IMPORTANT NOTICE TO COUSINS.

New Zealand Graphic, 1 July 1899, Page 30

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO COUSINS.

A POOR LITTLE CHAP IN THE “GRAPHIC” COT.

SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW MORE WELCOME THAN EVER.

My Dear Cousins, —1 have to inform you of the news that there is now a poor little manikin in the cot suffering from eye trouble. Poor little mite! He is only four years of age, and his case is likely to prove a very long one. This means it will cost a lot of money, so we will need all the subscriptions we can get in. Now, my clear lads and lasses, think how awful it is to have anything wrong with your eyes, think of how happy, how fortunate you are in being well, and able to enjoy the matchless privileges of sight, able to look at the blue of the sky and sea, and to see the flowers and all the beautiful and interesting things that surround us. Then think of our poor little Cousin John in the hospital, suffering and unable to enjoy one of these delights, which have become so common to you that you forget to think of them. I am sure if you do you will get a lump in your throat and feel you would do anything for him. Can you not collect a little for the cot, then? and perhaps make some picture books, or a little dressing gown, or frock for when he is better. Make it out of flannelette or any inexpensive material, and to encourage you I will offer A PRIZE of Five Shillings for the best little frock sent in by a Cousin before the Ist of August. You need not have made it yourself, only helped a little perhaps. The prize frock will go to the Cousin in the cot, and the others will either be returned to the senders, or. if they will let me, I will give them to other poor little boys or girls who are also in want. • • • COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE. Cousin Lou (Cambridge).—l have a long letter from cousin Lou, who says she is too old to be a cousin now, but loves to hear of all the cousins and to read their letters.

Cousin Lou can remain a cousin just as long as ever she likes, but she will not of course enter for competitions. Her letter is most charming, only alas! it is written on both sides of the paper, so I cannot print it. ® ® ® Dear Cousin Kate, —Thanks for your kind letter. I suppose you think I have forgotten all about you, but I have not. What with illness, holidays, and exams. I have had no time. I have a poor invalid sister who is unable to walk, but with all her sufferings she is so patient and never grumbles, that everyone loves her. I spend a great deal of time amusing her. It is so terrible to think that no one can cure her. Father has been dangerously ill with blood-poisoning, but is quite well again now. I went to Puketeraki and Moeraki for my holidays, and . I enjoyed myself immensely. I still wear my badge, and have filled my card. I will only be able to have a card now and again, as father does not allow me to ask friends for money. I intend to try hard to win a competition, as a little pocket money would be excessively welcome. ■ I am getting up a Christmas tree as a surprise for my invalid sister's birthday. In my next letter I will tell you the result of the Christmas tree. I am sending sevenpence. Will you be so kind as to send me the “Graphic” in which this letter is published. I must now stop, as it is getting late.—l remain, yours sincerely, Cousin Aimee. Upper Cargillstreet, June 1899.

[Dear Aimee. —By a mistake your letter has been very much delayed. It came one day when 1 was very busy and anxious not to lose it, more particularly as it contained money. I locked it up, and I am sorry to say forgot all about it. I came across it last week just too late to answer properly, so merely put in a very short note, saying I had received the money. I hope you will forgive me. Wfite again soon.— Cousin Kate.] • • • Dear Cousin Kate, —I now write you this short letter to tell you how I am getting on. Dear Cousin Kate I am still going to the’ Convent School, and I am in the fifth standard. We are going to have a social in the Sydneystreet schoolroom on the 7th of June in aid of the building of our new church that was burned some time ago. They have not yet started to build it, but the foundation stone is to be laid in eight weeks’ time. Dear Cousin Kate, I have still got my badge. I am going to try and get a prize. We had a holiday to-day, so I thought I would write. I must now close, wishing love to all the cousins and to yourself.—From Cousin Maggie (aged 11). [Many thanks, Cousin Maggie, for your nice little letter. You seem to be getting along famously at school. I hear the new church is to be a lovely one. There is a little child in the cot just now. Can you collect anything for him ? I hope you will try.— Cousin Kate.] • • • Dear Cousin Kate, —I should like very much to become a cousin. I am nine years old, and in the second standard. I have a little football, size 2. I learn the piano, and the last tune I learnt was the “Blue Bells of Scotland.” My sister has a very large cat which weighs over twelve pounds. My brother has a little foxterrier pup. We bath it very often.— I remain, Cousin George. Cambridge, June 17, 1898. [I am very glad to welcome you as a cousin, dear little Georgie. It is lovely to have a football, is it not? You ought to be a grand player when you grow up I should thirtk, for you are beginning so young. Your sister’s cat must be huge. What does she call it? It must be rather cold

