CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue VIII, 22 February 1896, Page 219

CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN.

Any boy or girl who likes to become a cousin can do so, and write letters to * COUSIN Katb, care of the Lady Editor, GRAPHIC Office, Auckland.’ Write on one side of the paper only. AU purely correspondence letters with envelope ends turned in are carried through the Post office as follows :—Not exceeding Joz, Jrf; not exceeding 4oz, Id; for every additional 2oz or fractional part thereof, id. It is well for correspondence to be marked * Commercial papers only ’

COT FUND.

Per Cousin Vera (Wellington): A friend, is; Vera Tregear, is ; a friend, is; Eveline Collins, is ; Mrs Fitzgerald, is ; Mrs Lukin, is ; a friend, 6d ; a friend, 6d = ys. Brought forward, 5s id ; add 7s : total, /■l3 12s id.

I have to thank two cousins for nice collections— Cousin Louie, Picton, who sends me ns6d, and Cousin Harry, Newmarket, who has collected 5s 3d. Many thanks to both. I know that getting money is very hard work, and I am exceedingly pleased that the cousins are doing so well. By-the-bye Cousin Louie left her envelope containing the postal note unfastened. It had full postage, 2d, on it, so the Post Office closed it.—Cousin Kate.

Per Cousin Harry (Newmarket): —Harry Jackson, 6d ; May S. Jackson, 6d ; Mrs Dunne, 3d ; Letitia Craig. 6d ; Friend, 6d ; C. Ross, is; W.H.H.,6d; Friend, 6d ; F.J., 6d ; A. Turner, 6d =ss 3d. Per Cousin Louie (Picton): —C.J., is; F.J., 6d; J.J., 6d ; R. Cragg, is ; C.R.S., 2S ; Carrie Miles, is ; G. Mills, is ; P.M., is; Louie Miles, 2s6d; J.W.M., is=ns6d. Brought forward, 12s id : add 11s 6d and 5s 3d : total, Bs lod.

HEADPIECE FOR THE COT.

I have received from Cousin Pearau a remarkably pretty design for the head of our cot in the Hospital. It is beautifully neat, and very well done indeed. It is made of canvas, rather open in pattern, of a creamy tint, and on it is worked in cross-stitch in a warm ruby tint, ‘ THE GRAPHIC COUSINS’ COT.’ Each letter is an inch and a quarter high, the depth of the design is seven inches, and the length is two feet seven inches. All round is a dainty border in cross-stitch finished at the bottom corners with ribbon bows to match. At the top are bows with two long double ribbons to hang it up by. The back is lined with ruby Turkey twill, which makes it very neat, though of course it doesn’t show. I think there is a thin board inside to keep it firm and in place. Ido hope many of the cousins will see it when it is over the cot. lam sure they will all admire it as much as I do. Bravo ! Cousin Paerau, and many, many thanks. — Cousin Kate.

‘ Auntie J.’—l felt very much flattered at receiving so kind a letter from an aunt of two of my cousins, nay, I may say three, for Henga is also on my list. Many thanks, indeed, for the two photographs. I should extremely like to possess likenesses of all my cousins. lam very much pleased with them, and think it very good of you to let me have them. As for the work sent by yonr nephew, you will already have seen what I think of it. I hope you will excuse this way of answering your nice letter, but you did not send your address, and, to tell the truth, I have very little time for private correspondence, my writing now being chiefly for press purposes. Again, many thanks. —Cousin Kate.

Dear Cousin Kate.—l am returning the collecting card to you with 7s. Since I last wrote I have been on a visit to Christchurch for a month with mother and father. The first week we spent in the town itself, and then we went up to the Hanmer Springs for about a week. We had a very happy time while we were there, as there happened to be a great many very nice people staying there the same time as ourselves, most of whom could sing and play nicely, so we had open-air concerts every evening, and one night we had a concert, and then a dance in a shed opposite the hotel. Every morning and afternoon all the visitors drove down to the Hot Springs, which are about two miles and a half away from where we were staying. After a most delightful week we had to return to Christchurch, where we stayed for a fortnight, and then came home again, feeling much

better and brighter than when we went away.—Your loving Cousin Vera. [Mani thanks for your quickly-filled card. You are such a recent cousin that I appreciate your helping the fund all the more. What a pleasant time you must have had in Canterbury. I always heard that the distance from the hotel and the rough road made the Hanmer Springs far more awkward to stay at than was at all agreeable for invalids. Fortunately, you did not go in that capacity, nor, I trust, either of your parents. But was it not very hot in the Plains ? Again let me thank you very much for the collection. —Cousin Kate.] Dear Cousin Kate.—l posted my collecting card last week, but I suppose you have received it by now. I saw my two letters in the Graphic, therefore I must not forget to thank you for having them printed. It must have been very exciting when you were trying to keep your tents dry, and I hope you did not catch cold in doing so. You asked me in your first letter upon what I fed my silkworms. I generally fed them on mulberry leaves, and when I got short of them I used lettuce. I went to hear the phonograph yesterday, and enjoyed it very much. I heard the United States Band, which was very good, and the Minstrels and Operatic Troupe singing. I suppose you heard it in Auckland, for I know it was there for a longtime. We commenced school this week, and now that our holidays are over we are expected to work hard. I have my lessons in the morning before school starts (I am learning Latin and algebra), and then for the rest of the day I teach the preparatory classes. I must conclude now, for I know you object to long letters, but I hope you will forgive me this time. Good-bye.—Yours, BELLE. Puketotara. P.S. —I am sending a few conundiums that I would like the cousins to answer. I have about 800 foreign stamps altogether. [You will see that your card arrived safely, and was duly acknowledged, with thanks. I did get cold, and suffered severely, but am all right again now, thank you. Yes, I heard the phonograph, and thought it wonderful. Next we must really invent a good flying machine ; it would be so much nicer than bicycles. School this hot weather is trying ; in fact, so is everything except lying under cool trees, reading. Jam-making is the hottest work I have tried lately. You have a good collection of stamps. I hope someone will guess the conundrums.— Cousin Kate.]

Ethel (Wanganui).—lt is all right. Do what you can. There is not the least need for you to trouble. I quite understand the situation. Only you must not do what you say, for I am sure you will have plenty of other ways of disposing of whatever you may get sometimes. It is very nice of you to think of it. It has been hot up here, though the wind has kept us from fainting ; but it has also blown off the fruit, and dried up our feeble rainshowers.—Cousin Kate.

PUZZLE COLUMN.

(1) Why is a dog with a lame leg like a boy in arithmetic ? (2) What is that which everyone requires, that which everyone gives, that which everyone asks, and that which very few take ?—Cousin Belle. Puketotara. ANSWERS. Answers to Cousin Ida’s (No. 1) puzzles: (1) His foot. (2) By making his coat and waistcoat first. (3) Wet. (4) The elder. Answers to Cousin Jack’s riddle :—New zeal and —? (New Zealand). Answer to Cousin Nancy’s : Neither ! One is second, the other third.