.] 23 ot Dear Dot,—-The floods did not harm us Lecauso we live m high country. We are getting the chaffeutter soon. My brother is con templatmg putting his dogs in the dotrials impending. We are in expectation of a surprise visit from our inspector soon. We killed our pig l a =t Wednesday We have picked nearly all our tiuit now. One of my aunties is staying in Dunedin tor a holiday. W e have started ploughing ;n preparation for next year lane to Silver Thimble, Pink Rose, ' and others, not diaincluding yourself—Yours u lily, effie bell. Dear Dot— T am 11 years old, and my n ,y ;r V," V u ; i t 7Ui ? f Mn >-- n im a.-d you like flic floods? I walk about two irdes to school carry day I have two brothers and two Sisters. My brothers’ ages are itinc and three, and my sisters’ are T2 vears and the other five months. We hot 1, our teachers at school, and'l think wo will not get any teachers as good. Love to all the Little Folk, not forgetting your own dear self. —Yours truly, KINC}' VORTIGEM. Dear Dot,—Wo broke up school on Frid-iv and reopen on the 27th. There hav e been some very hard frosts here this last we»k and the mornings are very cold. I was over at an old man’s gold mine to-day, and on my way over I saw four pukakocs They fly very clumsily, but they run very fast lhen- logs lire red and also their bill i s rod. the colour of their hack is a bluish green. They build their nests in rushes or tussock in some swamp. If « pukako is on its nest and one happens to find it the bird will run away and hide, but when you go away it comes, back and breaks the eggs. There arc two dredges up here, but only one is working. I often go down to see it working. Love to Leithen and yourself.—Yours truly, THISTLE OATMEAT. Dear Dot, —As the weather has not been looking too good the last few days we have not brought the kiddies home for the weekend. Lust night, about 12 o’clock, it started to rain, then it rained pretty heavily until II this morning, while now and again since then th*re have been showers. When we got up this morning water was running all over the paddocks, but it was not long before a good bit of it disappeared. The

| r! ■ °r and creeks are pretty high vet My brother, Pariezvous, is in the Hospital in | Invercargill. He has to go under an opera- | tion. He was supposed to go under it j last week, but we have had no word yc-t if i iie has. He will be in the Hospital tlnee 1 weeks, and there will be another three weeks | before he can come home, then when he | coma home he has not to \v irk for i three months or mote. Sulky Boots is kavi mg her auntie’s to come homo again. Pow- ; der King, who is working there, is also i Having there n:xt Saturday, and is going i ri coitiirg next Monday with father. Father | is away rabbiting now. A Highland Laddie : s been home all week. To-morrow he Is | going to start working at a neighbour's i ovcr the river. The school children are get- ! tmg their term holidays this week, so it j won t bo so quiet, as there will b e few of I ns and mother. One tiling I do miss since I I came h;me, and that is the children. I j c.o love babies. The last place I was at I wn h; '£ f:>ur kiddies, and I had them l - me was nine months old. I have I miss.a them, as I like to be in a place where | tnero are cruldren. Love to all mv con-e------1 rpondemU especially Tickle-me-quiok Mu=UrtWo"’ NN Is °' tS ’ Mummy Mon, lieathc-r Queen, The Lass that Love s a .. Powder King, A Highland Laddie IVriezvous, not forgetting your own dear s-if—-roars tiuly, AN OFFICE GIRL (Mossburn). j Dear Dot, —Tae weather here seem; to be clearing now, but they are still bavin" a bad time about the Taieri Plain ani°up north. It will be a big loss to all the farmers losing all their stock and winter feed. I go into Gore every Saturday for music. 1 like music very much. We live nine miles out of Gore, and sometimes have ■ a ver y cold drive. My sister is away just I now helping my cousin, as she is ill and j can t get help. We have a large flower ; garaen and two large orchards. Tin? weeds ere growing very quickly this weather, as tile ground is so wet we can t get anything done to it. We have a large plantation of trees, including some very large oak, larch, poplar, chestnut, and elm trees. The pou . lar trees just looked beautiful with their | lovely yellow autumn leaves. The trees here i have been planted close on 50 years. The j birds make. a great noise in the trees, j Everything is very quiet in this district just n °w, but there has not been very good weather for going out. My father and my brother lx>th play the violin, and 1 play the piano, so we can have plenty of music. We have a large number of fowls, and they will soon be starting to lay again. The wet weather has kept them book. We also have ducks and geo3e. Kindest regards to all the uot forgetting yourself.