“WINTER-HORRID, CHILRLAINY OLD MONSTER," SAYS “STAR OE THE DESERT."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 105, 4 May 1929, Page 19 (Supplement)

“WINTER-HORRID, CHILRLAINY OLD MONSTER," SAYS “STAR OE THE DESERT."

Dear Wendy. Yes! It’s me come back to Inrment you once again. Aren’t you pleased? I knew you would bo! (I bet you’re not). Now that I'm hero what shall I write about? Let me see. Oh! I know! Wasn’t “Just Blighty’s’’ little journey into the mystic land of “Let’s Pretend” wonderful? It’s a lovely, lovely land, I was awfully sorry when I saw that our “Meddlesome Matty” was going to leave us. We had her for such a little while. Tho’ she won’t see this, I wish her “bon voyage.” And now “Valentine La Nina” has forsaken us, too. Too bad! But —look at ail our new members! Our Aussie member, "Aussie the First," "Patti Corelli,” ’Baby Austin," and “Taffy.” Oh! And “Purs.* I mustn’t forget that important member. Then there are quite a lot of others, too. The mottoes, Wendy, were lovely, and I congratulate the prize winners. Thon the winners for most marks,'too. I offer my congrats to "Laughing Lilac" and the others. Little Elma Tree’s poem was delightful. Toor kiddie! She’s missing the playtime of her life, isn’t she? Just fancy, Wendy, we got our first mushrooms this season the other day. (“Wonderful!!** Ihear you say), but it is indeed wonderful, for mushrooms are so scarce this year. It's wonderful to think that tho Southern Cross has been found again. "Smithy” and the others seem to have had a pretty rotten time. Fancy eating snails, ugh! We'll chahge the subject, please. I’ve just finished reading Emily Climbs for about the twentieth time. I adore Emily. No matter how many times I read about her I never seem to get tired of her; she keeps her freshness and charm in spite of all. The books I abhor most on this earth are the Elsie books. Have you ever. read any of them? I forget the author. There are about fifty( slightly exaggerated) of the jolly things, each a bit worse than the last. Elsie is an angel of virtue or at least she is supposed to lie. but to my eyes she was just a hopeless prig. We used to read them at school just to see how many angelic things Elsie could do, and then we’d try and copy them. Hopeless! So “Miss Southland” is a book-worm, too. There are such a lot of those in our Hut, Wendy. I’m glad. Hasn’t our Weather Clerk behaved "bec-yew-tifully" the last few days? Almost all this week, in fact. Winter- is almost here tho'. Horrid, chilblainy, old monster! But I should not grumble for even winter has it . compensations. Winter sports and "cheerful nights near the fire’s bright glow,” In Emily Ciimbs there is a quotation from Keats—• "Magic casements opening on the foam Of perilous seas ir. fairy lands forlorn.” T like it! Well, dearest, I must, close now as it’s late.—From "STAR OF THJ DESERT," Hunterville. . Goodness me, yes, lam pleased to receive your letter, my dear. It is so bright, and so full of cheerfulness. What a happy-go-lucky girl you are. lam sure there are no dull moments while you are at home. "Just Blighty's” "Let’s Pretend" was a real inspiration. The time will soon pass, and • Matiy” will Im? with us onco again. Isn’t it just wonderful to have the grown-ups entering into our “Hut"? I hopo there will be many more, too. Mushrooms have been very scarce this season. I havt never read the Elsie books, but I-know the impossible sort of books you mean. The Weather Clerk has bjeen kind to us, indeed. However; I expect we shall soon have some really bad weather' soon. We shall have to form a Chilblain Club this winter. do you say ?—Wendy.'