CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIII, Issue XVIII, 3 November 1894, Page 431

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 with envelope ends turned in are carried through the Post office as follows :—Not exceeding ioz, id; not exceeding 4oz, Id; for every additional 2oz or fractional part thereof, id It is well for correspondence to be marked * Commercial papers only. ’

Dear Cousin Kate —I would like to become a member of the ‘ The Graphic Cousins’ Humane Society’ very much. I tried Cousin Jessie’s recipe for Scotch toffee, and it was very nice. Would any of the cousins {send me a recipe for Turkish Delight, as I should like to have one 1 I am sending a few riddles for the Puzzle Column. I have never been to school, but mamma teaches me at home. She teaches me music, too, and I can play several pieces and duets. lam making half-a-dozen little scrap books to send to the Wellington hospital. I make them with foolscap (without lines) sewn together, and I paste pretty coloured bits of paper, cut in different shapes on the covers. They look so pretty, I thought the little books would be light for little sick children to hold while they were lying down in bed. I have a nice tabby cat, which 1 call Tibbie. lam very fond of him, and 1 have a little dog, too, named Dick. He is such a funny little thing. When a fowl comes into the garden we tell Dick to put it out, and he runs after it and lies on it until someone comes and takes it away, and he does not hurt it at all. I must leave off now. With best love, I remain, your loving cousin, Athie. Masterton. P.S.—Please tell me, dear cousin Kate, when I am to send sixpence for the badge. [Thank you for your nice letter, Athie. I laughed over Dick’s performance. I think he must be a clever doggie. I am sure the Wellington children in the hospital will be glad of your books. I call that being a really good member of the Graphic Humane Society, and I gladly add your name. Concerning the badges, I don’t want the sixpences till I get the badges printed, and I can’t get them done till I know better how many are likely to be wanted.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate.—This is the first time I have written to you, and I hope you will accept me as a cousin. Cousin Lena and Cousin Mary are great friends of mine, and when I saw Cousin Lena’s letter in the Graphic I thought I should also like to become a correspondent. Lena and I both go to the same school, and we are both in the same class. I liked Cousin Lou’s letter very much, and I also like going in for competitions. lam going to try and persuade my friend Daisy to join the Cousins’ Society. She is such a nice girl, and can play the piano very well. She and I take great delight in reading the ‘ Youths’ Page,’ and we laugh a great deal over the letters. The other day I told her, just in fun, that I was going to write letters to you, and she laughed, and said that I would uot have the pluck to do it; bnt she will be quite surprised to see my letter in the Graphic (that is, dear Cousin Kate, if you will see that it is put in), and then, no doubt, she will write you a letter also. Daisy and I are going to have a Christmas Tree at Christmas, and next time I write I will send you a list of the things that we are going to put on. lam sending two riddles and two diamond puzzles for the cousins to guess. Hoping my letter is not too long,—l remain, your loving Julia. Auckland.

P.S.—Please enrol me as a member of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.—Julia. [I hope your good example will persuade Daisy to become a cousin, when she has recovered from her surprise at seeing your letter in the Graphic. I hope you too, will ‘goin ’ for the competition. I shall like to bear what you have on your Christmas tree. Will all the cousins who want to join the Kindness to Animals Society, please say if they would like the sixpenny badges ? I will add you to my list of cousins, also to the Kindness Society. I have ventured to alter one of your riddles (1). Is it right ?—Cousin Kate. ]

Dear Cousin Kate.—This is the first time I have written to you. I have one sister and three brothers. I am eleven, and in the Third Standard. I have no pets. I had a cat. but it ran away. 1 hope you will take me for a cousin. I have no more to tell you this time, so I will now bring my letter to a close.—With love from Nellie Godfrey. Picton.

[I wonder if you were kind to that cat? Did you feed it? I should not wonder if your three brothers had something to do with its running away. Yes, I will put you down as a cousin, and hope you and all the other cousins will write again.—Cousin Kate ]

Dear Cousins.—One of you recently asked me how many cousins there are. In the Graphic for this year alone there are letters from over one hundred cousins, and there were a few last year, but I have not all the names, as someone has cut pieces out of my Graphic file. Those 1 counted up were about forty-four, which makes the number now written down in my book at one hundred and fortyfour. As each fresh letter comes lat once enter the names now. Of course there have been many more letters than this number, as some of the cousins are very good and write every now and then to me, and I am always delighted to hear from those who have written before. I hope you will all bear this in mind, and find some paper and ink and a pen, and tell me what you are doing, and how you are getting on. Please will everyone who wishes to join our Kindness to Animals or Humane Society—whichever we call it—say whether they would like to pay 6d for a badge ? They can join quite well without this if they like.—Cousin Kate. Dear Cousin Kate.—l had the pleasure of writing to you a little while ago, and you were good enough to ask me to write again. Ido so now because in last week’s Graphic you asked the cousins to say which title they like the best for the proposed rules. I like yours better than Cousin Lou’s, but if you could make yours shorter it would be all the better. Before we left England my sisters belonged to the * Dickey Bird Society,’ carried on by ‘ Father Chirpie ’ in the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, and I am told that the rules are very short and simple. I will send you sixpence if you have the little badge printed. It was veiy good of Cousin Lou to draw up rules, but some of them want altering. I suppose the object is to teach all to be kind to dumb animals, and as birds are animals, the little songsters are included. Any boy or girl promising to be thus kind should become a member of the Society and have their names printed in the Graphic when sent to you, and each have a number, so that we may see from week to week how many kind and loving cousins you have. Don’t you think the cousins might be asked through the Graphic to get and send to you the names of their little friends and companions who would like to join our Society ? I know many of our school fellows will be glad to become members, and if I ask them will give me their word that they will be kind to all dumb animals, and I expect many of your other little cousins will like to collect names, so that in a short time you may have hundreds of children’s names in your book all under promise to be kind to dumb animals. And now I must say good-bye, as it is getting late, and I want to catch this mail, with much love from your loving cousin, Ella S. F. Gill. Wellington. [Thank-you, Ella, for your very nice letter and kind suggestions. 1 quite agree with you that short and simple rules are best. Your idea of the cousins getting others to join is excellent, and I hereby beg you and as many of the cousins as possible to persuade other young people to become members of the Graphic Kindness to Animals Society, which, of course, includes birds, beasts, and fishes. I do not say anything about mosquitoes ! As soon as enough join, I will get the badge printed. At present we do not know at all how many we shall want. I like any and all of the cousins to write any time without waiting to be asked. —Cousin Kate.]