CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIII, Issue IX, 1 September 1894, Page 215

CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

Any boy or girl who likes to become a cousin can do so, and write, letters to * Cousin Kate, care of the Lady Editor, Graphic Office, Auckland.' Write on one side of the paper only. All purely correspondence letters ivith envelope ends turned in arc curried through the Post office as follows : —Not exceeding boz, id; not exceeding 4oz, Id ; for every additional 2oz~or fractional part thereof, id. It is icetf for correspondence to be marked ‘ Commercial papers only.’

Dear Cousin Kate. —Did you get the story I sent you about the Christmas pudding. I went to a picnic the other day. We went in one of the ship’s boats. We went out fishing aftqr we had had dinner. After we had been fishing for a little while the Torea came along. The people on board asked us had we caught any fish. Mr Fox said, • Yes, heaps,’ and just then the mate hauled up a spottie about two inches long. Of course everybody laughed. Soon after we pulled in and had tea on the beach at Bob’s Bay, and then we came home because it was getting late.— Belle Allen. Picton.

[Yes, Belle, your story is in as you will see. The children’s part will only hold a certain amount now that it is reduced to one page instead of two, as formerly, and, as I explained last week, something has often to be held over until there is room for it. What sort of a fish is a spottie ? I do not know the gentleman at all, at least not by that name. Once, when we were fishing in a river in England, some one upset our basket of caught fish, and they all fell into the water. Some swam away, others we picked out before they had time to realize that they were free.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate.—Will you be kind enough to enrol me as one of your cousins ? lam sending you the answer to Cousin Elfie’s puzzle. lam in the Third Standard at school, and will be eight years old next November. I have no brothers or sisters ; lam the only child. I have a dog, a cat, and a horse. The dog is so quiet, and is of a brown colour. He is a mastiff, and his name is Boss. Pussy is jet black, and is such a pretty big fat Tom cat. Daisy is the name of the horse, and she is so quiet. lam going to send you some puzzles, if you will be kind enough to insert them, for the other cousins to guess. Now, Cousin Kate, I must draw my short letter to a close, as I have to learn some spelling for school to-morrow, and I always like to get the most marks, so, you see, I am ambitious.—l remain, Your sincere cousin, Carrie Waiapu. P.S. —Do you mind me writing again when I have time?

[I can hardly believe you wrote this nice letter all yourself. The writing is too good for eight years next November ! ! Still, if you are in the third standard If you had been the lucky possessor of a nice elder sister, I should have credited her with writing it at your dictation. Please write again, anyhow, and let me congratulate myself on another cousin who writes well.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate —1 have not written to you before, but my sister has. lam eleven years old and in the Fifth Standard. We get the Graphic every week. I like reading the cousins’ letters very much. I think the Children’s Puzzle Column a good idea. lam sending answers to some of them, and hope they are right. I must close my letter now, hoping it is not too long. I see that you ask my sister to tell lazy Louie to write. Well, lam not lazy. You must not think so because my letter is short. I know you have plenty to do to read and correct our letters. Hoping you will have me for a cousin, —I am, Lazy Louie. [Yes, I have plenty to read, but I really like my dear little cousins’ letters. By-the-bye, though, some of them are quite big cousins. I think I only quoted your sister when I called you lazy Louie ; anyhow, I retract it now, or as the boys say, I take it al) back. Will that do? I enrol you as a cousin of the Graphic band.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate. —I have never written to you before. I am eleven years old and go to school every day. We take the Graphic every week. lam very fond of reading the Cousins’ Colnmn. We have a cat, it is kind and gentle, and will not scratch or steal ; but looks up into your face and almost asks for something to eat. She is a grand ratter. I have a doll, it goes to sleep and squeaks. My little sister has one also ; we nave great games with them. lam sending you a puzzle. Good-bye. Your loving cousin, Blanche, Auckland. [Your letter is dated August 12th, bull received it ten days later. What happened to it? I expect you forgot to post it, I suppose you are kind to your cat and that makes it gentle. What are the names of both dolls ?—Cousin Kate.]