Between Ourselves

Southland Times, Issue 19823, 20 March 1926, Page 22

Between Ourselves

Cousin Meadowsweet: I was so sorry to hear that your cold has not left you by now, dear. Are you trying any cure on it? Stamps do quite well, dear, when you are sending money in at any time. You seem to be doing a lot of sewing in the little clan of which you are the only member! Cousin Honeysuckle: I am so glad you like your enrolment card, dear, and hope you will enjoy your years as a Little Southlander equally well. Yes, I think you live in a very pretty place, with its beautiful hills and river, and the wide expanse of fields. I think I have been in your grandmother’s fruit shop many times. If you spoke to the other Little Southlanders in your district, I don’t see why a clan could not be formed there. Speak to them and see, at all events, as I think there are enough Cousins to form a very pleasant little clan, and that would be much more exciting than doing your sewing alone, wouldn’t it? Do you know any lady who might be willing to guide you? Give Daphne by a great big kiss for me—l think she sounds lovely. Cousin Lover of Sunshine: I think the plans you have made for the “Hilltop Clan” are very practical and desirable, dear, and it seems much better that the two Cousins you mention should join you. Do they live near enough to enable them to attend the meetings at your place? It is very good of your mother to let you meet at your home, and do you think she will also guide you in your work? I am so glad you are going to the Exhibition—there will be lots for you to write to me about on your return. Your orchard must be a delightful place at present. Cousin Kiltie: I am relieved to receive your letter, dear, as I was growing quite alarmed at not having heard from you all week. I did miss your contributions, too, and hope this is not going to happen often. I was delighted to hear all about your clan, and I like the name very much indeed. It was indeed strange that you all thought of the same name. I wonder if you are looking forward to April 10 as' much as I am! Cousin Jean: Welcome, dear, I was ever so glad to hear from you, and enrol you as a Cousin. I was glad, too, to find you so interested in the clans, and I would like very much to have one in your district. There are certainly enough cousins, but do you live near enough to each other to make meeting possible? I will send your enrolment card as soon as possible. Cousin Hazel-Nut: I was so glad to see, by your letter, dear, that you are so keen about establishing a sewing clan in your [ district. It would please me very much, if you think you can collect enough Cousins about you. It is very good of your mother to suggest the clan meetings could meet in your house, and also to offer her help and advice to the Cousins. I should say that is a most admirable plan, and one which all the Cousins will welcome. Saturday is certainly the best day, but get in touch with the other Cousins, and prospective Little Southlanders, and perhaps you could come to some arrangement amongst yourselves. Make some inquiries during the week, and tell all those Cousins interested to write to me and send in their names, so that the clan may be started without further delay. Are you back at school this year? Cousin Sunshine: I am glad you are so enthusiastic about a clan, dear, and I am sure it will not be long before we have one well started in South Invercargill as well as North. What made you so excited as you wrote your letter, dear? It certainly sounded excited, too. You appear to have made a good start with your bazaar work, and I am very pleased with your report. The birthday pennies may be sent in at any time. Goodness! I should hope you weren’t really crooked, despite the appearance in your school group, which I should like to see very much.

Cousin Dympna: You have done very well, dear, and have pleased me so much that I want you to try ever so hard to make improvements in your work. I am sure you. must have had a lovely time at the Exhibition—but remember, you have not yet told me what in it gave you most pleasure, and I should like very much to hear all about your trip from you. Will that be your first music examination? Did your father manage to get his oats cut without mishap? Cousin Jean: It certainly waa a long time since I had heard from you, my dear; but I am comforting myself with the thought that you are going to write very regularly in future. Am I right in assuming that? I am glad you are so eager to join the sewing clan, and I am sure

you Cousins will have ever such a good lime, together. I can imagine how High School must appeal to you, and really I do envy you having so many Cousins so constantly near you. You will have to win your friend over to us, and to change her opinion about us, too —that would be a praise-worthy achievement, wouldn’t it! Cousin Albert: What a lot of snaps you are taking at present. I hope the one taken of all of you is a success, and that I am going to be lucky enough to receive one. Am 1? Is the harvesting finished yet, I hope you have had no serious effects from getting so wet on Sunday. How do you like the new teacher?