for bathing the little pup now I should say.—Cousin Kate.] • • • Dear Cousin Kate, —I am writing to know if 1 may be a cousin, because my sister Phoebe is a cousin. I am eleven years old, and in the fourth standard at the Terrace School. Our class has a fine football team, and my place is three-quarter back. We have played a few matches against other schools. I go for a swim every morning, and sometimes find the water pretty cold.—Cousin Bob. Tinakori Road, Wellington. [Certainly, Bob, I shall be very pleased to have you as a cousin. You will see from time to time that there are many footballers amongst the boy cousins. We shall have to get up a cousins’ “ rep ’ team one of these fine days and go out and defeat all the school teams in New Zealand. I am sending you a badge and a card, and hope you will collect for the poor little one in the cot.—Cousin Kate.] • • • Dear Cousin Kate, —Many thanks for your encouraging remarks appended to my last letter. I went to St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral last night (Sunday). The music was very good, in fact, St. Paul’s choir has the reputation of being one of the best in Wellington. Mr Douglas Jackson sang a solo before the sermon, which I enjoyed very much. He has a splendid voice, only it is to my thinking hardly sympathetic enough. After the service, as the congregation filed slowly out, the organist played a voluntary. He plays splendidly, and whilst he plays one gets quite entranced, and is only brought back with a start to this work-a-day humdrum life as the organist crashes out a few heavy chords towards the finale. We have now a University in Wellington. The classes are being held in the Girls’ High School until tne committee decide upon a site for the building. The Wellington gaol, Mt. Cook site, was suggested, but, however, was found not to be in the least bit serviceable. Then the Ministerial residence in Tinakori Road was also suggested, but was found to be too small, so where they will eventually settle down is rather a puzzle to everybody. There are four Professors, who have been brought, out from Home. The classes are held every evening from 6 to 10 o’clock. I think it would be much better if the hours could be arranged so that the classes could be held either in the morning or afternoon, because it stands to reason that one could work much better when one is fresh. The students had a social a short time ago to welcome the Professors, which was a great success. The Parliamentary Buildings are beginning to look a bit more shipshape. The library, committeerooms, etc., which are now being added to the old building, are being built in brick. The structure is only two stories high, not three as was intended in the original plan. I will try and describe it to you. The style is Gothic. The front of the building faces Molesworth-street. In the centre of it is a large vestibule, with a flight of steps leading up to it, in the left-hand corner of which is a bicycle-stand for the convenience of members. In the right is the main entrance, which opens into the hall. A door at the left as you go in is the waiting-room, where if you wish to see a member you go in and write a note, and give it to the orderly, who sends it to the member to whom it is addressed. At the right of the lobby is a long flight of stairs, which leads to the ladies’ gallery, commit-tee-rooms. etc. At each side of the porch or vestibule, at the right and left of the steps, are two peaked wings jutting slightly out. which are highly ornamented with tracery and carving. They are getting on very fast now. men working both night and day to complete the building against the opening of Parliament. There was a serious accident last week, in which four men narrowly escaped being killed. They were painting the side of the building abutting on Hillstreet. and were upon a plank about 20ft. above the ground, when it slipped off the bracket, and the four men. all losing their balance, fell. One had his leg broken, another got a nasty cut on his forehead, the third coming off with a broken wrist, whilst the fourth escaped with a few

scratches. The lawn in front of the building, which was the chief beauty of the grounds, is almost completely -'destroyed with the heavy loads that have (Missed over it. It will all have to be re-turfed before it will assume anything of its former beauty. The statue of Mr Ballance looks very dismal and neglected among the debris. With love from Cousin Elsie, Hill-street. Wellington, June 12, . -.99. [Dear Elsie, —I am indeed grateful to have so long and so capital a letter. You are certainly a very good descriptive writer indeed, and you ought to cultivate the talent you possess in this direction carefully. I am sure you will excuse a short answer again, but as you will see I have taken much more than my usual space already.—Cousin Kate.]