Between Ourselves

Southland Times, Issue 21431, 27 June 1931, Page 18

Between Ourselves

Cousin Pirate: I’m sorry you had to have a sore leg in order to remember to write to me; I do hope its better, but that your writing to me will continue. I do like your letters. I’m sure you would have much better fun at home than going away on such a cold day—you’re lucky to have such a lovely auntie—docs she spoil you ? Lesley: When are you corning into town again ? Soon, I hope. Writing for the page must take up quite an appreciable amount of your time. I’m glad you enjoyed the concert. Cousin Bright-eyes: Welcome to the page, my dear. I hope you will write often, and spend many happy hours through the page. Are there any other Little Southlanders in your district ? Cousin Just Me: How lucky you are to have walnut trees that yield nuts growing so near you. Does mother pickle them? They’re awfully nice that way. Goodness me, your ice must have been ever so much worse than ours, which was bad enough! Yes, I used to like slides —once. Now I’d rather' have any other weather than frost. Perhaps my old bones can’t resist it as they used to! Cousin Mount Cook Lily: Your drawings are very nice, dear, showing ever so much improvement. Do you practice much? And which ones did you copy, and which make up? It must have been a lovely concert. Cousin Iona: Your account of your weather fills me with envy—we’ve been having frosts which I find quite terrible. I’m sure your mother will be very pleased that at last you’ve managed to put on a little weight. Keep it up. I like the idea of your Economy Fair very much—do tell me how it succeeded; it might be quite worth our while to adopt, on a larger scale, at some future time. Can you not regulate your watch so that it will not lose a minute a day? No, .1 did not receive your letter. I wonder what you did with it? Cousin Yellow Chicken: I did enjoy your letter, dear, and the interesting information it contained. How aptly you chose your nom-de-plume. I hope you escape having chilblains these cold days. Do tell me more about the chickens. Cousin Love: Unfortunately I do not come down to the office on Saturdays unless I have a special appointment, so that I did not receive your letter until Monday. Even so, if you want me to open a letter as soon as it arrives, mark it “Urgent.” Otherwise I open all letters on Tuesdays and Wednesdays—any that come after that are not opened till the following week. I hope you will be in again soon. Cousin Yeoman: What a good man you are to have about the place—l hope you have persuaded the clock that you really are a goood mechanic, and that it is giving you no further trouble. How splendid your orchard will look when the trees bear fruit —no, I don’t think that will be to their second year. Do they take much atten-

tion ? I like the sound of your apple toffee—but I’ll guess mother wasn’t so pleased about it—am I right ? Cousin Winnie-the-pooh: “Shinning” (shining) "compititions,” “shoke” for “shock,” and “nervous” all in one letter I That is terrible. I think you should take spelling more seriously. I’m sorry you lost your last week’s letter before it was posted, because from what you tell me it must have been interesting. Was it so very long? Why not v.’rite me another, just to prove that you can ? I’m not hearing anything about school work these days. Cousin Daisy: Such beautiful writing, my dear —it was a pleasure just to look at it. No, I’m not very enthusiastic about the wireless, except as a means of obtaining news quickly. But there seems to be so much static in this part of the world that wireless reproduction is not beautiful Cousin Doreen: Welcome, my dear —I wish you had joined years ago. I’m glad so many of your friends are Little Southlanders. What makes parrots so melancholy at times, do you know? Does he shed real tears? Goodness me!—fourteen cats, and scarcely a one whole. Why don’t you begin training them, and start a circus?

Cousin School-girl: That’s rather an ingenious method of threading beads—do show me the necklace one day when you come up. I’m very glad you are better again. I really don’t think you should go to the Baths just now. Yes, I always enjoy reading the Sherlock Holmes stories, over and over again. Do you know Chesterton’s Father Brown? I think you would liks him, too.