THE ‘GRAPHIC’ COUSINS' COT FUND.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XV, 14 April 1900, Page 718

THE ‘GRAPHIC’ COUSINS' COT 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, ‘ Slew Zealand Graphic,'Shortland street, or collecting card s will be sent on application.

A PLEA FOR OUR COT. Dear Cousins, —Some of you may not have seen my letter last week, where 1 ask all who are able to send for collecting cards and to try and collect even the smallest sums for our cot. As 1 said last week, the war funds have made a great difference to every other form of charity, and the “Graphic” Cot Fund is suffering with many other very deserving objects. All we can do is to persevere. It is not nice to ask, still less to be refused, but the object is so good we must not mind. I shall be glad to have many new cousins, and I think they will find we have always something extra interesting in stories and pictures on the Children’s Page now. In a short while I hope to still further improve it, and to give yon all .sorts of surprises and nice competition.—Cousin Kate. ® ® ® PHOTOGRAPHS OF COUSINS.

Cousin Kate will l>e delighted to have photographs of “Graphic” cousins for reproduction on the Children’s Page. Parents and guardians are invited to forward pictures. The full names of children need not be published if objected to. Pictures can bo inserted with the Christian name only for title. The photographs will be returned if desired.

MAP DRAWING COMPETITION

I am going to give you two very handsome prizes for the most neatly drawn map of New Zealand sent me

before the Ist of May. If you draw this map at school you may send it, or you can draw one specially. One prize will be given to the cousin over twelve and under sixteen who sends the best map. and the other for the cousin under twelve who does so. When I have decided who has won I shall offer the winners a choice of several prizes so that they will be sure to get something they will like extra, well. Mind all of you who are neat with your fingers go in for this.

THE COUSINS’ STORY COMPETITION.

1 will also give two book prizes to the cousins who send me in the best story told by themselves. The stories may be true ones of something you have done or friends of yours have done, or they may be altogether made up out of your own heads. Write on one side of the paper only. No story should be more than about 500 words in length, but they need not be nearly as long as this unless you like. Write your name and address very clearly on the last sheet of paper on which the story is written. This competition will close on April 23rd.

PAINTING COMPETITION

A paint box will be given as a prize to the cousin of over ten and under sixteen who sends the best colouring of any of the pictures in the “Graphic” till the time the competition closes. Cousinls will be able to show their taste in selecting the picture, as well as in the manner they colour it. If a sufficient number of pictures are sent in and they are of sufficient merit a second prize will probably be given.

COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCJ

My Dear Cousin Kate, —What is the mutter with all the cousins’ Have they knocked off writing altogether now? There were no letters at all this week. 1 was glad to hear that you were pleased with the doll I dressed. 1 see that there are two other competitions. 1 would like to go in for the map drawing. I don’t think I could write a story. I am longing to see the result of the last lot of dolls. Please, Cousin Kate, would you send me a badge. 1 would like to have something to show that • had joined the cousins. How much do we have to pay for them? I would ask yon for a collecting eard, but it would be of no use, because the people say that they can’t give to everything. I forgot to ask you if we could paint the maps; at school we paint the different countries different colours. As I have no more time to write I must close with love to all.—From your loving cousin Alice. Opunake. [Dear Cousin Alice, —I think I must have the second lot of dolls judged very soon now. I have been waiting to see if any more were going to come. I will send you a badge at once. I’m sorry you cannot collect, for we shall want funds sadly, if no one is able to give us a little. You may paint the map.—Cousin Kate.]

JACK’S BURGLAR. Nellie’s father was going away on a little business trip, leaving the house in the care of the elder children, Nellie and .lack. They both felt very important, ns they had to look out for grandma and the younger children. So .lack went to get a watchman’s rattle, a pistol and a hatchet. They had heard that robbers were about the neighbourhood. Grandma was fitted out with a rattle, Nellie took the hatchet and Jack had the pistol.

At the attic window a tub of water was put so that any one coining in from the roof by the window would splash in the tub. It was rumoured that the robbers put marks on the houses they were going to rob to guide them when they got ready. One morning the children found a mark on their front door. How excited they were at that. No one in the house slept that night. Nellie and Jack did not undress. There were policemen’s rattles under every pillow. All of a sudden they heard some one fall in the tub and then they heard a voice saying: “My! What made the children put a tub of water here?” “We have got you, old man,” said Jack, “and you won’t come here again.” They went up into the attic, only to find Bridget coming down, and she was dripping wet from the tub. “Why, Bridget!” ejaculated the children in one breath. “What did you put that tub of water in front of the attic window for? I just went out a minute to say goodbye to a friend and in I came only to fall in a tub of water.” The children laughed heartily. It was funny to see Bridget scolding and wringing wet. This brought the whole family down. Then Jack confessed that he had put the marks on the door, at which they all laughed again, for they had made much trouble for nothing. Nellie said: “Next time papa will not leave the house in your care.” MARGARET LAGARDE.