COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 18, 29 April 1908, Page 68

COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

YOUNGER COUSINS’ LETTERS. Dear Cousin Kate,—l should like very much to join your little band of cousins. 1 go to the same school, and am in the same standard as Cousin Bobs. If you will allow me to become a cousin I hope you will send me; a badge. I do not know much about your cousins’ band, so 1 wish you would tell me what you expect from me. 1 remain, yours truly, A THOLE. [Dear Cousin Athole,—l shall be delighted to have you join our band, and will post a badge to yon immediately. I don’t expect a great deal from my cousins: I only wish them to write once a fortnight or so, and tell me of all the things that interest them. I like them to be fairly regular correspondents, because if not I am apt to lose touch with them. You are having holidays this week, aren’t you? 1 am afraid you are not going to have very nice weather for them; but small boys can enjoy themselves in any weather, can't they? You and Bobs are such near neighbours that I expect to hear of you getting into heaps of mischief together.—Cousin Kate.l + <• * Dear Cousin Kate, —I would like to become a “Graphic” cousin. Will you kindly send me a badge in the addressed envelope which I enclose? I will be nine next month. I have one brother; his name is Donnie. My little sister is four; her name is Adria; she is such a darling. Donnie and 1 go to Miss Kenny's school, and like it very much. 1 have got a big doll, quite as big as a baby: it is all jointed, and goes to sleep. 1 have had it five years, and it is as good as when I got it. I have a doll-house, with four rooms in it. Always when 1 go to Auckland I buy something for it, and there is scarcely room for anything else. Home day I am going to have two more rooms added to it. 1 am afraid my letter is not very interesting. 1 am. your loving cousin, MARJORIE. |l>?ar Cousin Marjorie,—Of course you may become a cousin. I am getting quite rich now, ami have two cousins called Marjorie. 1 hope I shall not get you mixed up. You write a very nice letter for a little girl ef nine years old. Have you been going to school long? I wish I could sec your doll and doll’shousc. You must be a wonderfully good little housekeeper to have had them eo long, ami never to have injured them at all- I saw some lovely little chairs for a doll’s house the other day, painted ■white and gold. Have you any of those? Cousin Kate.l ♦ * * Dear Cousin Kate, —•Will you excuse me for not keeping my promise, as L •aid I would write every two weeks, and I will try and write as often a a 1 cant

We have started our Easter holidays. We are all well, and hope you are the same. I am glad the school is closed for a few days. We are having awful weather. We always have cold weather there. The new telegraph line from Taupo to Tokaanu is nearly done. There is not much to say, so 1 must conclude, with mountains of love to you. not forgetting our other cousins. Cousin JANE.

[Dear Cousin Jane, —I thought you were making rather rash promises when you said you would write once every fortnight, and I will forgive you this time, on condition that you keep your later promise of writing as often as you can. The weather was not particularly nice for the first few days of your Easter holidays, and I expect you could not go out of doors for your amusements: but I think you will be able to make up for lost time, for to-day is perfect, and it really looks as if we were going to have a few .eally fine days. Will the new telegraph line from Tokaanu to Taupo make much difference to you? I must stop now. I have such a number of letters to write this morning. Give my love to Ellen and Tai, and tell them I hope to hear from them shortly. Cousin Kate.] •b -t 4Dear Cousin Kate, —>1 am sorry I did not write before, but we have been up to Silverhope to see our cousins. I like Cousin Myrtle's letters to the “Graphic” very much. I think I like them best of all. I lost my badge the other day; please could I have anotner one? If so, may I have a blue one? Punch got second prize at the show. We have moved to another place now’, and we have such , fun helping mother plant plants in the garden. When we were getting ready to come here, Norkie, my lien, was so hard to catch. We have all got such bad colds. Winifred’s pony is sick, and so she is riding a bigger pony. I have not got a cat yet. but I hope to get one soon.— J l remain, your loving cousin, BARBARA. [Dear Cousin Barbara, —I have been wondering when I was going to hear from you again, and was beginning to think you had forgotten Cousin Kate. I will send you a new badge next week. I haven’t any pins for them just now, so must wbait until I get some. I wonder if they will arrive safely, because, you see, I only have your old address; perhaps I had better not send them until you write and give me your present address. 1 expect you have great fun helping your mother with the new garden, and finding new places for all your pets. Do you think you will like your new home as well as the old? Write again soon, and I hope your colds will be quite gone by this time. —Cousin Kate.] •fr ♦ ♦ My dear Cousin Kate, —I am very sorry I did not write before, but we have been staying at Silverhope, and we have been moving house, so have not been able to write. How many cousins have you got now? I like Cousin Myrtle’s letters very much. Victor is quite well now. 1 have got such a big cat; his name in Prince. He is such a darling. He likes to sleep on the end of my bed at night, or else inside it with me, but mother will not let him. Jean has got a cat called Beauty. He is not very old.