—Yours truly, HOME FLOWERS (East Chattonj. [The evenings pass very pleasantly when tnero is plenty of music, dear. —DOT.] Dear Dot, —May I join your happy band? I am 16 years old, and have left school. I gamed my proficiency when I was 14 voars md. We have been missing all the floods down here, so the northern provinces cannot talk about Southland being’ a wet, r.’iny place We often get the Witness, and I find the letters from the L.F. very interestmg. I know several L.F. who iive about here. My -sisteis and brother have their term holidays now. and so most of the work aoout home is finished when I come in from work. We have three cows here, and I do not like milking- and putting- out turnios for them. There is a lot of mud about now, and it sticks to' our boots and makes them very dirty. YVe have had some frost hero lately, and it makes it very cold for cycling to work. My two sisters are writing tonight, but I do not know what name they write under. Love to all D.L.F., especially Dimples, The Sweet Kid, and your own dear seif.—¥onrs truly;

THE HARVESTER Dear Dot,—l suppose'you will hardly remember liie now, because it is such a long time since I last wrote. We are havin’™ Wly weatner just now. but the morning have been frosty and terribly cold I am locking forward to Lady Sybil coming to stay at my place for a few days. 1 thought she would come on Saturday night, but she aid no-. Lady Hinemoa is away reading a book called “What Katy Did Next ” and also enjoying the beautiful sunshine I have started going to the S.G.H S ’since I last wrote, and 1 like it much better than the primary schools, although we do have harder .work. We get more holidays too The pnmary schools only got one Leek's holidays this term, and we "et three weeks Our picnic was held at the Moko-moko I did no go. but the girls who did enjoyed themselves. Love to all the LF not for getting your own dear self.-Yours truly -n to j. or PRINCESS ROSETTA of D D I F°v’~T May 1 J ° ln your band qUi tt V\ m B,ven years old, and in Standard 11. I have a white rabbit, and it We CNt yeS - 1 k’s holidays We have three cows and two calves Mv brothers milk the cows. We have 15 hens” but t.'iey are not laying. There is a daveii P jt bosMe our place, and ray brother u-is nearly drowned in it Lo’e i„ nil ii,' D.L.F., not forgetting yo«rself.--y"nr« 'rote SANTA CL AUS ” ’ DOIN V ”' y Welcomo to i' :in us, dear!Dear Dot,—May I become a member of your nappy lumd ? I am nearly 14 years old. teN 1 ’,' Ucnd T lh f Southland Technical College, where I study commercial work At present I have a fortnight's holidays but I am not going away from home. La-st’ ye-r I sat for a seliolarsnio, but I did not Nt J f ,ned , m .y proficiency. The weather been y brt'ter n t'Lr n | F y b «* his i«*t ireful to ihi„k e of of people who lost their homes in the flood? Soutl°Hnd nTI , wv T at N beil,ff dri « thJi Wei-r L ' ove 40 aU the D.L F H-uly! ' UI ” 3 ’ OUr own dear self.-Yours rp .. T , KITTLE MERMAID. fJ, Tn on: ’, lly ■ don ’ t thin k this place often DOT ] !k<? boaSlln " about the climate, dear.Dear Dot—Since last writing w e have Had our exam., and I got 206 marks We T. a " our holidays just now. We only nriK the cows once a day. Mv little sGfer has a pretty white rabbit. We play marbtes at school Did you get. flooded out with the fiord m Dunedin ? I have a little niece, and *ne can sav nlmost anything. Tfioi-A not many flowers in the garden just ’ now Every night we hurry up and havi a ga N of cards I did not go away anywheic rt Easter time 1 will write a longer letter next time. Best love to all the T.-'-tlo Folk trulyf° rget " y ° Ur ° Wn dear s Mf—Yours SWEET LILAC Dear Dot.,—We are having a finc fla n ? W 4. 1 r SPe ’ y the paper that you have plenty of water up in Dunedin too. We are siill milking 17 cows yet, but the place is very nniddy; We had our examination on Friday, and then we got a week’s hoiidays. I have a little brother, and he is five years old, and he is a hard case. There is a lot of crop to thrash yet about our district. Love to all the L.F., not forgetting your own dear seif. —Yours truly, CHERRY BLOSSOM.

