CHILDREN'S PAGE

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XX, 19 May 1900, Page 958

CHILDREN'S PAGE

CHILDREN’S CORRESPONDENCE COLUMN. Any boy or girl who likes to become a cousir. 3an do so, and write letters to ‘Co isin Kate, mre of the Lady Editor, ‘Graphic Office, Auckland. Write on one side of the paper only. All purely correspondence letters with en elope ends turned in arc carried through the Post Office as follows:—Not exceeding joz. Ad; not exceeding 4oz, Id ; for every additional 2oz or fractional part thereof, id. It is well for correspondence to be marked ‘ Manuscript only.’ Please note, dear cousins, that all letters addressed to Cousin Kate must now bear the words ‘ Press Manuscript only. If so marked, and the (lap turned in, and not overweight, they will come for a id stamp in Auckland, but a Id from every other place. 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 * (Iraphic ’ 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 cardy will be sent on ap, - '>ation. PHOTOGRAPHS OF COUSINS. Cousin Kate will be 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 The full names of children need not be published if objected to.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 be inserted with the Christian name only for title. The photographs will be returned if desired. PAINTING COMPETITI ON. Pear Cousins, you had better hurry with your painting competitions. All vou have to-do is to cut out and colour imv picture you like from any number of the "Graphic." It does not. matter how old a one it is. You may colour it in chalks or paint. Wife you name on a piece of paper and pin it to the picture and send to me before May 30, 1000. MORE ABOUT PAST WEEK’S PRIZES. Dear Cousins,—l expeet most of yon will like to know what were the prizes I awarded in the competitions which closed last week. First of all, I must tell yon that Cousin Eva Cozens, who won the first prize for a map so cleverly, called on me with tier father when she beard she had won the prize. Iler father was most delighted that his little girl’s patience had been rewarded, ami be, too, was giving' her a present. It was decided that the present she would best like would be n set of drawing instruments, ami she and her father went off to buy it for her on my behalf. Her father thought perhaps the ease might be rather more money than I lm<l in-

tended to give for the prize, so I told him w hat 1 had intended, and gave him the amount, and lie said if the ease was more expensive he would add something himself. Was he not a thoughtful papa? But, really, so clever a cousin at drawing deserved encouragement, though I could not give so expensive a prize. To Cousin Gladys I have sent a very delightful book, and am sure she will enjoy it hugely. To Cousin Alice Pettigrew I have sent a very handsome prize indeed, a volume entitled “Fifty-two Tales of Heroic Girls.” It is beautifully bound, and full of the loveliest illustrations, and. of course, exciting stories,. I am certain Cousin Alice will spend many an enchanted hour over her prize. For Cousin Florrie I have a very amusing and interesting story called “Polly,” but cannot forward it, as she has not sent me her full address. I hope she will do so nt once. ® ® ® \ LETTER FROM THE EMPIRE CITY. Dear Cousin Kate, —With the new month, which eame in such a bitter manner, we were given a sudden and an unexpected foretaste of winter, and though very near now', we still hope for a few more sunny days before it sets in in earnest. As the Lenten season is over, weddings have been in full swing. A marliaire to take place shortly is that of Mi«s Kirk, daughter of the late ProfKirk. daughter of the late Professor Kirk, to Mr Atkinson. M.H.R., and the engagement of Miss Mollie Richardson, daughter of the Hon. E. R’chardson, to Mr .1. Tripe, has been announced. 1 went to see “The Merchant of Venice,” but. having read and studied the play before going, I was disappointed with the performance. We h ive however, to be thankful for small mercies. Lectures under the auspice of St. John’s Young Men’s Literary Club are to be given during the winter months, the first being “Scrambles in the Southern Alps.” by the Alpine climber. Malcolm Ross. “Russia.” by Dr. Chappel. “Combustion” and “George Borrow'." by Professors Easterfield and Brown respective!v. and “What John Knox Did for Scotland.” by Sir Robert Stout, will follow.

A “Gipsv Operetta” (in costume) is to be performed during the week at St. Mark’s Schoolroom in nirl -f tl ’“ Choir Fund. Mr Tzett being responsible for the libretto. Opera lovers are looking forward to the Operatic Society’s performance of “The Grand Duke ’ next month, which will be the first in this quarter of the globe. The Dramatic Students are rehearsing the famous comedy “School” in view of a production in July.