He is a very dark Tabby. Prinee is a tiger colour. Dolly is not very well, so I am riding a big brown pony whose name is Laddie. He is so gentle. Prince will jump about three feet high if you hold a- piece of meat on a fork up in the air. He does not take it in his mouth, but gets it in his paws. Bobbie, my duck, is so fat she won’t let me catch her now. Darling, my chicken, is so pretty, and such a dear. She is Frennie’s daughter. Frennie is a French hen with her feathers turned the wrong way. I must stop now, with lots of love.—From Cousin WINIFRED.

[Dear Cousin Winifred, —I was so glad to get letters from you all this morning, and I hope, now that you are settled in your new home, that you will write often. Did you have a nice holiday while you were .at Silverhope? I am afraid I am not very sure where that is. Perhaps you will remember to tell me next time you write. Prince seems to be a most accomplished cat, and I think he is very wise to want to sleep bn your bed. I am glad your mother won’t allow him to, though, because I don’t think it is healthy for little girls to have cats sleeping in their rooms. I am sorry Dolly is •sick, and hope she will be well again soon. Do you like riding Laddie as well? Write again soon to Cousin Kate.] 4Dear Cousin Kate,—l am very sorry I did not write to you before, only we have been staying away up at Silverhope, and I have not had time to write. I lost my badge on the way home; would you send me another one, if 1 am allowed to have two? Would you please send me a red one. I think red is such a pretty colour, do not you? In your letter to Cousin Myrtle you said you had a very badtempered cockatoo. Polly is very fresh at present, because she has been turned out for three months, as she got lame. She jumped a wire fenee'the other day. I have four little cousins. They are so sw’eet, and are always laughing. My uncle is staying with us just now. I have a eat. His name is Beauty, and we have taught him many tricks. He is such a big pussy, and one of the trieks we taught him is to beg for his food. We have got such a lot of pets. If I wrote all their names down it would make it too long a letter. We live about five and a-half miles from any town. I think Cousin Myrtle’s letter is very interesting, do not you? It is getting very late, and I am afraid I must stop now. Tell ms in your letter if you do not know my address. I must go and help mother now. With much love, I remain, your loving cousin JEAN.

[Dear Cousin Jean, —You have written me such a nice long letter this week that I must forgive you for not having written for such a very long time. Of course you may have another badge, but, as I told Barbara, I have not got any pins for them just yet, hut I will send you one as soon as I get some. I want one of you to send me your new address, though, first, so that they will not go astray. Yes, I think I like the red ones best, the blue is rather a pale shade, isn’t if? You will have to go out for long rides on Polly to take some of the freshness out of her, won’t yon? It would never do for heY to be pumping wire fences. She might get tangled up in

one some time. I saw a horse the othert day that had got his legs entangled in some barb wire, and they were so dreadfully badly cut. I should like to see! Beauty going through his trieks. Was it hard to teach him—Cousin Kate.] n