COUSINS’ BADGES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 9, 26 August 1908, Page 68

COUSINS’ BADGES.

Cousins requiring badges are requested io send an addressed envelope, when the badge will be forwarded by return mail. YOUNGER COUSINS LETTERS. Dear Cousin Kate—May I become one of your cousins? 1 am elevon years of age, and am in the fourth standard. iAVc get the "Graphic” 'every week, and we always look forward to the Cousins’ letters' and Buster Brown’s page. AVe live two miles o.iit .of .town ; this part is called Mangapapa, 1 have a sweet little baby sister; her- name is Evelyn, and she is nine in.ontjis old, and we- are all very fond of her. .There has been a lot of snow lately, and it lias -been very cold. Please send ‘ma a blue badge. I like 'doing fancy-work, and am making a tablecentre. What sort of weather have you been having? AYe have been having a ■fearful gale, and the sea has been very rough; the boat lias been waiting for two days to take passengers from here to ■Auckland. W? went down to the beach to-dav to have a look at the rough sea, and we could hardly see the breakwater once or twice, because of the big waves that covered it. Well, now dear Cousin Kate, J must say good-bye.—From your loving cousin, FLORENCE. Dear Cousin Florence,—l am delighted to welcome you as one of my "Graphic” cousins, and I hope to number you amongst them for many years. I’m sorry 1 cannot send you a blue badge just now; 1 am quite out of them, but we are going to gel in a fresh lot this week. 1 don’t know whether there are to be any blue ones; though, if not, I will send you one of my favourite colour. We have been very fortunate in th,? weather just lately; .we have scarcely had any rain during the last three weeks. We were so pleased that we had such glorious weather for float week. 1 love watching the waves when they dash over the breakwater, as you describe, but I am always very thankful to be safely on land.—Cousin Kate.] L'- 4: 4- 4r Dear Cousin Kate. —I am sure you have forgotten me after al! these years; but I thought you would like to hear from me. 1 have two little kittens, and would you plqase gives them names. —I remain, your loving cousin. NORMA, [Dear Cousin Norma,—l haven't forgotten you entirely yet, though it is such a very long time since you wrote to me last; if must fa- nearly thro? years ago, isn't it ? It is rather difficult to think of two suitable names for kittens when you haven’t even told me what colour they are. 1 like Tricks for a kitten’s name and I am very fond of Handy for another. If they are biack. I should call one Maori and the other Darky or Nigger. Write •gain soon. —Cousin Kate.] 4 4- tF Dear Cousin Kale, —Please may I be one of your cousins, and have a blue badge. 1 hear that you know my Auntie Jal, who works at the 'Star” Office. I have no sisters, ami only one brother, .whose name is Ena rd, and he is three

