Children's Page

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIX, Issue 21, 23 November 1907, Page 48

Children's Page

COUSINS’ BADGES. Cousins requiring badges are requested to send an addressed envelope, when the badge will be forwarded by return mail. COUSINS” CORRESPONDENCE Dear Cousin Kate, —I was very pleased to see my letter in the “Graphic.” 1 have not received my badge yet. My sister is learning music, and she is getting on very well. No, we are not all at home. My sister Dorothy is away with my grandmother. She is in Aratapn. We have a lot of fowls and eight ducks. We have two cows and three calves. I have never failed yet, and I hope 1 shall go through all the standards without failing. 1 have not read, “The Seven Little Australians,” or “The House at Misrule.” Have you read “Little Women,” by L. M. Alcott, or “A Sweet Girl Graduate,” by L. T. Meade. They are both very nice. We are having very nice weather here at present. Here is a riddle. Can you guess it? “What is it that will go up the chimney down and down the chimney down, but it won’t go up the chimney up, nor down the chimney up?—Cousin MOLLY. [Dear Cousin Molly,— I cannot under* stand about your badge. If you sent an addressed envelope 1 am sure L sent you one. but I cannot quite remember about it. However, 1 will post you another one, and 1 hope you will get this one safely. Don’t you learn music, too? It is such a nice accomplishment, 1 think, even, if one can not play well. Just to be able to play accompaniments, and a little dance music is so nice. Yes, I have read “Little Women” and “A Sweet Girl Graduate,” and like “Little Women” very much indeed, and have read it more than once. There are several more books by the same author, “Little Wives” is one of them, and they are all delightful. Have you read the “Gypsy” series”? They are very old favourites of mine. 1 have heard your riddle Ijefore. so know the answer to it. I won’t give it. though, because some oT the. Cousins may like to try and guess it.—Cousin Kate.J 4* 4* 4? Dear Cousin Kate, —Thank you very much for the badge you sent me. I am very glad you have red badges, because it is my school colour. lam writing up at grannie’s. as you will see at the top of my letter. My father and mother will l>e home next Sunday, and we will be very glad to sec them again. Grannie is looking after us, but she has gone up to Kamo for a holiday, and will In* back to-morrow night, so one of our aunts is looking after us. Isn’t Buster naughty? If 1 was his father I would lock him up for a day. but 1 don't even think that would Im» any good, and whippings don’t seem to do him any good. Please excuse such an uninteresting letter, as there is no news to tell you. With love to yourself, an 1 ill the other cousins, from Cousin GUY. I ikar Cousin Guy.—lt is lucky that ymu badge is the same colour as your school colours, but it won’t match very well. I’m afraid, as they are quite different shades of red. aren't they? I saw your father in town the other day, so

knew that he was back from Sydney. Did they enjoy their trip very much? I certainly think something ought to be done to Buster, he seems to get worse and worse as he gets older. I hope you don’t play nearly as many pranks. If you do 1 am very sorry for the aunt who has been taking care of you. Write again soon, won’t you?—Cousin Kate.] 4- 4* 4* Dear Cousin Kate, —Thank you very much for the badge. I think pale blue is a very pretty colour, don’t you? Besides, it is our school colour. However did you know our little cousins were here Cousin Kate? This morning 1 found such a pretty blackbird’s nest; it was right at the top of a very large plum tree, but I managed to get up alright, and in it were four pretty blue eggs with black spots. 1 took one, and if the mother deserts her nest, will take the others. Do you collect postcards? I do. 1 have 112. I got a good many from Australia. We are getting up a concert for my father and mother. The first thing will be the “Sleeping Beauty,” then a skirt dance, and trios and duets. Yesterday afternoon I went to S. Sepulchre’s Bazaar. It was very nice. I bought a holland book cover, with “The book I am reading on it.” My grannie bought me and my little sister Muriel each a very pretty doll’s bonnet; mine just fits my big doll nicely. In the evning 1 went to a firework party. We had tea on the grass, swings, and tig with your feet off the ground, and cricket, before it began. I must close now, with much love to yourself and the other cousins.—From Cousin GWEN. [Dear Cousin Gwen, —Yes, I like pale blue very much; I- think it is my favourite of all colours. Were you surprised that I knew your little cousin from South Africa were here on a visit? 1 saw them several times. I expect the blackbird whose nest you found will have a fine feed of the plums when they are ripe, unless you get rid of her and her young ones first. It always seems rather cruel to take their eggs away from them, but I suppose it is the only thing to do if one wants to preserve any fruit. No, I don’t collect postcards, but I would if I had more time; it is very interesting, I think. I hope your concert will be a success. It sounds as though it were going to be very nice. You must be sure and tell me all about it when it comes off. You must, have had a grand time on Guy Fawkes’ night; I have never heard of tig with your feet off the ground before. How do you play it? — Cousin Kate.] . 4- 4- 4" Dear Cousin Kate, —I suppose you think I have forgotten you. We have moved, and live at Epsom. We go to the Epsom School. 1 passed last examination, and am'now in standard VI. We had no lessons to learn on Guy Fawkes* night. We had crackers, sky-rockets, and many other kinds of fireworks, i think “Buster Brown” is very amusing, especially in last week’s “Graphic.”—• I.ove from Cousin EILEEN. [Dear Cousin Eileen, —It is rather a long time since you wrote to me last, but I suppose you were so busy while you were moving that you really had no

time for answering letters; you will try and write oftener now though, won’t you? 1 was going to a fireworks’ party, too, on Guy Fawkes’ night, with my small nieces, but they both had such bad colds that they were not allowed to be out at night, so we had to put it off. Did you have a bonfire, too? There seemed to be some lovely ones over at the North Shore, and I heard of quite a lot of people who went over to see them.—Cousin Kate.]