Cousin Mother’s Treasure: You certainly have changed your address in a big jump, my dear! I was so glad to hear from you, and to know you are learning such interesting and artistic work. I will have to Idt you, and my other Cousins in Dunedin, know when I am next going up, won’t I! The home-sickneas will wear off, you will find, my dear, though I know just how glad you will be to come down on holiday, nevertheless. I wonder if you will be at any clan meetings down here? It wall be lovely to have you, and I am so glad you are going, to work for the bazaar, even so far away. Would you like me to keep you the stamps I generally drop into the wastepaper basket ? Cousin Gladys: Goodness me, my dear, surely your uncle must be teasing you when he tells you that the coloured picture of the “big beautiful lady” hanging in your house is Cousin Betty! I can assure you no one would ever want to hang a coloured picture of me in a house! I think you are going to have a great deal of fun and very happy times together, you Sunshine workers. Cousin Moonbeam: Well, my dear, I should think you would be ashamed to tell me you walked behind me for such a distance, neither of you having the courage to speak to me. What was there to be afraid of, I ask you? You should really be ashamed to look at me again, after such shocking behaviour—l am very much offended, and I won’t even smile at you when we meet at the sewing clan. At least, you don’t deserve to be smiled at, you must admit. I hope the girl who had such a distressing accident in the class-room has quite recovered again. What little things are the cause of most misfortunes, in the first place!

Cousin Cathleen: What a busy time you are having! Despite what you say, I would still like to join you in the stooking, as I am sure I would like it. I don’t think the sun could ever be too hot for me. I love it, and can never get enough of it.

Yes, dear, of course you can do your sewing and fancy-work at home. I can quite understand you are too far away to join the others. Perhaps you could visit them occasionally, especially when I was going to be present, eh?

Cousin Sea Nymph: Of course you are ambitious, my dear. I would not have you otherwise. And some day your ambitions are going to be realised in full, just mark my words. What I was thinking of when I suggested a “more ambitious work,” I think would be better for me to discuss with you when I see you. Don’t you think so, too, especially when we haven’t very long to wait now? You must not become despondent, my dear, about your work. Remember, I am perfectly pleased and perfectly satisfied with it, and I think that at present I am the best judge, don’t you? Remember, I have watched your work develop from the very first attempt, and you are making rapid strikes with each new verse you make. We all grow despondent at times, my dear; but such moods were sent to test our mettle, and for us to endure. Fancy talking about term holidays already, when you don’t seem to have been back at school any time at all! Your plans sound lovely, dear, and I just wish I could join you! No, I have not been there, but from all accounts, it is an ideal place for a holiday. Cousin Molly: It is so cheering for me to receive such enthusiastic letters as yours, dear, and I hope they will always be so. I should just love the orange daisies, dear, and I can assure you they would not be allowed to wither. It is very good of you to think of me so much. I have marked March 26, to keep the evening free for your concert, to which I am looking forward very much. Does you auntie come down South often? Best of luck for today, dear, and may it be the first of many happy days together. Cousin Emily: What a lot of fun you had at your mate’s home. Does she live far from you? Yes, handkerchiefs would be lovely for the sale of work. Have you Cousins in your district decided whether you will form a sewing clan or not? Cousin Buttercup: I heard from Cousin “Lover of Sunshine” that you are combining with the Cousins in her district, and forming a clan. That is lovely, and I know we are going to have lots of good times together. It is so nice for me to think that you Cousins are so eager for all your friends to become Little Southlanders, too. It does show me how much you appreciate our page, doesn’t it! Cousin Firefly: I am sure you must like having your hair cut, and I don’t think you will ever want it long again, do you? Do you really keep hedge-hogs as pets? I don’t think they are very loveable animals, and you couldn’t carry them or anything! Thank you for your contribution to the birthday fund—it was stupid to allow such a mistake to appear concerning your age. Do you like sealing the pots newly filled with jelly and chutney? It is a very sticky job, isn’t it?