Hear Hot, —Y\ 7 e hove been having awful ; weather, but it has not been so bad here as I elsewhere. They had pictures up here a | fit tie over a week ago for the first lime for a good many years, and there was a food attendance. North O'ogo YYintor Show is cor’ing- off in Oama.ru 0:1 the 24th, 25th, i nr . K i -Oth. I am going in on th- 25th. This | v ill ).(» the first year that the YYintor Show has b?on held in Oamaru, and I hoop it is : a success. Y\:lh love to all the L.F. and ; also yourself. —Y r ours truly, LAMBDA. | IVnr D t.— May I join your happy band of L.F. ? We haw lieen having fine weather here lately, but net long ago we had a I hood. All the bridges down the Manuka Gorge are washed away. I am in Standard ; Y J at school, and I am 12 years old. See- ! ing this is my first letter to the page I ; shall close now. Lov c to all the L.F.,' not forgetting yourself. JEN N Y YY REN ( YVa-i ta h una). [5 on are very welcome to join us, Jennv. —HOT.] Hear Hot, —Just a few lines to lot you know that I am joining with the boys ; anf f saris. I aim 11 years old, and am in | Standard IYY YYe have very wet weather ! ? llt here just now, and we had two floods | in one month. We have three hors-s, three cows, and one pig, an<l I have a fine big | white French rabbit. My brother went out I duck shooting on Sunday, and got four ' ducks and a swan. T bad toothache for two weeks so I am getting them out.— i ours truly, BUFFALO BILL. ! 5 H you please enclose your own name ; with your next letter, Bill.--DOT.] i Hear Dot,—YY Y e are having lovelv \veather hero now after all the rain. It must have been awful for the people that were flooded j out of their homes, but it must have been j exciting to watch the people going up and j down the street in boats. It is very cold ! * scro at nights now, as the sun sets early. T noticed in last week’s Witness that A | Patriot has reached the retiring age. ; I am sure her letters will be by ' all the Little Folk; but we all will watch i> r n O.YY.YY. Ho you like cats, i Lot .1 am not. very fond of them, but j we have five pure black ones, and a nice ; tortoiseshell, which is very particular. He : doesn’t believe in drinking after others. I .football is all the go her** just now. One ™ m.v mates is down at Invercargill for a hoi'day. I get a letter from her nearly every week, and she seems to be having a good time Another mate has shifted to Dun-e-din, but I haven t had a letter from her yet, and I’m waiting patiently for one. All Lie flowers the garden are dead for this year now. What has become of Auntie’s Little Companion and Piccadilly? I suppose you both have retired. There is going to be a. ball hero soon, hut as I can’t dance I don t think I will go. The- paradise duck season is over now, but there are sti’l a i lot of ducks about. Dunedin will be busy I J U "I now, as it is petting; near Show W“«k. The pictures are coming- soon, and I think I I will go. Our hons haven’t started to Jay | >' et - Hut I will be glad when they do start, | as egg 3 are always very useful. My youngest sister and I are going away for a holiday soon, and w e are expecting to have a good time if the weather keeps fine I haven’t read many books lately, as ail my spare time is taken up either in knitting or piano playing. The music I get from my teacher is very hard; the last piece I got was a march called “No Surrender,” and it is very pretty when played properly Mv father is going to kill a bullock soon. I suppose we will have fun catching it. It is not very wild, so I don’t think it will cnase us Community singing /.-ill scon be starting here, and I intend going < J-' ti e fine nights. We learn all the latest -or-s there, but the words are not one h cared for if the music is new. I have just finished making a tennis jumper for myself, a.nd it is passable. My eldest sister is also maklng one, but I don’t know how she is getting on with it. My youngest sister is prenermg for her term examination a-d it makes me feel glad I have left school. Love to all the L.F., especially Alabama, Go'den I olka, and A Bov from the Hills, ot forgetting yourself.—Yours truly,

SASKATCHEWAN. Pear Dot May I join your iiappv band of Li. ? I am m Standard I at "school, and I am seven years old. School goes in at half-past 9 now, and it is half an hour later. It has been very wet up here. It has soaked the sheaf stacks to the ground so the mills will not be able to start "thrashing for a long time. We have a Dodge oar. —Yours truly, DODGE DOT ] 3re V ° ry w<dcome to join us, Dodge. , J T\ a f L)oL—May I join your happy band years of and am in Standard 11. Jhe school goes in nt halfpast 9 to-day which is half an hour later i; a d n H US n ll -n US bsen “ainmg up here, and the nulls will not be able to start for a tew weeks.—Yours truly, rT TIN LIZZY. [1 suppose you like going in at 930 Tin Lizzie, but are you kept the half-iiour at .he close of the day?