LETTER DRY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20669, 6 March 1937, Page 13 (Supplement)

LETTER DRY

Merit Cards for Well Written Letters Awarded to:— Agnes Bray, Waimate Naomi Kellie, Timaru Doreen Connor, cricklewood Joan Pemberton, Washdyke Shona Ferguson, Winchester Highly Commended:— Gertrude Robinson, Te Moana Olive Hopkinson, Temuka Nancy Maister, Geraldine Betty Howard, Timaru Grace White, Otaio Colin Hewson, Bluecliffs Commended:— Jean Milne, Mosgiel Laurie Johns. Timaru Dorothy Hibbs, Pleasant Valley May Griffiths, Levels Dear Peter Pan, I suppose seeing your name in print has long since ceased to thrill you, but to me it is a comparatively new sensation and I was nothing short of thrilled when I saw two contributions in our page With my own name at the bottom of them. Equally welcome —as the arrival of the merit cards as I have convinced myself that I just must earn 50 marks this year. We are still home from school and the other day, together with a few school friends, I cycled up to Kelcy’s Bush for a picnic. On Tuesday night I went to bed with a heavy heart and a stiff neck for we had arranged to go for our trip on the morrow and I had spent a great part of the day scanning the sky for the symptoms of an approaching storm or anything equally drastic. I awoke in the morning with an inward presentiment that something Was amiss and I was perfectly correct for it. hnd rained heavily through the night a. I black clouds skurried across the sky clearly forming a capital “R.” How Wr, we decided to brave all weather end the Bm'nous skies and ’nadirvr our bicycles with necessary gear, set off. It took the best part of an hour to reach our destination as the 5-mlle stretch of road Is an up-grade all the way and frequent halts were called to view the scenery, or, more often, to retrieve a runaway hat! On arriving at the bush preparations were commenced for a meal, for, as y-a know, cycling gives one a tremendous appetite; so after nearly everyone had made ah attempt to light the tire the tea was ready at last and we all sat down to a scrumptious repast—a real picnic

lunch. But even healthy school-girls think of other things than their stomachs, so it was not long before we were off on a tour of exploration. First we went up to the Saunder's Falls. The track was very prettily edged by many kinds of beautiful ferns and native trees. We nervously mounted the shaky ladders that ascend to the cascade and, on reaching the top, enjoyed the picturesque scene tha. lay below us.—The water rushing swiftly downwards, the path winding through the virgin bush, an occasional tree-fern towering over its tiny cousins, and the gaudy plumed birds put to flight by tne noise one of our party war making whilst endeavouring to retain her footing on a slippery stone! ■ln a moment or two we were off again along a path which terminated rather abruptly on a steep incline causing considerable dlsordet amongst our ranks. But another was soon found by our enthusiastic leader and we once more tramped off in her wake. Thus the afternoon whiled away and ft Was soon time for afternoon tea. This partaken of, another hour or so was spent in making short excursions here and there and taking snap shots. The return journey was made in record time by your Cifcllan. Agnes Bray, Waimate.

Dear Peter Pan, This is our last day of the holidays and I am feeling rather sad at leaving the farm with all its attractions, I just loved semng all those jersey cows, so much alike that I couldn’t tell them apart, chewing their cud contentedly, awaiting their turn to be milked. The "Boss” took the machines off the cow one night and put my two fingers in, instead, and to my surprise it did not hurt at all. There was just a gentle suction with a soft squeeze at the same time. I had a most terrible fright some hours after I had gone to sleep a few nights ago. I always sleep with the lower half of the window wide open and I turned over in bed, to tell my sister to stop snoring, when to my horror. I found it was not her but a dreadful dragon blowing streams of smoke ih through the opening at us! I Clutched my sister, and screamed and the dragoh defiantly replied. When the light was pulled on two terrified little girls beheld an equally scared cow trying to get her head back, which Was caught up in the curtain. Someone had left the gate open and the animals had taken advantage of the unusual liberty. I have heard of omnivorous and carnivorous animals, but what sort of an “iVoroUs” is a pig that eats tablecloths and kiddies’ underwear? I know what “Winky-Wonkey” called them next morning When she saw the damage that was done, but then! I knew calves were very fond of any wearing apparel that had been le!t around, but our own piggies didn’t seem to care for them. One of these pigs is a “Large White” and it stands as high as the fence and is fearfully ferocious to look at. I must now go to bed to be fresh for school in the morning. Best love from Naomi Kellie, Timaru. Dear Peter Pan, I wish to thank you very much for the elfln merit card and prize. What a terribly wet harvest we have had this year! Many farmers have been unfortunate, and have been held up quite a long time, but we have ours finished now, and consider ourselves very fortunate indeed, lam getting a number of classical books soon, so shall not be in want of something to read. My favourite author is Dickens. Who is yours, Peter Pan? lam riding “Polly Dora” in the Fairlie Show this year, but she has not had any training yet. We have a large crop of apples and