years old. I go to Bayfield School, which 1 consider a very nice school. 1 am ten years old, and I am in the fifth standard. Are you going to see the American fleet! I am. I am looking forward to a week’s holiday. Please excuse my writing, as 1 have a bad pen. I must close now.—• With love from Cousin MAVIS. [Dear Cousin Mavis, —I shall be very pleascd indeed to have you for a. cousin, and you must write nice. long letters often, telling me all that you and Enard are doing. Yes. 1 know your Auntie Lil very well indeed, and if you don’t write often enough to please me I will be aide to send a message to you through her, shan’t 1? I had a lovely time while the American fleet was in the harbour;! wish they could have stayed a little -longer, don’t you. I hope you enjoyed your week’s holiday as much as you expected to. I don't think anyone could help enjoying themselves, do you? We had such lovely weather, and there was so much to do and see. —Cousin Kate.] 4 4-4-Dear Cousin Kate, —I should like to be one of your cousins if you will let me. I am eight years old. and am in the first standard. I have been very ill all the winter, but am getting better now. and mother often reads the cousins’ letters to me, so I thought 1 should like to be one, if you will send me a badge please —I should like a blue one. We have two cows, one of them is very quiet, and we are fond of her; we call her Pet. We also have fowls and ducks, and a canary.I have five brothers. From Cousin LEONARD. [Dear Cousin Leonard. —Of course you may become a cousin, and I shall be delighted to hear from you whenever you feel inclined to write, which I hope will be often. I am very sorry to hear that you have been-so ill all the winter. What has been the matter with you, and are you really feeling better and stronger now? I will send you a badge as soon as I can get some new ones made. I don’t know whether there will be any blue ones this time though, if not I will send you a nice red one. Are all your brothers older than you? I expect you would like a little sister, too, wouldn’t you?—Cousin Kate.] 4 4- 4 Dear Cousin Kate,- —May I become one of your cousins and have a red badge? J am twelve years old, and am in the fifth standard. I am learning dancing, arid like it very much. Your cousins who write from Bulls write, very interesting letters, and I enjoy reading them. I am going to the “Cinderella” pantomime this week. It has been very cold lately. Cousin tlessie’s badge ;s very pretty. As this is my first letter I will not make it too long. Love to yourself and all cousins. Cousin 'WINNIE. [Dear Cousin Winnie,—l sliall be very pleased, indeed, to have you for one of my cousins, and I will send you a itadge-as soon as possible. I think nearly everyone likes dancing, and certainly it is one of the prettiest accomplishments, and is very good exercise for one, too, 1 think. I am glad you find the Bulls’ cousins letters interesting; I do, too. I think they must be too busy enjoying themselves to write to me this week,

because, so far, I haven’t had a letter from any of them. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the pantomime.—Cousin Kate.] 4- 4 4 Dear Cousin Kate, —Once more I will write to you. I received my badge safely, and I think it is very pretty. 1 will try to write to you every month. Our school was examined on August the third and fourth, and I hope I have passed. AA’e broke up school y-esterday (August the fourth), and we have for holidays the rest of the week and next week. It has been snowing and hailing here all day long. I know it is your birthday this month, so I will wish you many happy returns of the day. I think this is all I have to say this time. Love to all the cousins, including yourself. 1 remain, your loving cousin, ALICE. [Dear Cousin Alice, —I am very’ glad you liked your badge, and am pleased to hear that it arrived safely. I suppose you are very glad that your examination is over for this year; I know I used always to hate examination time when I was at school. Don’t forget to tell me whether you passed or not, as soon as you know yourself. You are a very’ lucky little girl to be going to have nearly- two weeks holiday. I wish I were going to have them, too. What are you going to do to amuse yourself? Thank you very- much, indeed, dear Alice, for remembering my birthday, and for your good wishes.—Cousin Kate.] 4 4 4 Dear Cousin Kate. —As there is not much news in Bulls, 1 cannot write you a long letter. There was a football match here yesterday-, against Hunterville. The Huntervilles won by eleven to three. The girls of the High School have arranged to play the girls of the District School on Saturday if it is fine. AVe are expecting some visitors for the Old Pupils' Ball, which is to be held on Friday next. I must close now, with love to you and all your cousins, —From ALICE. [Dear Cousin Alice, — You say you cannot write a long letter this week because you have so little news, and I have had so much to write about this last week, that I cannot find time bo write at, isn’t, it a pity we cannot’ divide the news and the time equally between us. I wish all my Cousins could have been in Auckland for “fleet week” if only- to see the ships; at night they were like fairy ships outlined with electric light, and when the whole sixteen warships turned their searchlights on the harbour, you cannot imagine what a perfectly- lovely- sight it presented. I expect you arc all wondering why there were no Cousins’ letters in last week's “Graphic ” -Cousin Kate was so busy that she hadn't time to answer them, so they wore all field over until this week.—Cousin Kate.] 4- 4 » Dear Cousin Kate,—Please excuse me for not writing for such a long time. I have live dolls; their names are Thelma, Teddy, Susy, Rosy, and Micky. I have not so many dolls as Cousins Kathleen, and Friend have. My little sister has three dulls, &&&, Xiay, and Jessie. 16