—DOT.] o f D Lfule D Fote^ ay T 1 jo m y ° Ur ha PPy Hand ot Little 1 elk r I am 13 years of age, and am m Standard VI at school. My two brothers and I have two miles to go to school We do not mind walking now it is winter time, as we get nice and warm before, we get there. The flood was dreadful down m South Dunedin, was it not? Lp here we only had heavy rain, which rq“ a f ( d th , e ;' oads - The y Had the flood in Chnstchuich too, so we can say v,-e were Li_ Cky w c ?, n '? dcrln S we live near the river (the W aitaki). I find the storv of Silver utteJNvSS' TUt of BourneviHe cocoa coupons about a ago, and I got back a lovely box of choco--ates, which we all enjoyed. Love to Pigeon Averna, and all the other Little Folk, not iorgettmg your own dear self.—Yours trulv rA A F IMS CO KISS (WaitakiL nn tbft 00 ! 1 Wa k bcfore R chool gets a glow TOT] ° ne warni for a H->bg timeDear Dot,—You and your L.F. must think 1 have been neglectful lately. This winter mother was sicY in bed for over four weeks with a bad attack of the “flu” and pneumon.n. Luckily, she is much better now and she is going to Lie country to nick up sLenjrth She is ?oing to take me with her, and fatlier will come and join us in two months time when his course is finished I have been to visit a lovely fair which is b. ld on a broadway m Pans near us. It is coded la Fcire aux Pains d’Epice,” whicli means gingerbread fair.’’ The striking feature is that most of the visitors tukS home a piece of gingerbread or cake representing a pig across the body of which the sellers write in coloured sugar any name the buyer asks. Tins fair is visited daily by hundred of thousands from all parts of Pans and suburbs. It lasts for over a month. It is a fairy placo t-o see, especially at night when lighted up There are many attractions, and it would need a lot of money to see everything More than 200 booth*

sell a sweetmeat called “nougat”—it is just about the same as almond rock, but- nicer. Many others have chance games, in which, by playing one penny you may win a bottle of wine, lib of sweets, 2lb of sugar, or an artistic image or vase, or a watch or an alarm clock; but, of course, you have to play many pennies before you win anything, if you do win at all. There are museuma of medicine only open to grown-ups; circuses, menageries, theatres, boxing halls, roundabouts, some with horses, cows, bulls, dogs, sheep, pigs, geese, ostriches, others with motor cars, airplanes, boats, bicycles, all viemg in beauty and luxury', scenic railways, a water-chute, helter-skelter, swings, steam swings, acrobats, the turning-house, a woman that sits on fire, drives red-hot rods into her body, and is never burned. It is very amusing to stand outside and look at the actors dancing and gesticulating to tempt people to go inside. The performance inside is never very long, although it is good; but one may have to wait more than half an hour before it begins, I went with mother to see some trained dogs; they acted as cleverly as persons. One acting -as a nurse dropped her baby into the river when passing over a bridge. Immediately six brave dogs put cut the life-boat and saved the drowning baby and brought it back to its weeping mother; each dog is dressed suitably to the part it plays. Two others carried out a boxing match, and the one that was supposed to be knocked out lay as if senseless on the ling. This is tire programme of the most important events: Saturday, 14th April, at 9 p.m., illuminated balloon competition. Thursday, 19th, 3 p.m., crowning of the queen; parade and official reception. Friday, 20th, 7 p.m., banquet and ball. Saturday, 21st, 2 p.m., comical balloons taking the air, one representing Jules 1, K-mperor of the Nation, and his staff;. 9 p.m., folklore songs and tunes by the Belleville Band and the Jlcckeria. Thursday, 26th, 2 p.m., dancing and sports. Saturday, 28th, 9 p.m., concert given by the Beiieviile Band, the Hunting Horns, and the Mecheria. Sunday, 29th, 3 p.m., parade of •im Fat Men of Paris. Monday, 30th, 10 p.m., closing by magnificent firework display and general blaze up. I am sorry I shall not be here to see all that, but I am just as pleased to go to the country. With kindest regards to you and your H.F., especially to Win-cna, Harvest Moon, Telegraphist, Hine Kangi, liia Ora, A Secret of the Sea, Tarati, Cinderella, Crimscn Taniger, Tea- Goey, Hick Lionheart, Caroline, Stamp Collector, Lady' Hinemoa, Leonora M‘K.ay, Pert Minx, Merry Jack, Aveita, Celmisia, O Be Joyful, A vice’s Niece, Mountain Belle, Mountain Daisy 11, Wliitburgh Hass, Shylcck, Kitty Clover’s Son, and Jean Armour. —Ycurs truly, A LITTLE VIXCENNOIS (France). ii h e fair must have been a wonderful sight, A Little Vincennois. I hope the country air benefits your mother’s health. — DOT.j Dear Dot, —We have had very cold weather. We have three ducks and one drake, also 28 pullets and 38 hens. We have a Persian kitten, and w e call it Fluff. We had our exam, last Friday. Best love to Golliwog, Ilakiura, Fisherman’s Daughter, not forgetting your dear self.—Yours truly, KATA (Halfmoon Bay). Dear Dot, May I join your happy band ? 1 am 10 years old, and in the Fourth Standard at school. My brother used to write to you, but he sent you the money for a badge, and you did not send it, so he is not going to write any mere. —Yours truly, OSCAR. [There surely must be some mistake concerning the badge, Oscar. Let me know your brother's N.D.P. and I will soon find if a badge was sent. Occasionally they go astray in the post, but your brother would have been wise to send word to me at once. Badges are invariably posted the day the money is received.