peaches this year, but the mischievous blackbird is having his full share of them. Eileen and I went for a swim several days ago, and had some very good fun. I can swim over-arm and breast stroke so I decided to try back stroke. For only about two strokes I was safe, then suddenly my head went under and I swallowed a huge gulp of water! I came to the surface gasping like a fish and vowed not to try any funny antics in water again! lam going to start learning dancing soon, and am looking forward to it very much. My lessons are to be in operatic and tap dancing. Our hens have hatched out a lot of chickens this year but many were drowned with the rain before We could put them in a coop. Eileen’s pet lamb is becoming a great nuisance now because he can jump out of his pen and will persist in coming around the house; so I’m afraid he will soon have to be sent up the paddock with the other sheep because he can eat grass very well. He can drink an awful amount of milk, too. Sometimes two bottles lull! Love to you and all your Clrclians. Your Clrcllan, Doreen Connor, Cricklewood. Dear Peter Pan,

I am writing to tell you about a very happy holiday I have had on a sheep station called “Meikleburn,” twenty miles from Fairlie. Our neighbour owns it and he took Mother and me up there in his car. There was a very quiet pony there and I had lots of nice rides on her. The house was in the middle of the run, with hills all around it. You could see the hills called Fox’s Peak. Four Peaks, and one we called the blue mountain. There was a nice stream of water running past the house, and I had a lot of bathes as well as paddles. I used to like to drive the ducks out of the water, just to see them waddle about in the long grass. The Manager there was very kind to me, and I had a great many trips with him when he went to the different places on the run to his work. I missed all the little pleasures after I came home, like going out tb the cows, and to see the pigs fed every morning and night. One day we all went for a picnic right up to the far end of the station, where we spent the day wandering over the hills and down the valleys. We gathered mountain daisies and musk, which

were growing there in large quantities. We took my little terrier with us and she caught and killed a polecat up there, and was a great favourite with everyone for being so good. I was very lucky to be where I saw sheep shorn for the first time in my life, also hay-making and stacking. I had some rides on the loads of hay. Then all the sheep were brought in and all the lambs were taken away from their mothers and weaned, ready to be sold. It was a pretty sight to see the sheep coming over the hills a long way off, just like little specks in the distance; but what a noise as they came nearer —every sheep bleating for its lamb! I would like to live up in the hills, as it is lovely up there. I did not miss my pet lamb, because there was one up there and I played with it some- . times. All too soon the time came for us to go home and I was sorry because I had enjoyed myself very much. Two hours motoring brought us home, and ended a very happy holiday for your little Circlian, Joan Pemberton, Washdyke. Dear Peter Pan, What a long holiday we have had. I have been reading nearly all the time. Yesterday I was given a book all about the Princesses and their dogs. The book I received at the end of the term at school was called “The School on the Cliffs.” It Was mainly about smugglers and was written by Ethel Talbot. Have you read it? Then Mother gave Bruce and me each a comic book, besides several other ‘Schoolgirls’ and ‘Schoolboys’ books so you may be sure we did a fair amount of reading. Before Christmas I was given a little ‘Singer’ sewing machine so at Christmas I made more than thirty-five paper hats out of coloured crepe paper. One day during these holidays we went to Milford Beach in our Aunty’s car and had a lovely time. We all had a paddle and then we went along the beach and gathered sticks to boll the billy and have lunch. After we had lunch we washed up and then Mother and I went for a walk gathering shells as we went. We then Went back to where David and Bruce Were. Bruce and I had another paddle, then we prepared for afternoon tea and home again. Another fine day we all went into Timaru to get our exercise books and pens and pencils to be ready when school starts again, as I Will be in Form II this year. How is Michael? Fluffy is a little jealous of a chicken we have in a basket, which had its foot hurt and could not walk. It is nearly better now and it is so funny to hear it whistling and cheeping all day long; even when it eats. It is not the least bit afraid and sleeps wrapped in a piece of fur which it thinks is its mother. We have named it “Whistling Rufus” as it cheeps and Whistles all the day. Bruce and I have some very exciting games of golf on the lawn in front of our house seeing who can get round the four putting holes in the least number of hits. Your loving Circlian, Shona Ferguson, Winchester. Dear Peter Pan, After I wrote to you I went for a holiday with my sister who lives on the Westerfield Plains. It is very lonely out there, and the nearest neighbour lives a mile away. While I was out there the water-race ran dry and we had to get water in buckets to supply the household needs. My little nephew is just ten months old and he can crawl and walk if he is balanced by someone. I was down by the Ashburton river one day, and it Was swirling down as roughly as if it were in a hurry. I did feel sorry for poor Michael on Saturday. He does get in fixes, doesn’t he? Tom seems to get bigger every day and since I came home from my holidays I notice a dif-

