COUSIN BETTY’S LETTER

Southland Times, Issue 20633, 3 November 1928, Page 22 (Supplement)

COUSIN BETTY’S LETTER

MY DEAREST COUSINS, Of course this is our Kindness to Animal page, our tribute to the Animal Welfare Week that has just passed. And really, Cousins mine, I think it is a very beautiful page, and as you can see I have marred it as little as possible by trying to include only work that has reference to animals. That is why I have omitted "From the Poets,” Jokes and Riddles, Mind Sharpeners, and the weekly Original Verse. It is also why I excluded comments on the competition work, and why I do not intend to make thia letter a long one. It is your page, Cousins, and I want as much of your work as possible to be included. If I had my own way (what a futile wish in this world!) I would see that every Cousin who wrote anything at all for Animal Welfare Week would have the work appearing in this page. As it is, I will do my best towards this end by taking up the least possible room myself. I just want you to know that I thought the standard of both stories and poems was very high indeed, better, I do believe, than it has been for a long time, and that’s saying something! Little Cousin Sylvia Porteous wrote one of the most thoughtful and most sincere little poems I have ever received, I think. As for the stories, I would have given anything to extend the prize-list to those two excellent contributors, Cousins Clare Douglas and Frances Sharp, whom I’m sure would both have been successful in a less brilliant week. This page, it appears to me, Little Southlanders, is brimming over not only with love but with understanding of your animal friends; and although those Cousins who wrote on lions were not writing from their own experience!!) they did add to the variety of your animal interests, which adds to the value of the page, of course. Those of you who made your animals into talking human-beings lost marks this time, because during this week the object is to keep your animals as true to life as possible. Cousins all, I am proud of you. What more can I say? And now I must leave the precious space as I promised, after I have printed for you a copy of a letter I received for you from the W.C.T.U. ladies: — Dear Cousin Betty,—The District Union W.C.T.U. wish to thank you for your work in connection with the Temperance Essays and to express their gratitude for your work in interesting the Cousins. Would you let the prize-winners know that they can choose their prizes at Hyndman’s whenever they wish. Again thanking you for all the trouble you have taken to make the competition a success and our union desires to congratulate you on the success of your page in the Times. —Yours sincerely, H. L. BIRSS. So will the prize-winners please carry out the instructions of this letter? Our 1928 Magazine is really Begun!! Your very loving, very excited and very proud