—DOT.) Dear Dot,—Mother and Palm Lily are over at the bush; they have taken the men their dinner, and all the children are outside playing. The weather is just lovely down here. We haven t had any rain for a few days now. All the same, I am sitting by the fire nearly roasted. I am all tile time lighting tile range fire, and it won’t burn. 1 think I will iet someone else have a try to make it burn now, as I am sick of it. I have just been down to the cowshed after my two brothers. They caught the calf, made a rope harness for it and were trying to make it pull the sledge when I got there. Palm Lily and 1 had a water hgut this morning, teiie wouldn t leave me alone, so I got the billy of water and threw half of it over her. 1 was just thinking that I was all right when she came to the window and threw a cupful of water right down my neck. Then 1 thiew what was left in the oii.y all over her. I was chopping wood a while back, and a piece oi it flew up and hit me on the face. I suppose you can guess that I didn't laugh. It was very sore for a while, but it is better now. I don’t know what has become of Sulky Boots and Biuebell'3 Sister, they haven't written to me for a long time. I just love Witness morning. I read nearly every letter. Palm Lily and I were at the train last night, and v.e had to carry home a pear tree, but it was neither very big nor very heavy. My married sister and my dear little nephew have just come down here. My little nephew will be two years old next month. My sister generally helps us to milk when she conics down. One of our old school chums is getting married in town on Wednesday 1 got a new pair of boots the other day but my brother is wearing them to stietch them. Be t love to A Lonely Sailor’s Sweetheart Jessie the Flower of Dimblaine, Rita of Meiveen, Tom Mix, Sulky Boots, Curly Bluebell’s Sister, and all the other LF ’ not forgetting yourself.—Yours truly, ' ’ NIRVANA (Tokanui). Dear Hot, —The weather is lovely now excepting in the mornings, when it is very cocb I very seldom go to the cowshed now. I'or a while .nirvana and I did the milking, but wo soon got sick of that. Our bush is going down by degrees. I was over there I.i-day, and it was lovely sitting watching the trees falling. My brother has a very eore leg, .and he can hardly walk about. Mother was in town on Friday, and Nirvana and I kept house. We only had the two youngest children to look after. Nirvana had a cup of tea ready for us when we came home from the bush, so wo fared very well. Best love to all the L.F., especially Lady Joan's Companion, Robin Red Breast, Rosella, Calphurnia, and your own dear sell.—Yours truly, PALM LILY (Tokanui). Dear Dot,—May I join your happy band of L.F. ? Silene has always wanted me to join, so I have just to please her. I am in Standard V at school, and I will be 12 on the 21st of May. My eister w'rites to the page. 1 alher has had a poisoned finger, but it is nearly better. We are having our winter holidays just now. Cordelia is staying at our place just now, and we have lovely fun. Hid you like going to school, Hot? I do not like it much. Love to Silene, Rosella, Cordelia, not forgetting your •wn dear self. —Yours truly, SILENE’S MATE (Papakaio).

[You are very welcome to join us, dear.— Dot.] Dear Dot, —I am staying with Silene’s Mate just now. 1 enjoy reading the letters in the Witness, and 1 know a good tew D.L.F. about here now. The Oamaru Show is going to b e held next week. I .am in Standard IV at school, and 1 shall be 11 on the 24th Muy. We are having our term holidays just now. There is a n.ce story in the Witness just now. Love to Silene s Mate, Sdene, Rosella, Lucmette, not forgetting your own dear seif. — Yours truly, CORDELIA (Papakaio). Dear Dot, —It is over three months since I last wrote. My schoolmate is going to write too. Her N.D.P. is Silene s Mate. VYe have had very rainy weather up here, but the last week has been line. Our school has finished the term exam., and we aie now m high' sp.rits over the coming holidays. Did vou like holidays when you went to school, Dot? Vie had our harvest festival a lew weeks ago, and there were many different competitions, a fish pond and a Cnristmas-tiee for the children, besides all tile other stalls. Silene-'s Mate and I went, and some of the children tried the nail-driving after the competition was over, but Silene a Mate and 1 could not get a nail in with less than 12 shots, so we were a long way out, as the lady winner got in a nail in seven hits. Our Navy League essay this year is on the Great Armada’s Invasion. The Oamaru Winter Show is to be on the 24th, 25th, and 26th of this month, and the society is giving a prize for the best composition on the show. It is to bo written ai school, and it is free to all the primary schools in North Otago. Our teacher told us that any c-f us can go in for it if we think we can write a good composition, but I do not think that I will, because I am not a good essay writer. Love to Silene’s Mato and Begonia.