ference in him. Thank you for sending me the “Little Artists” Merit Card. I received it while I was away and was very thrilled with it. I can hardly believe it is Autumn now. We didn’t have much Summer, did we? But Autumn is here because lots of the trees around us are changing from green to hues far more admirable. Our fruit is gradually ripening now, and it won’t be long before it will be fruit picking season. Are there many white butterflies in Timaru. In our district there are very few to the amount in other places, but they do much damage to the vegetable gardens around here. My pet lamb, Bimbo, took a fancy for gladioli flowers on Saturday and stripped mother’s prize gladioli as far up as he could reach. He eats all our flowers and the only thing he doesn’t touch is geraniums. I hope Michael doesn’t read this paragraph because he does not like sheep now! I hope you and all the Clrclians are well. Give Michael a purr from Tom. Your loving Circlian, Gertrude Robinson, Te Moana, Dear Peter Pan, I hope you and all the Clrclians are quite well. I enjoyed reading the serial very much and was sorry when it ended. I think those sort of exciting stories are most interesting. Although we have had a little rain

lately I think Mr Weather Clerk has been treating us better, don’t you? But he is rather behind times in just beginning to give us a little summer weather now, isn’t he? At home we have three pear trees, and this year they were just laden with fruit, but they are falling from the tree so quickly that in a few days there will be none left on the tree. Mother was busy bottling some this morning. As some of them are not ripe Daphne and I picked several nice big ones out and smothered them; we are hoping that they will be ripe by to-morrow. I was disappointed that there was only one girl from England who wanted a pen-friend in New Zealand and her age was fifteen; but perhaps I will be able to find a pen-friend over there some other time. Have you ever done oil-paintings, Peter Pan? Mother has done several. I would very much like to be a good painter myself. Mother gave me a lot of pictures of royalty and I decided to make a scrapbook with that class of picture as mother thought it would be nice to keep. lam making Daphne one, too. I have quite a number of pictures of the late King George and Queen Mary in their childhood. I think those sort of pictures are the most interesting. I was pleased to hear that quite a number of Circlian had very enjoyable holidays in spite of

