COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9, 3 March 1906, Page 55

COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

Dear Cousin Kate, —I would like to become a cousin of yours. If I can think of enough news X will write to vou every week. 1 live o.n the banks of.the Waikato River in the very pretty little town called Hamilton. Not far from where I live.is a lovely little, lake, which the boys swim in. About a month ago we had a regatta on the lake, and there were a great nuiAber of people there. The Hamilton Cadets have gone into camp for a week over at Sydney Square. They had a church parade on Sunday, and it looked very nice to see them marching along the street. Hamilton is going on.. ahead so much now. We are having very nice weather at /resent. 1 passed my exam at school this year, and.am now working up tor the tilth. I spent part of the Christmas holidays in Te Aroha. 1 stayed with my grandmother on the farm. I had line fun chasing the pigs up to be fed, and finding hen’s nests. Hoping you ■will accept me as a cousin of yours.— I remain, Cousin Edwin, Hamilton. [Dear Cousin Edwin.—l shall be delighted to have you for one of my numerous cousins. 1 hope you will manage to find enough news to write to me every week. >lt is many years since I was in Hamilton, and I expect it. has altered ami grown considerably since then. 1 used to spend my holidays I here, ami of course I thought it a delightful place. It is a very pretty one, and the lake is lovely. I should like to have seen the regatta. Did you enter for any of the events? I doift remember Sydney Square a: all. Where abouts is it? I suppose by and bye you will be joining the Hamilton Cadet Corps too. It is very good training for hoys, I think. It makes them carry themselves so mueh better. I have been staying on a farm, too, quite lately, but 1 was very glad to .get.home again alter my holidays. I don’t suppose you were, though. Did you try' the baths when yon were at Te Aroha? They are such nice ones, I think. 1 am forwarding a badge to you, and hope von will receive it safely.—Cousin Kate.] 4* 4- 4* Dear Cousin Kate.—l suppose you will have quite forgotten me since I last, wrote. 1 Last. week 1 was away from Friday till -Tuesday. School Ims opened again, and we have a new teacher, and she is very niee. The other teacher has gone to Cobden school.:The cousins’ letters are very nice now. But there are very few. We are very busy now. We have fourteen boarders. There is very little news at preSeut, so I must say good-bye.—With love to all the cousins and yourself, 1 remain, your loving eopsin .Maggie," Nelson Creek. [Dear Cousin Maggiey-sit is a .long time since you wrote to hie last, but I

hadn't quite forgotten you. I was beginning to think it was the other way about,, and that you had forgotten me. I am very glad to see you haven’t, though. Were you ill that you were away from school last we<?k? I’m afraid your new teacher will be disappointed if you often stay away. Did yon see in one of the papers a short lime ago that one little girl had never missed a day at school for six years? That, was wonderful, wasn’t it? The cousins have not been writing very regularly lately., but I hope they' will be belter now that'the holidays arc all over. You must set them a good example. I should think you must be very busy with fourteen boarders in the house. I wonder you managed to find time tu write to me, but I am very glad you did.— Cousin Kate. | 4* 4* 4* Dr ar Cousin Kate.—lt has been awful weather here this last few days, and I think it makes one very .miserable in the wet weather. Doesn’t Cousin Hilda, write interesting letters? 1 quite enjoy reading them. Last week I went for a drive to Henderson Valley. It is most beautiful there. 1 went right through Henderson Valley to the W aitakerei Ranges. 1 have been to the Waitakcreis before, but I did not go Henderson Valley way. 1 think I will have to close my short letter now. With love to all the cousins, not forgetting yourself. - 1 remain, Cousin Alberta, Ponsonby. } Dear Cousin Alberta,- It certainly has been rather cold for the time of year the last few days, hut still I don’t think it has been bad enough t > make one feel miserable. Cousin Hilda writes very nice letters, but then she has seen a great many places ami things that are interesting to write about. I’m sorry Lyn has not been writing lately. I liked his letters very mueh too. didn't you? The drive out to the Waitakerei ranges is delightful, I think, ami most of the way .one drives through such pretty country. I went for a twentysix mile drive last Saturday, but it wasn’t nearly such a pretty road as the one to Henderson. 1 enjoyed it very much. though, all the same. Cousin Kate. | 4r 4* 4* Dear Cousin Kate.- I have been going to write to you for some lime past, as 1 am deeply interested in the “Children’s Page,’’ and seeing so few letters in your valuable paper I decided to write to you. The lady next door gets the “Graphic,” and kindly lends it to us. Mother says the “Children's Page’* is very interesting. The first thing I look at in the “Graphic” is the “Children's Page.” a live quite near the school I go to, which is only two or three minutes’ walk from our house. As it is nearing bedtime I will have to close. Dove to you.-—1 remain, your would-be cousin, Charlie, Bayfield. [Dear Cousin Charlie, J am so glad you have made up your mi ml to write to me at last. I am always pleased to have new cousins, especially when (hoy really take an interest in the cousins’ page. I suppose you know that the cousins arc expected to write. pretty regularly, don't you? How fortunate you are to live so close to your school; it is horrid to live a long way from it.

