COUSIN BETTY’S LETTER

Southland Times, Issue 23734, 4 February 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

COUSIN BETTY’S LETTER

MY DEAR COUSINS,

It seems just a few days since the last Chronicle of 1938 was(published, but now’it.is 1939 and a new year of work and play has begun. Remember that our motto is Joyfid a New Year Resolution (not to be broken) to try and make this year a 05Zf Next Saturda^you will see the holiday letters written by my Little Southlanders, you have no" already told me about those happy days, post your entry so that it will reaC Co“lin M°y left the inhabitants of Table-top Land in the care of her Pptcv Pencil and travelled by train, boat, car, and air to spend lazy days watclnng other neonfe hard at work on the thousand-and-one things to be done on a sheep farm at this time of the year. then she realized what a busy time her country cousins musV have he whole year round. It seemed strange to wake in the morning and hea^. the biJds sheen baa-ing to their lambs, the cow calling her calf, and the wekas and smaller birds sending shrill notesechoing across the valley. But shall I teU you a secret? Our own bwd notes in Southland are much more musical and varied than those m Bay, and though I passed through miles of native bush with rivers splashing over rocky bej, I am stm convFnced that our own mountain and bush scenery is the.best in New Zealand Have vou ever watched sheep being dipped or shorn? The poor lambs look so pathetic as thev struggle out of the dip with their wool hanging damp and lank. They soon cheer up though, and nibble contentedly at the grass in the which is wafting Sr Weatherman to send a refreshing shower of rain. The shearers are skilful. and qmck, VT™ timp a fleecv coat is lying on the floor, and another sheep 301ns his shivering fellows in the pens. Maoris are the shearers—and they work swiftly, silently, and sure y a Softer watching other people work, Cousin Betty has come back to do some work herself, assisted, of course, by Percy, Penelope Pen, Isabel Inkpot, the other helpers, and, f COU WiX begJnneS week, so on Monday the boys will climb Sally Staircase, and on Tuesday the girls will come to visit me. Have you written your holiday letter yet, ' Your loving