—Yours truly SILENE. [To bo quit© candid, I really' liked holidays best Silene, and didn’t appreciate school until I wont to High School. Even then tile holidays appealed most.—DOT.] Hear L<!, The weather here has been very wet. My little brother wishes he could write to the page. My two sisters were away tor u holiday for a week. On Friday the school children and the teacher went up to a sawmill. Half way up the tram line wc gathered ferns and gave tuem to the teacher. My sisters and 1 are going to a birthday party on the 27th of May. It is getting near milking time. 1 milked two cows and a-haif one night, and was verytired. My brother end Jim’s Chum went to a dance on Friday night, and when they got ho ms it was about 4 o’clock in the morn„mg. We have stopped going to the factory because the cov.s are going dry. Our cat riruce got his paw caught in a rabbit trap three weeks ago, and it is not better yet. Best wishes to Our Little Nan, Jim's Chum, Lily Blossom, Rosewood Lassie, and Waipango Lassie, not forgetting yourself —Yours truly, WE ARE SEVEN (Ermedale). Dear Hot, —My cousin and I went to a dance at Oraki, and we arrived homo at half-past 4 in the morning. About 29 minutes after my aunt was bustling about propping breakfast. I was very tired all day, and was glad to get to bed early My cousin, We Are Seven, has been pla-min • the life out of me to show her how to do some fancy work. I have started her off, bu„ still she chatters like a magpie The weather is still unsettled, and I wish we f® d d* , f6 '' V fliledl G'B- 1 » a ed to go to school in Mataura with Grandma’s Girl. Lily of /.rana. came to see us the other day ; her sister is having a birthday party soon ’ Kind regards to Bleeding Heart, Lily Blossom Grandma’s Girl, W’aipango Lassie, and"We Are Seven. —Yours truly, JIM’S CHUM. Dear Dot,—Since I last-wrote- the weather has been very cold, and there have b-en frosts on tile g-rounj. I was at Sunday “-cacl-xl ho-uay., Our term holidays were last week. 1 was picking potatoes, and I liked it. Ihe leaves are- all falling eff the trees, they are all colours, and °seem to in aite a lovely carpet for the ground. Winter is here once again, and I suppose with it will be its sport and fun tor boys ant gins. We intend to play netball at school again tins year. I was one of the netball team last year. I do not know whether I will play this year or not, but I like playing ’-ery ranch. The boys play football at school, and some of the girls play skipping I do not like to leave my warm bed in th» morning, as it is rather cold these fvosiv mornings. 1 think it will be rain in" before long I think the ducks shot here were few and far between, though some, however secured me© bags. They seemed to be ver ’ timid, and once they heard the first few cracks they flew to some remote part wh°re very few, if any, shooters could reach them Love to all the L.F., not forgetting y ,ur own dear self.—Yours truly ° A RABBITER’S mate [The ducks soon go to the various sanctuaries once the shooting season opens A Rabbder’s Mate—DOT.] P ’ A Dear Dot,—Since my last letter we have experienced some very wet weather, but we were not in such a plight as Dunedin w of jiidgmg by what the papers said and the p.ctures in the Witness. 1 think a prvnH Although U raln P i e f , b ° left h«me!ess Although it rained fairly heavily here the--© was damage done. Some of the farmed as US the’ aV had Tot r g ‘ nning f ° got “xious, “ , " ot ta eir crops in, but they are all finished now. We are milk-in- two cows just now, but they are not givin- much milk, as feed is rather scarce. We hT had some frosts lately, but not very l ard Dancing has started again this Vaeon Hockey and football are also in foil •' Are there any L.F. in this district who write to you? Love to all the L.F., not forgetting your own dear self—Yours trulv ° AUNTIE PINKIE’E GIRL. [Had you placed the name of vour die riot at the foot of your Jotter I might We DOT ° lO anSWel y ° Ur question, dear—fT 1 / ,Po t ’T May 1 j° in y°ur happy band darf ni We am , K ; Vears aIJ d in Stan dard 111 \\ e had our examination last week and I came out top of my class We are having our term holidays this week Jto mother, my little sister, and my b rotl« are away for a holiday at Gore. My brothers birthday is on the 24th of MatEmpire Day,—and he will be seven old. I have two sisters and one brother* My sister writes to the page too. We are milking 50 cows at night and 52 in the mornnig, with milking machines. I wt to help to strip them. One mornin- the engine would not start, and we haß to° milk them, by hand We have four cats and To dogs. I was helping to pick the laat | our apples this morning. We had a bettor crop of apples tins year than we have had other years. With love to all the L F not forgetting your own dear self—Yours trulv A SPRING FAIRY [Wc are very pleased to have you join us dear.—DOT J

