COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue VII, 14 February 1903, Page 475

COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

Dear Cousin Kate, —Numbers of my companions have become cousins, and they have asked me to join, so if you will have me I should be very pleased. I have not yet left school, but I am hoping that I shall do so soon. The weather at Auckland has been something terrible, especially for summer; but we are still in hopes that it will change. Now that the Christmas holidays are over, I suppose # the teachers will think that we have had enough of enjoyment, and make us work harder than ever for the coming exam. Now I must conclude, dear Cousin Kate.—From Mabel. P.S. — Would you mind sending me a badge? [Dear Cousin Mabel, —You will already have received a cousin's badge, and 1 hope you will like it. I now write to tell you that I shall be most pleased to have you among the cousins. Your sister is a cousin, as you know, and it is nice to have two sisters writing to us. They no doubt see much the same tilings, but they see them through different eyes, and that makes their letters all the more interesting.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate, —I will not be able to write very often now, as I am going to Wellington to Miss Freeman’s boarding school, and most of the time will be occupied; but I have never been a good hand at writing. I did not try for the holiday competition, as I looked at the wrong date, and was too late for it. I see in the “Graphic” dated January 31st that you have four new cousins. We are having horrid weather here in Picion just now; half the morning fine, then the rest of the day wet, sometimes south-east, and other times no wind at all. What sort of weather are you having in Auckland, Cousin Kate? I went for a very long ride on my bicycle the Other day, right out to Koromiki, and on the way out we called into a friend's place to dinner; my two sisters camo with me. I punctured the front wheel of my bicycle, and though it was blown up once or twice it went down directly afterwards, and so I rode home with my tyre flat. I must leave off now, with Jove to you and all the cousins, and I will write as often as I can.—l remain, Cousin Rosie. Wear Cousin Rosie, —I should be •orry to think there is any chance of losing you as a correspondent. But you

need not forget us even when you are at the boarding school. 1 shall be most pleased to get a letter now and then from Miss Freeman's saying how you are getting on, and I am sure the other cousins will look forward to a description of your new life. I hope you will like the school, and get on well with your studies. The weather in Auckland lias not been much better, I am afraid, than what you have been getting in Picton. We do get a few good days now and then, but the quantity of dull and rainy days we have to put up with is more than we ever expect at this sea son of the year. I know from experience what it is to puncture the tyre of a bicycle. Once I remember having to walk nearly fifteen miles on this account. As, in your case, the air would not keep in the tyre, and nothing that I could do was of any use I tried putting water in the tube, which is said to succeed when other means fail, but without any success. Now, don’t forget to write to me. —Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate, —I have received the badge which you so kindly sent me, and I think it is very pretty. I showed it to some of my friends, and they said they should be very pleased to join your little band. I told them to write and ask you if they could join, and they Baid they would, and I think three of them have already done so. The last three days we have had the best of weather, but it always seems to be fine for school and wet when we are having our holidays. Last Saturday afternoon I went to a matinee called “Man to Man,” which was held in the Opera House. At first I did not care about going, but as four of my friends were taking part in it they asked me to go and see how they took their part, I went, and liked it very much. Now, as I have to have my singing lesson, I must say good-bye.—With love, from Cousin Ivy.

[Dear Cousin Ivy,—l am so glad you like the badge, and that your friends admired it. Tell any of them how pleased I shall be if they join our little band. As you say, it does often seem to be fine when the schools are re-opening, while it is raining during the holidays, just when we particularly want it to be fine. So you went to see “Man to Man” at the Opera House. I believe it was a very exciting play. How are you getting on with your singing?—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate, —We started school last Monday, and I suppose we have to look forward now to our midwinter holidays, but they are a long way off yet. I went up to the camp this afternoon and enjoyed myself very much. They are coming out of camp on Wednesday evening. Sergeant-major Rogers is up from Auckland drilling them. The Pilot is expected here either next Wednesday or next Thursday. All the volunteers were marched down from camp on Sunday evening, for the purpose of having church parade at Omapere. When are you going to have any more competitions for the most regular cousins? I think it is about time we had another ingenuity competition. I think some of the cousins ar§ getting very lazy about writing now. I go in for a swim every day now. My little pony, which I call “Ladysmith,” has been lame for about three weeks and she is not quite better yet. As there is nothing else to tell you I must close this letter, with love to yourself and all the other cousins. So good-bye.—l remain, yours truly, Cousin Newton.

[Dear Cousin Newton,—l suppose you find it very dull to be back at school again after the holidays, but you will soon get into the way of work again, and the time will pass so quickly that the midwinter holidays will be here before you know it. As it is, I think you manage to get a fair amount of enjoyment out of your school days. It is not everybody who has a pony. Boys and girls in town have to do without pets of that kind. You seem to have enjoyed the camp very much. It is so interesting to see the little town of tents and everything so orderly. Doesn’t it make you think of actual fighting? You like the competitions, do you? Well, I am just now trying to think out a good one for you. —Cousin Kate.]