Several entertainments in aid of the Indian Famine Relief Fund are being arranged. The Misses Youmans provide two. which promise to be very successful, in the Skating Rink. Th' se voung ladies can always please a Wellington audience bv the artistic ability they display in tableaux. They are to be assisted by Miss Jeannie Ramsay our sweet singer—-and others, who are working energetically. Cousin Elsie is to be congratulated on her first attempt at story writing. I hope we shall have another from her pen shortly. How many cousins know why a eat always waits till after dinner to wash his face? Not many. I think, so I will tell you. A ent once caught a sparrow, and was about to devour it in the usual manner when the bird said: “No gentleman eats till he has first washed his face.” The eat. touched to the imick by this criticism of its social habits, set the sparrow down and proceeded to wash his face with his paw, but just ns he had begun bis ablutions the bird flew away. The cat was naturally annoyed he should have been thus tricked by a common

should have been tricked by a common sparrow, anti he swore a mighty oath that so long as he lived he would eat his dinner first and wash his face afterwards. That oath has been kept by the cat’s descendants, through countless generations, and to-day. as in the time of Hengist and Horsa, the domestic tabby only indulges in its always eomicaJ trick of washing its face with its paw after it has enjoyed a. hearty meal. Thus it is that the woman of the house, if she sees the o-it performing its ablutions out of its regular meal times, rushes in hot haste to the pantry, and finds her worst fear. 1 , confirmed. The door of the closet in which the provisions are kept had been inadvertently left open, and so its floor is strewn with the much lacerated remains of a beefsteak, or tne pieces of a shattered milk jug. Next time I may, perhaps, have something to say about Mr Louis Wain, but for the present remain, your loving cousin. Jack. Glenmain. Wellington. [Dear Cousin Jack, —It will, I am sure, lx* a sincere pleasure to all the cousins to welcome so accomplished a relative to our band. Your letter shows a conscientious style and finish, which promise well for your future success in literary work. The legend of the reason pussy washes her face after, instead of before, meals was new to me. and will, T am sure, delight all our cousins. I am greatly pleased to have your photo, which is reproduced in another portion of this number of the ‘Graphic.”—Cousin Kate.] ® ® ® Dear Cousin Kate, —I have filled the collecting card that you sent me, and 1 have collected 6s 6d altogether. I will send the postal note to you with this letter. What little cousin is in the cot now? Do you think I would be allowed to go and see her? I was so pleased with the letter and badge which you sent me. Please send me another card and I will try and get it filled. But I will say good-bye now.— With love, from Cousin Lucy. [Dear Cousin Lucy,—l was ever and ever so surprised and delighted to get your card back so soon, and I think it was simply wonderful to collect six shillings and sixpence in such a short time. How is pussy, and has the fox terrier arrived on the scene yet? I am glad you liked hearing about Spot, lie was a most peculiar dog. He did simply hate to hear a violin played. His favourite (my sister) was a very clever player, but. alas! had a dreadful accident, falling downstairs and smashing her wrist, so that she could never, never play again. She was the favourite pupil of a great master, who used to come all the way from London to Liverpool to teach six pupils, for whom he prophesied great futures. Well, when Elfrida broke her wrist she was heart-broken, but never spoke or cried about it after the operation when the doctors told her the truth. But all of us could see how bitter was her disappointment. At last one day Spot managed to get up to her room, and she burst out crying, “Ah, Spot, Spot. I’ll never be able to make you howl again. Snot; never any more," for Spot had always howled w'hen she played. And do you know T believe S"ot understood her sorrow, for from that time if ever anyone played a violin within Snot’s hearing h“ would make awful efforts to get at him and bite him. We used to get into dreadful scrapes over it with fiddlers in the streets. He was the only dog too T have ever seen who was fond of apples. He would ent the apples that fell from the trees after a storm with every appearance of enjoyment. Was it not queer taste for a dog?—Cousin Kate.)

® ® ® \ LARGE BATCH OF NEW COUSINS.

All the “Graphic” cousins will, I am sure, be most delighted to notice that we have a regular company of new cousins from Ngahauranga. near Wellington. As you will see. they all belong to the same school, and many are of the same age. All of you will. 1 am sure, join me in giving them a hearty welcome. And now. my dear new cousins, what am I to say to you? 1 nm very, very sorry 1 cannot this week reply to you all

separately. But my page is already so full 1 cannot possibly do so now, though next time 1 hope to be able to manage it. iou seem to have a very nice, kind teacher, and 1 am glad she reads you stories, for that will make you want to read them for yourselves later on. Are you not frightened of the droves of cattle 9 1 am afraid x should prove a sad coward, ami if 1 nad to scramble over a fence like your teacher 1 should never have courage to come back again. A good many of you seem to keep pigeons; what kind do you like best ? 1 had a lovely pair of fantails once. 1 am sending you each a badge, and will forward one or two collecting cards to your teacher to give some of you, if she thinks well. Hoping you will write again in a little while.—Cousin Kate.