la blowing very hard to-day. Ruth and 1 have a flower garden each. We have some primroses, snowflakes, and pansies. We all went to the big football match at New Plymouth, and Taranaki beat Britain, and I was so glad; did you go and see the match when they played at Aaeklaad’ We have a mouse in the cupboard; he is too cute for dad; he cannot trap him, and every night we hear him scampering down the passage. .Wo are going to have our examination next week, and I hope I shall pass. If J pass I will be in Standard 11. I must now close, with love to all the other Cousins ami yourself, from Cousin OLIVE. [Dear Cousin Olive, —I think you have quite a large enough family of dolls for you to look after properly. I don’t know how Cousins Kathleen and Frieda manage, they have so many, it must take them all the week just dressing them nicely for Sunday. I would like to have seen the football match between Auckland and Britain but I was not able to get there; I hope to see the Tara-naki-Auckland match. though. Of course, you want Taranaki to win, and equally, of course, I want Auckland to. Miee are rather cute I think; we have some in one of our cupboards at home, and for weeks we have been trying to catch them, and so far have never even managed to see one. Be sure and let' me know the result of your examination. I shall be very anxious to hear of your success.—Cousin Kate.]' + + -b Dear Cousin Kate. —May I be a cousin, for 1 have read the cousins’ letters in the “Graphic,” and some of them are very interesting to read. I have seven dolls, and I do not know what to call them. I am nine years old. I go to Parnell public school. We have a very nice teacher at our school. Please Cousin Kate, will you give me a blue badge, for 1 like blue best? I have only one pet, and that is a eat. There is a lady living next door to us and she has a little baby boy named Stanley. I live in Stratford-street. I know several cousins. I have a sister, named Nellie. My sister is eleven years old, and she goes to the same school as I do. We aR saw the fleet come in and go out. Have you been to see “Humpty-Dumpty” or "Mother Goose”? From Cousin HAZEL, [Dear Cousin Hazel.—Of course you may become a- cousin; I am always only too pleased when new cousins join. Haven’t yon any naijies that you have a particular fancy for? if you haven't, you might copy some of Cousins Kathleen and Frieda's names, they have ever so many dolls, and have names for all of them. I will send you a blue badge if I can find one; we are having new ones made this week, they are to be all one colour, red, I think. I pass the Parnell school every day when I come in to the office, so perhaps one of these days I may see you there. Yes, I went to see “Humpty-Dumpty,” and liked it very much, but not so well as “Mother

Goose.” I did not see “Mother Goose” this time, but 1 went when it was here last year. —Cousin Kate.] * ♦ ♦ Dear Cousin Kate, —I received the badge safely, and thank you very much for it. I was also very pleased to see my letter in print. I went to a “Song Title” afternoon last Tuesday, and had a fine time. The place was about two miles out of town, so a girl friend and myself biked out. It was a lovely day, and the road was so pretty. We have two sweet little blaek Shetland ponies, which we drive in the phaeton. They are so small, they look just like a pair of dogs. We have a motor launch, in which we go out on the river; it is lovely on the river in the summer time, on a moonlight evening, to see the shadows in the water, and the fish jumping about. We have not been out lately, the weather has been too cold. I think I must conclude now. with love and best wishes to yourself and cousins, from Cousin BERYL. Dear ‘Cousin Beryl,—l am glad your badge arrived all right, and glad you liked it. I always think letters in print look so much nicer than they do in the original handwriting: did you think your’s did? “Song Title” afternoon teas are often very amusing. We went to one a short time ago, and one had to write a story bringing in the titles of a number of modern songs, and some of them were really very good indeed. I suppose you did not win the prize at the tea yon went to. f quite envy you your pair of Shetland ponies. I have always wanted a low four-wheeled American buggy and a pair of black Shetland ponies, with touches of red on the harness; it would make a splendid little “turn-out,” especially for a lady to drive, wouldn't it? —Cousin Kate.]