CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XXI, 23 November 1895, Page 662

CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

Any boy or girl who likes to become a cousin can do to, 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.—We have got two little black puppies called Dumey and Buny. You ask me * why I took to type writing ?’ I did so simply because I liked it better than hand-writing, and also because I think it is a much faster way of writing. I think the * Cot ’is a very good idea, don’t you ? We were going to a picnic last Friday, but. as usual it poured with rain, so of coarse put a stop to our picnic. We are going for a picnic on the 9th though, if it is fine. I have got a very interesting book entitled * Milicent Conrtnay.’ Have yon ever read it ? I have bad a very nice bouse made for my three bantams by themselves, as I don’t want them to wander away, as they aie very apt to get lost. Our holidays start on the Ist of December. I will now say good bye with love from your loving Cousin Dot. [What species are your pups! All things are nice when young, especially puppies, but they grow up so horribly fast. I shall send you a card, Cousin Dot, as I venture to thing your saying it is a good idea sufficient encouragement. I have sketched out a collecting card, and I hope to have it printed soon. The weather has been most unpleasant for the holidays, but in Auckland those who chose the 9th fared far better than those who waited till Monday. How did you get on ? Ido not think I have read * Millicent Courtnay.’ I almost think I shall start keeping two or three fowls after Christmas.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate.—l was very pleased to see my letter in the Graphic. J enclose 6d for a badge. Please will you send it and a collecting card ! My pigeons do not know their names, as I have not had them long. We have not got a yacht, but the steamer calls in. I think lam going up the mountain to night to the bon-fiie. I went to the Agricultural Show last week and enjoyed it very much. We went around and saw all the horses and all the things in the tents. I hope it will be fine on the 9ah of November, as we will be going for a picnic. I remain your loving cousin Gwen. [I have sent you a badge, and will send the card as soon as they are printed, which I do hope may be shortly. What a pity it was so wet for the Show ! One lady said that she had to wade through seas of mud to visit the horses. Our bon fire did not come elf on the sth, and no fireworks, though a neighbour burned some lovely coloured lights.— Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate.—We were all very pleased indeed with your kind letter, and will be very glad to accept the Graphic Cousins’ Humane Society Badge for Iris. She will be five on the 14th of this month, and Cyril will be four in March. Iris pulled Cyril out of the river at the end of the jetty at high tide when a moment’s delay would have cost his life. Sylvia and I will be delighted to subscribe to the cousins’ cot at the hospital. We will soon send the money. —Fergus Dunlop. P.S.—I could send her photograph for you to look at if you would be sure to return it, for I only have one. [I have sent the badge to Iris, and she is now a member of the New Zealand Graphic Humane Society. I will also send you a card for the Cot Fund as soon as printed. Thank you for promising to fill it. I have sent you a message (November 11th) when I wrote a line to Cousin Sylvia with her prize money, asking you to let me see the photograph, which we should like to put in the Graphic. But you will receive that long before you see this letter.—Cousin Kate ]

Dear Cousin Kate.—l have just been reading about the Graphic cousins’ cot. I think it is a splendid idea, and I am sure I can get a card filled if you will send me one. I should think every cousin will help ; it will be such a good thing. Now, I, too, have a suggestion to offer. Suppose I, or any other cousin, were to stt to work and make a nice warm quilt for our cot. It could be made so as to contribute both to the comfort and the amusement of ‘our cousin.’ Please tell me what you think, Cousin Kate? If you approve I will begin a quilt as soon as possible. Can you tell me about what size it should be ? I know my sister (who is also a cousin) will help me, so that it would be finished sooner. I shall be very anxious to get your answer, but I am afraid 1 must have patience tor a few weeks, as we don’t get the Graphic till a fortnight after it is printed. I noticed your request for short letters, so will leave * kicking the boot ’ till next time if yon don’t mind. I will think about joining the Humane Society. I should like to join, I think. I wrote a story for the competition, but when I came to read it over I found it wasn't worth sending. When shall we know the result ? and will the prize stories appear in the Graphic ? After I had sent my letter I discovered that I ought to have sent the answer to my riddle with it. I will send it now.—Hoping this is not too long, I remain your interested reader, Monica. [Your letter is not at all too long. I will gladly send you a card when they are ready. Your suggestion is also capital about the quilt. I suppose it will be a pretty patchworkorsomethingof thatsort. lam afraid it must wash, as they are so clean in the hospital. I think 4 feet 6 inches long, and 2 teet 6 inches broad is about right. Yon were probably too modest about your story ; you should have sent it, and let me judge it. The prize stories will appear in the Graphic, 1 think in the Christmas number.—Cousin Kate.] •