Dear Dot, —We have had very bad weather lately. It is freezing very hard to-night, and there have been two very big floods nere. There is heavy snow on the mountains. Love to Mother’s Only Girl, Fairy of the Gorse, A Lonely Soldier’s Girl, Little Dorrit, Twilight, and Lilac, not forgetting ycrur own dear self. —Yours trulv, FLUTE PLAYER. Dear Dot, —We are having pretty good weather. We have frost every morning now, and it is very cold, but, all the same, it brings a very good day afterwards. lam reading a lovely book called “The Empire s Annual for New Zealand Girls.” Before I started this book I was residing a book 1 called “Cousin Mona,' and I simply couldn’t leave it alone until I had it finished, because it was so nice. I am very fond of reading. Brownie Beaver was over here today, and we had good fun with her. tS*he told me she was going to write to you some of these days. My mother, who was in the hospital, is away up to Alexandra for a holiday. I hope she has a good time while she is away. My brother is home now, and he helped my grandfather to kill a calf. Buttercup and I had to help to pull it up on a thing our grandfather made so that dogs and other animals couldn’t get at it. My word, it was a monster, and very heavy for a seven months’ calf! My grandfather said it was the fattest calf he had ever seen, and we all agreed with him. Best of love to all my correspondents, not forgetting your own dear self.—Yours truly, WHITE FLEECE (Taieri Mouth). Dear Dot, —I was so ashamed of myself that I thought 1 must write, even if it is just a few r lines. Well, Dot, we were one of the many unfortunates of the flood, but we were not so unlucky as others, as we only had 2ft of water in the house and no damage done. We were very fortunate in having upstairs, where we resided for two days. J am wondering what my correspondents are thinking of me, as I have not written to them for quite a while. On Saturday last I went to a fancy dress party for children. Bluebell’s Sister went as a wasp, and I went as balloons. Neither of us took a prize for our dresses, but I won one competition, for which I gained a prize. The first prize for the dresses, which was an Indian’s rig-out, was a silver medal, and three others also received a medal. The dress which came second represented Dick Whittington and his cat; the third, a little Dutch boy; and fourth, “Autumn.” All the dresses were very good, making it very hard to judge. We enjoyed oursc-lves immensely. Love to- Silver Shoe, Queen Heather, Never Mind, Queen Esther, Human Hatpin, Sally from the Treacle Works, and the rest of my correspondents, not forgetting ycur own dear self. —Yours trulv, BLUEBELL. Dear Dot, —I suppose you think I have forgotten the page by this, but you must forgive me. My only excuse I have is that I have had no news to write about. It has been raining all day to-day. and the place is just about flooded, and one can do nothing but sit about and read, so I decided to write some letters. This is the fifth and the last. We had a big confirmation service here a few weeks ago; it was a beautiful service, and there were nearly 50 boys and girls confirmed. I was confirmed last year. My younger sister is working now; she is learning tailoring, and quite likes her work. fours truly, CAMPANIA. Dear Dot, —The weather here is horrid at present; one day it teems with rain and the next it is lovely and fine. We are omy milking our cow 3 once a day now. I see by the’■ Wit :. 2s you have quite a number of new correspondents now. I think the badges are such sweet little tilings, and make a very pretty brooch. The young men of Kio Kio have started a football team here, and they are very prcucl of it. They played their first* match last Saturday week, and they won. They did not play last Saturday, as their patron died two days before, so out of respect for him they postponed the match. Wc have also got a girl’s basketball team, and I am a member. We have dances here every week, but I do not often go; but we are having a football dance on the 31st, and we are going to it. With love to all the D.L.F., not forgetting your own dear self.—Yours truly, A GIRL FROM KIO KIO. [1 have forwarded the badge, and enclosed Is in stamps change.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —May I become one of your band of L.F. ? Last Thursday we had our school concert, and now we are to have our week's hoiilday. My father owns a piece of bush of 50 acres, and while walking through it one can get a view of a good many kinds of birds and tree s. I have a dog called Mac and a pup called Digger. We have also a kitten, but it belongs to my brother. At our school there are about 40 childien. I am 13 years old and in the -Sixth Standard. At school our chief game is football, and even on very cold days we soon get warm after playing a while. Golf is another game I see much of, because when going to school and coining* home I have J.o cross the golf links. We are only milking four cows just now, but there are IS more belonging to a man who is grazin' them on our farm, and my brother and l have to count them every day to see that none have broken away and gone buck to their old home. Love to all the D.L.F. and yourself.—Yours truly, COWCHASER. [I suppose you consider the cows rather a responsibility, Cowchaser. —DOT.]

