CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIII, Issue XI, 15 September 1894, Page 263

CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

Any boy or girl ivho 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 with envelope ends turned in arc carried through the Post office as follows : —Not exceeding boz, ?d; not exceeding 4oz, Id ; for every additional 'ioz or fractional part thereof, \d It is well for correspondence to be marked • Commercial papers only. ’

Dear Cousin Kate. —I have not written to you before, but I hope you will allow me to become a cousin. We take the Graphic every week, and I often read the ‘Youth’s Page.’ I am sending a puzzle, and hope some of the cousins will answer it. Hoping to see this letter in the Graphic, I remain your loving cousin, Emily. [I am glad to hear from you, Emily. Your letter is nicely written. I shall be glad to have you for a cousin, and hope you will write a longer letter next time.—COUSIN Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate.—You will think that I have been very lazy for my negligence in replying to your letter, but it was through want of ‘ the topics of the day,’ not energy. About a fortnight ago a football match was played here between (as our local newspaper said) • those who know what matrimony is and those who don’t.’ The single men won, of course, by a good deal. Some of the married men who played had never done so before, so that it was amusing to watch them. They complained of feeling stiff next day ; I know my papa did. The ground was in an awful state of mud, and the footballers would go rolling in it until soaked. Do you ride ? I like riding as well as—oh, anything ' but, of course, I get none of it. We have no horse which would carry a girl or lady, and whenever I want to go for a gallop papa has to hire one. He is always trying to get a suitable pony, but he never succeeds. The other day I was out walking with a friend, and seeing a large, white log in the distance, we thought we would go and rest upon it. Imagine our surprise when it proved to be a dying horse. The poor creature was dying of starvation and old age, and could not move a limb. However, the next day the same old horse was seen stalking, like a four-legged spectre, white and fleshless, about the paddock, but it was only for a short time. He was found dead the day afterwards, and is still unburied. The owner has no intention of burying him I hear. When do you intend definitely forming our Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ? We do not seem to be getting any farther with it. Suppose you were to name a date, before which the intended members should send to you, their names, contributions, or whatever you had meant it to be ? Don't you think it would be nice to make some rules, which the members must follow if they really wish to help and belong to the Society ? Of course you would have to trust to their or our honour to keep these rules—but I am going too far ahead. We must wait until your plans (if you have any) are better matured, though 1 think it too bad that you should have all the trouble of forming and planning. We cousins might help. I will if I can be of any use, because I suppose you have your hands full with so many letters to answer and stories to correct, etc. Can you make toffee ? My cousin and I have often tried, but our efforts never meet with success. Thetoffee weproduceisgenerally thecolourand thickness of strained honey, and isalmostuneatable. I wonder if any of the cousins would mind supplying me with a good well-tried recipe? Might they do so through your columns? Such a sad accident occurred near here some weeks ago. A young girl of fifteen years, went for a ride in the evening, unknown to anybody, to see a neighbour The next morning she was found dead upon the road. It was conjectured that she had been thrown from her horse, and that death was instantaneous, as her neck was broken. It seemed such a terribly sad thing, especially for one so young. That cruel, remorseless angel, Death, has visited the country places about here rather often of late. Yesterday a very young man succumbed to his touch, bringing great grief to the parents. To night it is so wild and stormy with the wind sighing and moaning, that it makes one melancholy to think of these things. Everything seems sadder and drearier at night. I often wish that I could express my thoughts and fancies in words or writing, when I feel so. My cousin, who is fond of experimenting, tried cousin Phyllis’ recipe for meringues. As usual, the result was unsatisfactory. She declares that she followed the recipe to the letter, but at anyrate, all the egg went to the bottom and the sugar to the top of the cake, so that it was uneatable. I think you would die of indigesiion if you had to eat my cousin’s cookery productions. Leathery pancakes and leaden scones, etc., are rather hard to digest, I fancy. Happily, we are not constrained to try. But as mamma says, * If she never tried to cook she could not become an expert at it.' Dear Cousin it is half-past ten now, and too

late to solve any puzzles, so I must stop and say good night. With love from Cousin Lou. [Your really delightful letter, Lou, has overwhelmed me with remorse that I ever, for one moment, allowed that fatally misapplied adjective, lazy, to link itself with your name. I do not see how you can complain of want of ‘ topics.’ That is a want I often experience myself, but then I have to produce a good deal more pen work than yon have. I was waiting for a few more cousins to express themselves as anxious to join our Society, and by so waiting a most * happy thought ’ has occurred to me. Will you, dear Lou, draw up a set of rules and suggest a good title, for I certainly am very busy just now. The rules should be as brief as possible, for I think we all agree our main object is to inculcate a spirit of kindness to dumb creatures. I should like the real names of all the cousins—strictly in confidence, if they prefer it—but they can please themselves about putting them or their noms de plume in the Society’s list. I meant to try the meringues myself last Saturday, but I was too busy. I made some banana buns the other day, which a bevy of ladies at a working-party pronounced excellent. Would you like the recipe ? It is my own invention. I hope some cousin will give you a toffee recipe. — Cousin Kate.

Dear Cousin Kate.—Just as I was beginning to write to you such a heavy thunderstorm came. I stopped and went into another room to watch the lightning. I would have written before only I had nothing to say.—Cousin Jack.

[I rather fancy, Jack, that the terrible ogre, ‘ nothing to say,’ is the reason many of the cousins don’t write. They can talk fast enough, but when they want to put their ideas on paper somehow the pen sticks fast in the ink.—Cousin Kate. ]

Dear Cousin Kate. — Our school broke up yesterday for the term holidays. We have got a very bad day for the beginning, have we not ? Ido so hope that it will clear up and be fine for the rest of the time. We had our Sunday School winter treat about a fortnight ago. I think we ail enjoyed ourselves ; I know I did, very much indeed. They gave us a very good tea, and after tea we had a very jolly entertainment. One gentleman read us such a funny story, something about the Ruggles family (I don’t know if that is rightly spelt, but it sounded like that). There were a lot of other nice things, but I must not make my letter too long, for you have so many cousins writing now. Perhaps the * Puzzle Column ’is the attraction. What is the Kindness to Animals Society ? Can anyone become a member ? I am trying to guess the answers to some of the puzzles in this week’s Graphic, and hope they are right. I cannot think of any puzzles to send this time.—Your loving cousin, Rose. Auckland.

[Your answers are quite right. There will be more about the Kindness to Animals Society when we hear again from Cousin Lou. I cordially hope you will have fine holidays. Tell me what you do in them. Your writing is good.— Cousin Kate. ] Dear Cousin Kate.—l have not written to you before, but I always read the cousins’ letters, and look forward every week for them with great pleasure. I am twelve years old and am in the Fifth Standard. lam very fond of pets, and would like to join the society. I have a nice sheep dog of my own, and he follows me everywhere I go. I hope my letter is not too long.—Ruby. Auckland. [Like Mary’s little lamb, which, as you know, followed her everywhere, your dog must be a great pet. Only Ido not suppose you allow him to go to school. Your writing promises very well, and I hope to see more of it. Your letter is not at all too long.—Cousin Kate.] CHILDREN’S PUZZLE COLUMN. (1) If a herring and a-half cost how many would I get for 6d ? (2) What is that the more you take from it the larger it gets ?—Cousin Ruby. ‘ Why is a town in Ireland likely to become the biggest in the world ?— Emily. ANSWERS TO PUZZLES. Answers to Cousin Carrie’s.—Correct answers are given to all three by Cousin Rose. Answers to Cousin Carrie : (1) London. (2) His father. (3) Wet.—Cousin Jack.