because one gets «<> wet and m.iddj going backwards ami forwards in the winter time. Of course i:i summer it is all right. Vou didn t tell me what slamlard you are in al. school, nor your age, ’ n your letter. Will you try ami remember to do so next week. I have sent you a badge, and hope you will receive it safely. Cousin Kate.J 4* 4- 4* Dear Cou-in Kate, 1 wrote you some time ago. but have not yet seer my letter in the “Graphic.” 1 wonder if it has been mislaid « r lost, in Ihr post. J am afraid that lately I am c very lazy correspondent. It is so haw' to sit down and type a letter when news is so short. Nothing of inte rest Jias happened hen* for quite a !oii<; t ime. There have been no good I heat lical companies here sima? the Knight Jeffries Company left, so that 1 have not been to the theatre for some time The weather, too, is simply absurd foi this time of lhe year, nearly every day it rains, and when it is a line morning, it nearly always comes over wet in tin afternoon. It wilt be very Ini I foi lhe farmers. I believe lhe grass sect’ harvest has suffered ronsideraldy. Our garden at home is looking lovely just now, the flower beds art* a mass of flowers, ami everything looks so green and fresh around. I have before me now a howl of roses, cream, pink, pah? yellow and red. They arc such beautiful blooms, freshly gathered and sparkling with rain. I love roses best of all Howers, and alter them carnations ami viole.s. What art* your favourite flowers, Cousin Kate? One day. last week I took Neville for a ride on the ears as far as Sumner. Il was for a wonder a line day. although tin* day before it had rained all day. It was lovely at Sumner, not very much sun ami only a slight breeze oil Ihr •sea. We got smite hinrh then*, and while Neville paddled I took my took round tin* rocks where 1 spent a tielight fill hour reading. Neville is such a darling now. lie is not yet three, hut he is vmy ohl-fashione I for his age. He can say anything you like, ami is a most, delightful companion. We stayed on the lirach a little over two hours, and caught the four car home. On another afternoon just : hf'»!*e the weather I I unsettled. Olive and I took our books and went for a walk round the Cashmere Hills. The road is a glorious one, especially in summer, when lhe wattles are in bloom. However, the time of wattle”, was over, but lhe gums and silver beeches were in leaf, and high up tlie hill great plantations of firs stood up in relief against the blue of lhe sky. Oi

