CHILDREN'S CORNER

Temuka Leader, Issue 10848, 7 May 1932, Page 4

CHILDREN'S CORNER

A WEEK lA' CHAT WITH “COUSIN MARY ANN

Dear Cousins. —1 was so pleased lo receive, such nice Idlers from two new Cousins, Margaret Gale and Mary Heaunell. AVo now have six Cousins on the roll. The weather has -been lovely this week, hasn't it? I was in Timaru on Thursday and had a wonderful time shopping. PRN’-KA.M MS Now. my dears. 1 have an announcement to make. I do not want you to write to the paper under your own name, hut 1 want you to choose a pen-name—a nom-cle-plume, as it is called. Hut 1 want you to put your own names on the loiter, so that I will know who lias written it when I am dealing with the prizes. The weekly prize of Is for the Pest letter each week will be continued, and this week goes In Cousin Margaret Cade. Margaret's letter was very well written, although Cousin Alary Scannell's letter had a linie more materia] in it. it yon cannot think of a pen-name, ! limy be able to help you. Next week's competition, besides the letter one, is for a prize of Is (id for the best riddle sent in lo (his page. Now, come on, and semi in your riddles! Another thing I want you to do is lo send me, on a. separate piece of paper, you r fall name and address, age, and the dale of your birthday. I am having some birthday cards printed, and when your birthday comes along 1 will post you your card as a present. I urn also getting some nice membership certificates punted, and will send them to you when you semi in your full names etc. Now, come along. Cousins, ami help make the “Temuka Header's" children's page a great success. Heaps of love, COCHIN MARY ANN.

TillS WEEK'S KKTTKKS 3 5 Thomas St.. Temuka, May 5, 1 <);JJ. Dear Cousin Mary Ann, —J Uiink I would like to write to yon. 1 onjoy reading (Ik; letters of the oilier Cousins. 1 have a Huffy Jitf 1c kitten which plays with a tiny hew pie and he seems to Uiink it is a mouse. When my brother goes out to milk the cow, the kitten follows him and is rewarded with a saucer of new milk. Would you please choose a suitable name for him? We shall bo breaking-up for our term holidays to-morrow, and wo are having some friends to stay witli us. so we hope to have some jolly times. Our school held a fancy dress ball, and every child who attended enjoyed the evening very much, because there were some very pretty costumes worn, and some of them were funny, too. Wo arc glad we arc coining to our term holidays, because we have all worked hard with our lessons. Would you mind giving me a pen-name, please? Your loving Cousin. M Alt GAMUT CALK. I’.S. —Middle: What is the difference between a dancing girl and a duck? —One goes quick on her legs and the other goes quack on her legs.—-M.tl. (Welcome to our page, Cousin Margaret. 1 think George would he a nice name for the kitten. 1 once had a kitten and I called him Hilly. Your brother is very kind to give the kitten a saucer of milk when he milks the cow. I hope you have a good fortnight's holiday, Margaret. Have you any sisters? 1 saw you at the fancy dress hall, as a .Mexican dancer, and L thought you looked lovely. 1 know you have worked hard this term, Margaret. How would you like "Dimples’' for a pen-iiame? Thanks ever so much for the riddle. Your letter wins the pri/.e of Is this week, Cousin Margaret.—C.M.A. i. WW»VV%VVW^^

St. Leonard’s Rd., Tcmuka, May 2, Bear Cousin Mary Aim, Although L may ho a now Cousin to yon, I’m an old one of Cousin Wattlo Blossom. I did not write to Cousin Bill because, being a gentleman, 1 was rather shy. I am very pleased to see that you are going to be like Cousin 'Wattle Blossom, by taking an interest in

our page. I am in Std. VI. at school now, and will soon be goingup for my proficiency. I hope I •will gain it, as mother will be glad, I never went down to see the Anzac parade, but mother and father did, and father paraded. I’ll got mother (o make up some wee jokes and poetry. You know, she was very good at that when we were writing to Cousin Wattle Blossom', son died and Cousin Wattle Blosbut wc all gave up when Mr Waltsotn left ns. Wo felt that parting very sad. She was so good, aml Mr Watt son was ever so good, giving prizes to us all. I non several, which 1 treasure now. As this will bo all just now, 1 will close my letter, with fond love. Your loving Cousin. MAI! V SC A Mbs’ E LG. (Yes, yon are a new Cousin to me, Mary, so I will have to welcome you to my page. I am glad you like a girl for a Cousin. Yes. you must get mother to make up some jokes, it must have, been sad parting with Cousin Wattle Blossom, after she had been with you .so long. Will you Und a pen-name, Mary, or will i find one for you? C.M.A.).

(H R S!'!({!Alj THE LADY ISABELLA (Part 111 Barbara followed bini through the shop into the room beyond. A lit lie dark room if was, with its sollary window opened wide lo calcb any cool breeze which might, blow that way. In the corner by (be window was a single bod: two or three chairs, a small table, and a sideboard on which was arranged all the old lady's best china, completed the furnishings of the room. The table stood next to the bed and always, winter and summer, it held a vase of llowers. Old Man Marvel saw lo that! And for two years, winter and summer, day and night, Granny Marvel had lived in that room, never leaving her bed. The district nurse came every morning and fixed her for the- day, A neighbour, for a small sum. supplied them with a hot dinner each day. ami Mr .Marvel did everything else himself. Barbara was a. well-loved and favourite visitor, and Granny Marvel’s hot, tired face brightened into a smile as the chi! Id came to her bedside. "Hulloa, Granny,” said Barbara, imy-inning on what she knew to be the old lady’s favourite subject, "tiu the Lady Isabella hasn’t gone to her aris—aris-to-cratic home yet.” "No, indeed,” said Mrs Marvel, who, with her white hair and faded bine eyes, might almost have been taken for Mr Marvel’s sister. “Someone looked at her 10-day Babs, but they said 2 2/(1 was too much for her. Father, here, came and asked me whether we’d let her go for a £1” She gave a reproachful but loving glance at her husband. "Oh, what did you say?” gasped Barbarba. If the Lady Isabella were to go—here grey eyes lilled with tears. The old lady drew herself up proudly. “1 said not for £2O should siie go to anyone who grudged the money for her —but, of course, father didn't tell them that.” Her bine eyes twinkled. Barbara looked enormously relieved. “I’ll die if anyone buys her,” she asserted solemnly. "But it will bo forty-live years before I can buy her myself, and then p'raps I’ll be too old for dolls. My little girls would love her, though, wouldn’t they?” "Forty-five years!” gasped the old couple. "Yes, You see, I get about three pennies to spend in six months — that's sixpence a year, and it Lakes foriy-fivc sixpences to make 22s (id. Bat, as long as she's here. 1 don't mind, ’cos I can love her through the window, and sometimes yon dear darlings let me hold her in my arms. To Barbara, the Lady Isabella meant all the beauty she had never known, and from Granny Marvel she had received her only mothering. Life with her uncle ami aunt was not exactly happy; they were good to her in their own way, but their way was not Granny Marvel’s way, Barbara’s home was full of quarrels from morning till nig.it—the Marvels’ life together was one ot harmony and love, and Barbara, fell, happy and at peace in this little dark room. She had shaved deeply in the old man's grief when Granny had the stroke which had made her bod-ridden, and it wa.s then that the Lady Isabella bad come lo mean so much to the little girl who had never had anything of her own to love and to the old woman whose brain was beginning to lose its keenness. Granny had always loved dressing the dolls for the shop and she had been about lo