Dear Dot, —My father lias 25 acres of linseed going to waste. We are having our term holidays now. 1 came second in my class at the school. We have two teachers at our school. There is a dance in the school next Friday. The weather here is fairly fine just now. We finished carting our grain this morning. My smallest sister got a letter from her cousin, and I got one from a friend of mine. My sister is playing the piano. We have three ducks, and I feed them every day. I had such a nice letter from Grandma’s Mate. We had a dreadful flood. Love to all the D.L.F., not forgetting your own dear self. —Yours truly BONNIE JEAN (Pareora West). [lt must he very disappointing to have so much linseed wasted, Jean.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —We have been having frosts these last two or three days. On Thursday it was very cold, as the sun was not shining, and I thought it was going to snow. It wa-s very cold this morning, but was nice in the afternoon. Can you tell me, Dot, the answer to this riddle: “A pack of wolves ran by; one was shot, how many remained?” AVe have had our term exam. AVe have finished with the chafl’cutter. AVe are only milking one cow, and she is milked night and morning. 1 am in Standard VI at school. We have only one teacher. The chill inspector was at our school about a week ago, and we played some lovely games. I am reading a book called “Three Little Maids” just now, and I like it very much. Our hens are laying very well just now. We get about six or seven eggs a day. There is a lot of snow on the hills around here. 1 always read with interest Edith Howes’ stories. Tins morning I saw a white heron around

our cliffs. It was about 3ft high. I am staying with my uncles just now, and they have a sheep farm. I have three sisters and two brothers. Three of us go to school. My sister is also writing to your page to-night. Love to Saskatchewan, Lilac, Alabama, Jane, A Pea Blossom, A Boy from the Hill, and yourself.—Yours truly, DAUGHTER OF THE LAND. [I was never any good at guessing riddles, dear, and long ago gave up trying to do so. —DOT.] Dear Dot, —We have had c, lot of rain up this way, but nothing like what you had in Dunedin, judging by the photos in the Otago Witness. Last Monday there was no school here, as the school children couldn’t get across the creeks because they were in flood. It was a lovely day to-day, and I think it is about time after all the cold and rain we have had. Has the weather cleared in Dunedin yet ? On Thursday I thought it was going to snow, as it wa-s very cold, and the shy was a funny colour. Now that the season has started fer duck shooting wo can always hear a lot of shots, as there are a good few’ ducks around here. The footballers here (second grade) played a match on Saturday, and won by 18 points to 3. The hook I am at present reading is very interesting. This morning we saw a white heron. When it was just stading still it was a little higher than a gull, but when it stretched its neck it was about 3ft high. My sister is busy learning history, and then she is going to write to your page. I saw Saskatchewan’s letter in the other week, and I had a letter from her not very long ago. We have finished with the chaffcutter. My father has his autumn wheat sown. With love to Lilac, A Daughter of the Land, Fuzz Buzz, Saskatchewan, and yourself.— Yours truly ALABAMA. Dear Dot, —I want to join *vour happy band of Little Folk. I am 11 years and in Standard V. AVe have just had our first quarterly examination. I have four sisters, hut only three of us go to school, as it is too far for the fourth one. I have a pony at Invercargill, but I have not se?n it yet. We have been staying f r a year at the Island, but we may be going home to town soon. We have to go ihrer miles to school through the bush, and by the time we get to school we are quite warm. AVe had nothing to do on the long winter evenings, so we got a game of dominoes and snakes and ladders. My sisters are alwavs playing Willi them, but I never bother about it. I am always reading a book. At present I am reading a book called “Wrongs Righted.” Lov© to all the Little Folk, not forgetting your own dear self. —Yours trulv. ZILLAH. [A r ou are verv welcome to join us, Zillah. — DOT.] AUTOS. Lonesome Lover (Raymond Lattimore, Post Office, Balclutha) wishes to correspond with Coupons for Kisses and Sweet Kid. Queen Heather (Lily Geary, Taieri Mouth) wishes to correspond with Blue Rose, A Scotch Lassie, Redwing, and also wishes The Red Rose Bud to write again. Independent (W. Frew, Watershed road, Ash hurst) wishes Camomile and Tarati to write again, and also wishes to correspond with any L.F. 17 years or over. Flannel Flower (Myrtle F. C. Jones, I token street, Oamaru) wishes to correspond with 'Stilts and any L.F. 13 or 14 years. Princess Rosetta. (Miss Ella Fallow, Kenning! on) wishes to correspond with Lady Betty, Saskatchewan. The Fool of the Family, a.nd any L.F. willing. A Frisco Kiss (May Hellambv, AVaitaki, via Oamaru) wishes to correspond with Meg's Friend' and any L.F. 13 years or over. Flute Player (Leonard Kennedy, Cosy Dell. Put ton) wishes to correspond with any L.F. 13 White Fleece (Mina Geary, Ta ; eri Mouth) wishes to correspond wilh Wedding Bells, Taieri Lass k Happy Larry, Gentle Annie’s Mate, and any D.L.F. willing, and wishes to hear from Verandah Fairy. Cowchaser (T. Rewcastle. Oiatara) wishes to correspond with A Rabbiter's Mate and any boy L.F. 13 or 14 years.