Dear Cousin Kate.—We are having very bad weather just now. I wrote a story but I forgot to send it. I am very sorry, for I wanted to try for the prize. I am sending you some riddles. The children about here are getting quite excited over the approaching Guy Fawke's Day. All they can think of are bonfires, crackers, masks and gunpowder. 1 suppose they are just as bad in Auckland. My

brothers make their own powder, dry of coarse, and a tine time they have of it. After filling a tin with powder they light it, and the fountain of sparks has snch a pretty effect. I have a large black cat called Spot. He weighs ten pounds. I very seldom see letters from the boy cousins now. I wonder why they don’t write. I expect they are shy. There was a concert here on Friday, and while some one was singing a lamp fell over and burnt all the scenery. —I am your loving Cousin Ida No. 2. [I expect we shall have some of the boy cousins writing to ask how your brothers make their gunpowder. My brother nearly blew ns all up. I forget what be used, and he is over in Perth (W.A.), so I cannot easily ask him. They say black cats are Incky. What a beauty Spot must be. Is he pecfectly black, or spotted with white ’ Were you at the concert when the lamp fell’ Were yon frightened 1 How very fortunate that the whole place was not destroyed. lam sorry you did not remember to send your story. Will you try to collect for the Cot Fund. If you answer on a post-card it will do. Thanks for riddles.—Cousin Kate ]

Dear Cousin Kate.—l meant to write to you before, bnt I seem now to have so little time. Will you please send cousin Laura and me each a collecting card in aid of the Hospital Cot. In answer to one of your questions in my last letter I reply, Madame Cope is not an amateur touring the country, but a professional teacher of music, with a great number of pupils. There has been a large number of fires in Wellington lately. One in Willis street, which broke out in a restaurant, threatened to destroy the whole block. As it was the upstairs of two shops were burnt, and the furniture and other things, which were in the lower rooms, were completely destroyed by water. There was also one at Lambton Quay, and another in Newtown, in which two houses were burnt to the ground. We have now got the croquet set, about which I told you some time ago, and of course, as the novelty has not yet worn off, all the girls are mad on it. The Tennis Tournaments have now begun, but I will tell you about them when they are over. Our school breaks up in six weeks, but lam not quite sure where I am going for my Christmas holidays. Last year I went to Christchurch, and although I enjoyed myself very much, I should not care to live there. Last Saturday I went to Island Bay, and had a long chat with the hermit. He told us that he had been fifteen years in the cave, bnt as be also told us about six months ago that he had been seventeen years there, we are not quite sure which it is, bnt think it is something between the two. His cave is not half as comfortable as it used to be. About two feet have been taken off it by making the Queen’s Drive, and it is not half so sheltered as it used to be, because the big rocks which faced the opening of the cave have been cut down. The Wellington College held their annual sports yesterday afternoon, and according to report they went off very well. Did I tell you that we play cricket at school ’ Some of our girls are quite experts at the game. What do yon think of it ’ Do you think it is nice for girls to play it or do you think that it should be left for the boys ’ I must now close, with much love from Cousin Elsie.

[Thank you for your encouraging letter. I will send you and cousin Laura a card as soon as I get a few more promises. I have not had the card printed, because I could not tell at all how many would be required (see * Cot ’ notice). When I write that word in a hurry lam always afraid that vphen I see it in print it will have turned into • cat,’ and it will look as if we were getting up a fund to provide homes for left behind cats when people have gone away for the holidays. I thought when you mentioned the • hermit ’ before, that it was a joke, but now I see that he is a live (and lively) person. Does he rent his cave, or merely live there by permission of the City Council or Harbour Board, or whoever owns the island. Concerning cricket, I used to play myself, and would have no objection to handling a bat now, just amongst the cousins, of course, and in private. Later we played * ladies cricket;’ Ido not care much for it. But Ido not approve of football for girls. —Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate.—l ought to have written before, but I had nothing to tell yon. I received the badge safely, and I think it is very pretty. I have never collected before, but I will try and help the * Cot.’ Last Saturday I went out ferning in the morning, and in the afternoon 1 went out fishing with father. As it was my birthday today, and it was Sunday, I had a picnic yesterday. We went to Petone, as there is a nice beach. Shortly after we arrived some of us had a nice bathe. It was the first bathe I have had this season. Then we had dinner, afterwards another girl and I went out on the jetty to fish for about a quarter of an honr. We also saw the Naval's cutter race. Then we went and had tea. Afterwards we went home by the quarter past five train I must now say good-bye from your loving cousin Phlebe. P.S —Will you send me a card for the • cot fund ?’ [I will send the card as soon as I have them. Thank you for saying you will try to collect. I have not bathed in the sea yet. It has been so cold, and I have not had the chance either. You seem to have enjoyed your picnic. Many happy returns of the day ! Have your ferns lived ? It seems a little late for them. What fish, if any, do you usually catch’ Crabs’ Down South my brother caught some lobsters and left them on the kitchen table, and my cat went in and picked out the largest and ran off with it. —Cousin Kate ]