THE ‘GRAPHIC’ COUSINSCOT FUND.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XX, Issue XII, 19 March 1898, Page 367

THE ‘GRAPHIC’ COUSINSCOT FUND.

This fund is for the purpose of maintain ing a poor, sick child in the Auckland Hospital, and is contributed to by the ‘ Graphic’ cousins—readers of the children’s page. The cot has been already bought by their kind collection of money, and now £25 a year is needed to pay for the nursing, food and medical attendance of the child in it. Any contributions will be gladly received by Cousin Kate, care of the Lady Editor, * New Zealand Graphic,’ Shortland street, or collecting card j will be sent on application.

Dear Cousin Kate. —I have been a very long time in writing to you. We still have our cockatoo but he does not talk yet; he likes crusts of bread and apple to eat. We have a very pretty gully to play in, some of it was burnt this year but not the best part. A friend of ours has a little parrot that talks a great deal, and tells the boys to get up in the morning. I must say good-bye.—l remain, yours affectionately, Edith A. Lowe. [I am glad to hear from you again, dear Cousin Edith. I wonder if your cockatoo will ever talk ? Some do not. It is a great pity that even part of your gully was burnt. How bad the bush fires have been ! Have you been away for your holidays? If so, where did you go ? I hear one of the Wellington cousins is in Auckland. I wish I knew where. It is still very warm here. Cousin Kate.] Dear Cousin Kate.—l am sorry that I have been so long in writing, and I hope you will excuse me. I went to Auckland last December and enjoyed myself very much. I tried to find you out one day, bnt I could not. I was staying out at Epsom nearly all the time, and I did not nave much time to see you. Auckland is a fine large place, and there are many pretty buildings. I have two guinea pigs, and they are very tame. School began last fortnight, and we have fine times. There was a picnic here for our Sunday-school, and there was a large attendance. Please would you kindly send me a collecting card, and I shall try and get it full. As the cats are waiting for their milk, I shall conclude with love.—Cousin George. [I should very much have liked to have seen you, dear Cousin George. I was not away from town at all in December. If you had asked at the * Star ’ Office you would have found me. lam glad you liked the city. Have your guinea-pigs names ? Every-one seems to have had plenty of picnics. If well managed they are great fun ; the only one to be pitied is the billy-boiler on a very warm day. I have sent the collecting card, and wish you luck with it, also Cousin Norah, to whom I have also sent one. Except on paper, Ido not think you two are acquainted. It is very close, muggy weather just now, and it makes one feel terribly stupid.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate.—As I have not written to you for such a long time I have now sat down to do so. My sister Ina is staying at Otaki for a holiday. Our school started on the first of February, so you may be sure that I have plenty of lessons. We had our school picnic last Tuesday, and we went to Day’s Bay. We went in the

s.s. Duchess, and coming home the captain took us all round the nien-of-war, and then we steamed into the Fairy Wharf, where we were landed. I will send you my address so I may get my badge ami collecting card.—Norah. [Your badge and collecting card, dear Cousin Norah, have, I hope, reached you by this time, and you will be looking for your letter in print. I expect you are very busy with your lessons, yet, hard as you may find them, they are not half so hard as the worries which" come later. You seem to have had a very good school picnic. We had the Sunday-school picnic in such lovely grounds. One of the little cousins, Mervyn, got lost, and when some of the boys found him, he calmly remarked, ‘ I wasn’t lost, I was only looking at the property.’ He is nearly four years old, and the greatest fun possible. He says he isn’t 1 Cousin Mervyn ’ any more, he’s ‘ Cousin Violo.’ Did you see any bush fires ?—Cousin Kate.]