one side of the road periwinkles ran riot along the fences and twined their long tendrils round and round the sturdy gums and wattles, their starry Howers of heavens own blue making patches of colour against the rugged brown trunks of the trees. On the other side of the road the Heathcote ran merrily between the green banks of the valley, and weeping willows bending low kissed the bright water with their feaethcry plumes. Between the trees we caught glimpses of cows in groups of three or four standing knee-deep in the cool water. A little way along the road we sat down on a fallen log close to the fence with our books. Mine was “Kebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” and I enjoyed it immensely. Thus the time passed pleasantly until nearly five o’clock, when we started for home after having spent a very delightful afternoon, l/ast Sunday we had one of the worst storms I have ever witnessed. We were all sitting on the side verandah reading and talking, when suddenly the sky became over-cast, the sun which had been shining brightly disappeared, and dark scudding clouds raced across the sky, while in the distance we heard several resounding claps of thunder. A strong wind sprung up and through the trees, which almost hid the main road from our eyes, we saw great banks of dust rushing before the wind which was fearfully strong. Soon the air became tilled with dust, and we rushed into the house closing the doors and all the windows tight. Overhead heaven's artillery was booming rapidly, the sound almost deafening us. Then suddenly down came the rain, and didn’t it. rain with a vengeance. Every now and then sheets of lightning dashed across the window, so we had to move further from our post of vantage. The wind was still very strong, and the flowers, which a few minutes before bad reared their heads in the bright sunlight lay bruised and broken on the ground. Thicker and thicker fell the rain, and presently it was mingled with great hailstones, which dashed against the windows with resounding thumps, and we trembled for the fate of the glass. However. it was all over in about ten mirfutes. The sun came out in a perfect glory of splendour, and nothing remained of the storm but the hail strewn ground and the broken flowers, while in the distance gradually dying away into oblivion the thunder rolled. I believe there was a lot of damage done in the town, many of the glass verandahs ami skylights being broken, and in the country the damage done was reported to be very great, the crops being battered and broken down. I think. Cousin Kate. 1 have almost exhausted my fund of news. Did Cousin Dora visit you when she was in Auckland? I suppose she is back again in New Plymouth, but I have not heard from her since before she went to Auckland. Well. Cousin Kate, I must really and truly stop now. This letter is far longer than I thought it would be. as when I started I thought there was nothing much to write about. With very much love to your dear self and my other “Graphic” Cousins. I remain, ever yours affectionately, Cousin Winnie, Christchurch. . [Dear Cousin Winnie.—l think your letter must have l>oen mislaid, because this is the first I have had from you for a long time, and Olive has not written for ages. I suppose it is the hoi weather that makes one feel so lazy. I know I feel inclined to just, sit •still and do absolutely nothing. The Knight-Jeflries Company finished their season here lasi Saturday. and now everybody is looking forward to the Koyal Comic Opera Company. I am especially, because I mis-ed them last time thov were hen*. Our roses are nearly over, 1 am sorry to say. I don't think I have a favourite flower. really, those you mention are perfect, but then daffodils are so very lovely too. Neville is just at a most interesting stage now; it always seems sin h a pity that they should get any older and bigger doesn't it? Of course wo beard about tin* terrible thunderstorm you had. and what a terrible lot of damage the rain and hail did, it must have been awful, 1 have never read “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” who is it by? .1 am always on the lookout for good books, or new books of any sort, in fact. If you have not read “The Blazed Trail,” by Steuart While, you should get it, it is one of the l>esf hooks I have read tor ages; his others are very good, but

that is the best, I think. Yes, Cousin Dora came up to see me when she was in Auckland, but only for a few minutes, as she was very busy, and so was I. I think she was going back either that day or the next.—■Cousin Kate.

Dear Cousin Kate.—l suppose you have been wondering if 1 was ever going to write again. The Governor came through to Napier on Friday night by the express. On Saturday at two o'clock lie unveiled a monument in memory of the troopers who died at the war in South Africa. I went, but could not see very much, as there was such a crowd. In the evening he went to the theatre. On Sunday morning he went to the Cathedral —the church J go to. My brother was out camping with the volunteers, and as it simply teemed with rain and the river was rising, they packed up and came home. We started school last Tuesday here. We have a new teacher. He is very nice indeed. My cousin is going to London on March 29. Our oranges are ripe now. I have just finished a good book called “Wrong From the First.” Have you read it? There is to be a military carnival in Napier on the 7th of March. My little sister goes to a private school now. and she likes it very much. All the fruit is over now, and 1 am very sorry, for I like fruit very much. The Governor will be going to Hastings on Monday next. We had made up a big picnic to go over the bay in an oil launch last Saturday, but it poured with rain, so we could not go. We were all very sorry indeed, as it was the last day of our holidays. I must close now, as there is no more news to tell you. With love to all the cousins. From Cousin Ruahine.

[Dear Ruahine, —Very few of the cousins have been writing regularly since the holidays began, and I never expected they would; however, now the holidays are over I hope they will all write steadily and regularly again. There always is such a big crowd about when a statue of any sort is unveiled that one very rarely <' res see anything that is going on. Wl.: t very bad weather you must be having ni Napier. We have had such lovely weather until the last day or two. Your cousin is very lucky. Don’t you wish you wore going too? Were you very sorry when school commenced? I shall be very sorry when the fruit season is over, too; it is the only thing I want to eat in the hot weather—it is so cool and refreshing. tVbat a pity your picnic did not come oft*. It is always so disappointing when you have taken all the trouble to get everything ready, and then to have to stay at home; but never mind, better luck next time?—Cousin Kate.]