Cousin Annie: Thank you ever so much, dear, for the details you have given me about your sewing clan, and for arranging everything so thoughtfully. Thank your mother, too, for her interest, and for her permission to use her home as a meeting place. Do you think there will be other girls in your district who will care to join? If it will suit you, and the weather is not too rough, I will come and see you

on Saturday, April 17, by the Waimea express, as you suggest, and I can assure you I am just as excited at the prospect as you Cousins. So name your clan, and start your meetings at once, so that your work will be well under way by the time of my visit. Cousin Doris: I am sorry that you did not enter for the competitions, dear; but the change of air would do you ever so much good, and you will enter for all the competitions you can in future, won’t you? Did you stay the week-end in Dipton, or just in that district? lam glad you are looking forward to the sewing clan meetings so much, and I hope you will never tire of them.

Cousin Lucy: Yes, dear, I have been to the Exhibition many times, and hope to be many more time before it closes. I am so glad you are progressing so well at music —what piece are you learning at present? I wonder if you collected the almanacs for mother?

Cousin Mountain Rose: I am sure the drill your merciless instructress is giving you must be wearing you to a shadow, and I will talk to her most severely on the matter. I am glad, dear, that your bazaar work is mounting up as you report, and I hope that soon you will have a clan to make it more interesting for you. I am glad, too, that you are taking my advice with regard to your literary work, and I am sure that you will benefit by it, too. Cousin Margery Daw: How lovely that you think so much of the teacher you mention. I think just as highly of her, too, though I have not yet seen her in person. I am sure you are quite a busy girl now, with all your lessons to do when you leave the train. The handkerchiefs will be very nice, dear. I will give you a drawing on a subject similar to the one you request. Cousin Brownie: I did enjoy your nice letter, dear, and with you I agree that we should be very proud indeed of the Cousin you mention. I was so sorry to hear about Cousin Sailor—he will be thinking there is truth in the saying—“lt never rains, but it pours.” I do hope his cuts and bruises are healing satisfactorily, and that he is feeling quite well again. I see no reason why you shouldn’t form a clan, dear, with so many Cousins near. You are a very good little worker, and I am proud of you. Can you make any suggestions about the forming of a clan ? Cousin Joyce: I was ever so glad to hear from you again, my dear, especially as I thought your long silence must mean that you had forgotten me. Perhaps if you told me the reason you do not get the paper, now, I would be able to help you.

Are they not delivered in your part of the town ? You are indeed lucky to know so many of my Cousins, and have them for your friends. I shall look forward to seeing you to-day week, and hope you will continue to be a member of the clan. Yes, I have read all the books of the series you mention, and thought them delightful. Cousin Monica: I am glad you like the enrolment card, dear, and I hope you will always value it. Yes, the Mind Sharpeners are very interesting, and very good for working your brains, too. Cousin Dorothy: I was so glad to hear about the wonderful interest you are ail taking in forming clans to work for our bazaar, and I am already looking forward to my visit to you. I hope you have read what I said about your verses, dear—l am more pleased than I can say, and I will look forward to receiving very much more from you.

Cousin Zoe: I was delighted with your letter, dear—l wonder if you have procured your badge and magazine yet? I am sure the photos were lovely, and am so glad the lolly stall was such a success. I will suggest the forming of a clan near you, dear, as I am sure it would be nice for everyone of you.

Cousin Sunflower: I don’t see why your amazement should have been so great, dear. I wasn’t very surprised at all! I will have to keen to my promise, and insist on Cousin Daphne’s winning a drawing prize! Your rafia serviette rings will be just lovely for the bazaar, and I am sure there will be a rush for them. I think I will have to “bag” some at once, to get in first! Your description did sound so miserable. I do hope it never, never rains again, ’specially at train times! When I was at school, there was a penalty for sitting on heaters, apart from the scorching which was inevitable.

Cousin Vyna: Yes, we must have dips at our bazaar. They are always a necessary past of any sale of work, don’t you agree? How are you making the pin-cushions? They interest me ever so much, all these lovely things you Cousins are making. It is something to look forward to, isn’t it, the trip to the Exhibition in April.