Dear Cousin Kate, —1 am ten years old. 1 have two brothers and three sisters: Leone, Olive, Hazel, Lewis, and Arthur. We once lived in Auckland, a long time ago. I went to see the Maori carnival in town; they made a big mat which cost three pounds one shilling and tenpence. and a lot of other pretty things. There were five or six little girls doing the poi dance. There are a lot of green trees in New Zealand on the hills and in the gardens. We had a beautiful school picnic; we went out to Ross’ Gardens in brakes. Some boys and girls won some nice things in the races. My brother has some pigeons. We have a nice flower garden. —Good-bye. Alma Wixon. ® ® ®

Dear Cousin Kate, —I have four brothers but no sisters. Their names are Andrew, Willie, Frank, and Charley. Andrew is eight, Willie is five, and Charley is ten months. My friend caught a. morepork on Saturday afternoon. They feed it on mice, birds, and raw meat. It comes down and fights the fowls. A billy goat came into school, and it smelt awful; it made us feel sick. The ow'ner afterwards killed it.—James Jamieson. ® ® ® Dear Cousin Kate, —We used to live at Thorndon Quay. 1 used to have nine brothers and sisters, but one died and one got married, and that let l seven. Sometimes our teacher gets over a fence to get out of the way of bullocks. The drovers get angry at us if we don’t get out of the way of the sheep. They freeze meat up at Ngahauranga, and send it over to England. Out at the picnic 1 won two pens and three lead pencils. We were singing all the way going out to the picnic, and singing coming back. My brother has a lot of pigeons.—Thomas Smith. ® ® ® Dear Cousin Kate, —I am ten years old. I have ten brothers and sisters. One got married, and his name was Steve; the others are called Lily. Hilda, Ada. Alice, Daisy, Teddy, Mabel, Blanch, and Tom. Ada was drowned in the Napier river. The Ngahauranga Meat Company gave 3d each for rats. Last week T caught four rats, and got a shilling and this week I caught three. We do not get paid till Friday. Every year the Ngahauranga Meat Company have a picnic. Last time it was at the Upper Hutt.—Good-bye, Arnold Newland. ® ® ® Dear Cousin Kate. —I am ten years old. I have two brothers and one sister, Sid. Harry, and Amy. We used to live in town before we came to Nghauranga to live. A man fell oft the train and got his two legs broken off. but he is getting on very well now. We like jolly stories, teacher never reads us sad ones. We go up the hill and gather mushrooms and then teacher gives us pencils if we get her some. Good-bye, Daisy Cook. ® ® ® Dear Cousin Kate. —I am ten years of age. I have a brother and a sister. My father ha.s a lot of horses and carts, and ho has a lot of men working for him. Their names are, A. Short, J. Rov. and some others. Thousands of sheep and cattle are killed here every month. They freeze the sheep and then send them away to England. The drovers get angry if you get in the road and frighten the sheep. We have to climb over the fence to get out of the way of the cattle. One day teacher had to climb over the fence when a mob of cattle was passing. I have six pigeons, but I lost one and that left me five. Good-bye, Clifford Clark.

Dear Cousin Kate, —I have got two brothers and one sister. Poppy, Dick, and Frank. Our teacher reads us a story once every week, we like jolly stories, our teacher never reads us sad stories. 1 have got three cats and two dogs. A lot of men painted one of the dogs blue, up at the tan-yard. Mr Anderson gave us a magpie, but it cannot talk yet. he has another one that can talk, but he said that the other will be able to talk soon. Good-bye, —Alice Gower.

® ® ® Dear Cousin Kate.—l am nine years old and I will be ten on 29th of August. I have two brothers and one sister. We have one eat. We used to live in town. My father works over at the •meat works. Good-bye.—Charles Furness.

® ® ® Dear Cousin Kate.—l am seven years old and will be eight on June 3rd. There is a lamb that chases us, and it bunts us. 1 have two brothers and four sisters. My mother has a little shop and keeps many things. My father works at the tan-yard. 1 have one dog and two cats. Good-bye.— Leslie Laurenson.

Dear Cousin Kate.—l have one brother and his name is Willie Croton. There was once a. man on the train who was pushed off on Wednesday night. We have one cat a.nd dog. I am eight years old. Tt is getting very cold and we have a fire in the school. Good-bye.—Krnest Croton.