the epidemic. I myself had a very happy holiday. With best love, from Olive Hopkinson, Temuka. Dear Peter Pan, I am writing to you as I would love to join your Page. I am staying up at Four Peaks just now and am having a lovely time. Sometimes I go out with Bet to shift sheep, and have great fun riding the horse. A week ago yesterday my cousin Joan also came up. The pet lamb whose name is Harriet, is always having a game somewhere about the yard. Joan and I always love feeding her. The other afternoon we went qver into the paddocks and found some cabbage trees Which we slid down the hills on. Trilby, Bet’s horse, still gives kisses for apples. Often when we go outside the door she will be at the gate waiting for one. For a few days before New Year I went up to Peel Forest, but it wasn’t very fine weather. On the Wednesday before New Year’s Day we went for a walk to the Falls. It was about two miles but they were worth seeing as the height of the biggest Was forty feet. Also on Thursday we went to see the biggest totaras and pine trees which were a tremendous size. At home I have two pets, a dear wee kitten named Micky, and a bantam rooster called Peter. Lots of love, from your new Circlian, Nancy Maister, Geraldine. Dear Peter Pan. I was very disappointed not to send in a letter for last month’s letter page, but on the day I had planned to write, I became sick and had to go to bed for a day or two. By the time I was better, it was too late to write. However, I was delighted to read the other Circlians’ letters, to know how they spent their holidays and I quite envied those who were able to bathe in the rivers. I have not had a bathe since early last December, and I had hoped to practise swimming for the school sports! I spent my holiday in a variety of ways, and on very wet and cold days I learned to do some baking, and I made my own birthday cake, which I iced and decorated. As my little sister’s birthday is so close to mine, We celebrated them together and mother gave us a great surprise—a “Gift Tree!” I do wish you could have seen it for it was so pretty. I must thank you very much for the Golden Merit Card you sent me. It is the first I have won, but I hope to gain another someday. What a lovely interesting holiday you had! I enjoyed reading your letters to us, and the descriptions of the places j t ou visited. What an exciting day it was yesterday returning to school, purchasing new books and meeting fresh girls! And now for a year’s hard Work grappling with French, Latin, etc. It is strange being with all big girls after being so long in a room with little ones. I am glad I shall still be able to see the little Preparatory girls for I loved them all. With love and best wishes to you and all the Circlians, from.. Betty Howard, Timaru. Dear Peter Pan, I am so glad your letter-box is open again. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much this year, and I was so disappointed when I heard the Sports were postponed, after getting my kilt and sailor suit made; but still, they’ll come in for next time. I must tell you about our trip to Kelcy’s bush at Waimate. Have you ever been there, Peter Pan? It was lovely. We went to see the Falls. There is a lovely track through beautiful bush for a good distance and it winds round till you come to a bridge. Then

you walk up a steep place on to a platform which has seats around and you look down on the water-falls. There are three falls and ladders in between to climb up to each one. My cousin was with us and she was daring enough to climb up the first ladder. It was so nice and cool in there and outside it Was terribly hot. There is a stream running through the bush and we had to get across on stepping stones. Most of us got our feet wet and Dad was helping Mum across and she stepped on a slippery stone and fell in! Then we boiled the billy, had lunch, and went home. On the way home we got some strawberries and had strawberries and cream for tea. Lots of love, from your loving Clrcllan — Grace White, Otalo. Dear Peter Pan, I have just returned from an enjoyable holiday in town. Some days I Went fishing and was successful in catching some fish. One of the times I went to the pictures I saw “Shirley Temple" in the picture “Little Miss Marker.” The other day I went through the park where I saw the pretty flower gardens. I also went through the fernery which I thought very good. Next I saw the black swans gracefully swimming along in the pond. There were white swans, and geese and ducks enjoying the food that was thrown in to them. As it was moulting time there were feathers everywhere. I suppose when the sparrows are building in the park trees they collect some of the feathers for their little homes. This time Delilah hatched out four chickens which are growing like mushrooms. When I came home I brought some more bantams, Including black ones. I wonder if any other circllans have black bantams; if so, I would like to get in touch with them. Colin Hewson, Bluecliffs. Dear Peter Pan, I have not written to you for a long time but you will see by my address We have shifted. Although we do not get the “Herald” down here I will still write to you, as I get the Pages sent to me. I liked my train journey from Studholme to Mosgiel Station very much. The part I liked best was When we neared DUnedin is we travelled round sea-Shores, and as it was a rough day sprays of white foam were darting here and there among the Waves. I have not been out much these holidays on account of the epidemic. I was In Dunedin before the

restrictions were on, and as it was the first time I had been there I thoroughly i enjoyed myself. We were rather tired ' when we reached home, as we had three miles to walk to the station. One fine day we went up the hills not far from where we live. We climbed a steep hill, but were rewarded with an excellent view of the country side. My birthday was called over the air on Monday night, and I found a nice parcel in the mail-box. The Taieri Aerodrome is about two miles from here, and we get a good view of the mail-plane, as it comes in. Your loving Circlian, Jean Milne, North Taieri, Mosgiel. Dear Peter Pan, I am glad you had a lovely holiday. So have I. I went out to see my cousin on a farm and he let me have rides on his pony. Isn’t he lucky having a pony? I liked those rides, too. I went out to the river one day and I found some wee birds in some cut down broom. I brought them home to my pet canary, and she fed them and now I have four lovely goldfinches. My dog Patch liked having her photo in the paper last time and soon I will have another photo of Patch and me in my Cub uniform. I am a Scout now so Mummy will take some more photos soon. Lots of love from— Laurie Johns, Titnaru.