Children's Page

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 24, 9 December 1908, Page 68

Children's Page

COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE. Cousins requiring badges are requested to send an addressed envelope, when the badge will be forwarded by return mail. YOUNGER COUSINS’ LETTERS. Dear Cousin Kate, — 1 received my badge quite safely last week. 1 think it is very pretty. Thank you very much for it. We had a bonfire party on the 4th of November; it was splendid tun. Our holidays begin in about three weeks. We are going to the show on Friday. Are you? We have a homer pigeon for a pet now. —With love from Cousin GORDON. | Dear Cousin Gordon.- 1 am glad you like your badge. Why did you have your bonfire on the 4th instead of the sth? Two of my little friends put theirs off till the following Satuday because they were asked to go and see a very big bonfire. so they had two nights' fun instead of one. Is that what you did, too? 1 went to the show, but 1 don’t think it was as good as usual except the horses; and I think they were better. Did you enjoy it very much?—Cousin Kate.] Dear Cousin Kate, —Thanks for the nice badges. I think they are so pretty. The red one is very pretty, so is the blue. We have been to the Funnel three times since 1 wrote last week, and enjoyed it so much. The Funnel is a funnel-shaped part of the river near the mouth of the Wairou, and we go past it when we go to Auckland. Jt is very hot to-day, and the birds are singing gaily. 1 have just been digging a place to put some dahlia bulbs into. Fritz is going to write you himself now. I am nine years Gid now, and I can read the fourth standard book. Fritz is seven, and can read standard one book. Fritz. Kim and 1 have two little ducks each. Winnie Upton was so good. She gave me a pet lamb; it is such a dear little thing, and its name is Barbara. I have two gardens, a flower garden and a vegetable. 1 must close now. 1 remain your loving Cousin ROSAMOND. | Dear C ousin Rosamond,—l had not heard from you for such a long time, L began to think you had forgotten me, so directly the r.ew badges camo, I sent one off to you as a gentle reminder. I have been up your way once or twice, but 1 didn't remember the Funnel a bit. 11 ever I go again I must look out for it. You must be a very energetic gardener to keep two gardens going at once. Which garden do you like host? Miss Upton’s present was lovely, wasn’t it? What a pretty name you chose for it. We had a pet lamb once. The mother died, and we I rie.d to feed the lamb with a baby’s bottle, but it didn’t live very long. Dur little ducklings disappeared; we think the cat must have eaten them, or perhaps the rats got them. I hope you will Lave better luck.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate, —Thank you for the badges; they are so pretty. 1 have the blue one. My little ducks are always in the water, and the mother hen does not like it. We have two little calves; one is black and the other one is a brindle colour, and their names are Darky and Nancy.—With love from Cousin FRITZ. [Dear Cousin Fritz, —Rosamond told me you were going to write your letters yourself now. lam glad; it shows how well you are getting on with your lessons, doesn’t it? 1 am glad you liked your badge. What made you choose the blue one. I thought boys liked red best. Those poor old mother hens do have a worrying time with ducklings, don’t they? It must be bad enough to manage ten or twelve chicks all at once, but to have ducklings that will go into the water, and do all sorts of things she doesn’t understand, must be awful. Do you ever feed Darkey and Nancy ? 1 tried to feed two calves last year, but they used just to butt me away, and knock the milk bucket over, so 1 gave it up. — Cousin Kate.'j ~, •fr 4> Dear Cousin Kate, —I am very sorry 1 have not written for so long; the reason is that we have been without help for a good long while. Thank you very much for the nice red badge you sent me; it was very good of you. 1 have got such a dear little niece; she is eight months old. She lives 10 miles out in the country, so we don’t see much of her, but every time she comes in we make a great fuss over her. I have two pets —a puss and a fowl. One day niy pussy’s tail got caught in the door. .1 am very fond of reading books. Thank you very much for putting my letter in the ’■Graphic.” I will try to write more regularly now we have got help. With much love, from Cousin ISOBEL. [Dear Cousin Isobel,—l m glad vou have got somebody to help you at last; it seems so hard to find anyone to work for you nowadays. It is the same cry everywhere. The badges are pretty, I think. 1 am glad you are pleased with yours. I think little baby girls are sweet. You must be sorry your niece lives so far away, but perhaps you would spoil her if she lived closer. I can quite understand what a pet you make of her when she comes in. Poor old puss! I hope her tail won't come off altogether. That happened to one of ours once, and she looked so unhappy about it; but she got used to it quite soon. I am very fond of reading, too. What books do you like best? I used to like all boys’ books best; they were more exciting.—Cousin Kate.] 4- 4- 4Dear Cousin Kate, —As I have not written to you for a long time, J must try and write you a long letter. It was a busy day election day with the motorcars and cabs. Monday, November IC, Motiograph moving pictures were here. The pictures were; “A Trip to the Clouds, ’’ “Through Ireland on a .Tonnt-ing-Car,” ‘The Adventures of an Irish Terrier," “Hulda's Lovers,” “A Tour through Scotland,” “Thompson's Night Out,” “Captain Starlight,” “Mother

Goose and her Magic Eggs,” “The Life and Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” “Maskelyne and Cook,” and “Tom, the Piper’s Son.” They played games and sang songs, too. Cousin Lorry has a bad cold. We will soon be having our examination. I was reading some of the letters in the farmers’ paper. One ot the new writers was telling about himself, and he said that he had big feet and red hair. In the farmers’ paper all the cousins have names of birds, flowers and other things. I think that I have written you a long letter, so I will close now, as I have no more news to tell you. With love to you and all your cousins, from Cousin ALICE. ■ [Dear Cousin Alice, —It is a fearfully long time since yori wrote to us. I really thought you must have stopped for all time. Election day here was very busy too, though very quiet, but in the evening there was great excitement. Such crowds of people in town waiting for the results to come through. The boy that wrote to the “Farmer’s” cousins was not at all conceited, was he? Not a very flattering description, was it? though I love red hair, and always wish mine was red Instead of brown. I haven’t been to see any moving pictures for ages; last time they made my eyes so sore and tired that I vowed I wouldn’t go again, but those you saw sound very fascinating. Did you enjoy them very much? I hope Lorry’s eold is better by this time; it is time he wrote again, too—more than time.—'Cousin Kate.]