COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 1, 6 January 1909, Page 61

COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

Dear Cousin Kate. —I am writing this letter to wish you the old, old wish, “A merry Ckristnaas and a happy New Year." I am hoping to get a holiday this Christmas. Your letter got lost; I don’t know any of your questions. Taupo is just the same as ever. It is very hot to-day. Yesterday (Sunday) we had a nk-e trip to the Bluff on the boat. It was beautiful on the lake; we just got a nice slight breeze as we rowed along. Some of our old friends went back on Saturday, and it is rather lonely. Our school “breaking-up" is over; I received a nice big book called “Sunday.” Jane got “Scotch Ballads for the Young.” my youngest brother at school got ■■Chatterbox," and Tom (next to myself I got "The Boy Settler,” or ‘‘The Adventures of Sydney Bartlett,” written by H. C. Storer. It is a very nice book; I don’t like Jane’s. Willie’s is a nice book, too. I also like my own. I would rather have boys’ books than girls’; girls’ books are not so interesting. Best wishes to all the cousins.—Cousin TAI. [Dear Cousin Tai.—lt is so very hot in town to-day that I feel fearfully envious of you when I think of you rowing about on the lake with that beautifulcool breeze. I am glad you got a prize and that you like it; I have never heard of the book. Who is it by? I don’t know why it is, but boys’ books are always nicer than girls'; people usually write such wishwashy. tame books for you, but such niee exciting ones for boys. However we read theirs, so it doesn’t make so much difference after all, does it ? Thank you for your Christmas wishes. I hope you will have a lovely time. too. Be sure you write and tell me about your presents, and what you are going to do on your holidays.— Cousin Kate.] + + + Dear Cousin Kate.—W have still got oui Cous’n Clifford staying with us, but his father came back from Rotorua to take Clifford back to Wellington. On the l<th of December we had a Christmas tree at Stoke and two bran-pies. I got a pretty little mug out of the bran-pie and a pocket-knife and a stud off the tree: I gave them both to Jim. and Jim gave me a pin-cushion in exchange. I bad a lovely time at the show; I got first prize in the ladies’ hack and second prize foi best pony. Don’t you think I was lucky? I do. I think I will be allowed to jump next year, if I can get a nice pony. There were about six women in the ladies’ hack, and I made seven. It was a beautiful black horse I rode; its name i= Starshoot, and it belongs to Mr. Fry. We have got a nice bay horse at our place and I have some lovely rides or. it: it belongs to mother. Ido hope it will be fine for Christmas, don’t jou. Mother’s flower garden wa- look-

ing lovely with sweet peas and pinks, about aweek ago, but they are all dying off now. I must now come to a elose, wishing you and all the cousins a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. From your loving cousin, MABEL. [Dear Cousin slaoel, —You will miss Clifford when he goes, won’t you? he has been with you so long he must seem like one of the family. You were not very lucky with your Christmas tree presents, were you ; but having got the knife I don’t think I would have ehanged for a pin-cushion unless it was a very pretty one. You must have had a good time at the show. I am glad you have got those prizes. What a pretty name Starshoot is, isn’t it? The horse ought to be lovely to live up to it. We are having the most lovely weather here, and I am sure we will have a fine day for Christmas ; I hope you will too and that t will be a very happy one. Your sweet peas are dying off very early surely; ours are just perfect, but we have to keep picking them every day.—Cousin Kate.) 4- 4- + Dear Cousin Kate, —1 am very sorry I equid not answer your letter before this, but I have been studying for a school examination, which took place at Matamata on 17 th of December. I don’t know whether I have passed or not. We had a Christmas Tree at the “break-ing-up" for our holidays, and I was making things for it. We had a lovely “breaking-up”; we had a little concert. This Christmas I got two pin-cushions and a box of hairpins. I must now close this letter, wishing you and all the cousins a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.—I remain. Cousin LUCY.

P.S.—I will write a longer letter next time. [Dear Cousin Lucy,—How glad you must be to have finished all those examinations, and to know that for the next six weeks you need not open a book; it is a lovely feeling, isn’t it ? What will you do with two pin-cushions? Change one for something else I suppose. What kind of things did you make for it? I take a great interest in all sorts of fancy work; 1 suppose because I am such an awful duffer at anything of that sort. I can’t sew a bit. I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year too. and I am sure you deserve it after working so hard.—Cousin Kate.] 4- + + Dear Cousin Kate.—What a nanghty girl you will think me. I have not written for so long, but it is not laziness that kept me from writing. We have been very busy liaymaking. and then we have twenty-seven cows milking, and there are only four milkers. Can you milk. Cousin Kate.? It is not what you would call hard work, but it is such a tie. You can’t go out to stay because of the cows, and the last words when we are going out are. “Be sure to be in time for milking.’’ We had our exam, on the 15th of December. I passed into Standard VI., and I hardly thought I would, for I had a severe headache. Well, dear cousin. I think I ve told you all the news, so will close with love.—From Cousin Kate, wishes for a happy X:ins and a bright New Year.

[Dear Cousin Kate.—l don’t think you are at all naughty, because I know what a horribly busy time last weeks before the Christmas holidays is. I should think it would be very hard work for three to milk twenty-seven eows, as well as a tie. I can’t milk, and I never mean to learn, in case I should find the milking left to me when we go into the country. With so many cows I wonder you don’t try a milking machine: it would be so much quicker and so much easier. If you have to get up early and milk before you go to school, I wonder you ever learn ally lessons, let alone get through your examinations. However. I am very glad you did.—Cousin Kate.] 4 1 4- 4 1 Dear Cousin Kate, suppose you have nearly forgotten me. because I have not written for such a long time. On Chrismas Day we went with Cousin Myrtle and Cousin Rita to their brother’s farm, and we <l»a enjoy the day. We went through the bush there, and we gathered a lot of niee ferns. The next day, which was Boxing Day, we went down to the beach, and a very kind man gave us a row across the river, and then we helped tire little ones to make sand hills, and then they helped us to pick up some pretty shells. Now, dear cousin, I must stop. —Cousin EBa. [Dear Cousin Ella.—l hadn’t quite forgotten you, but I thought you had for-

gotten all altout me and the Page. Did you haw your Christmas dinner at the fa rm -ho use. or did you picnic? Some friends of mine decided they would Lave a picnic dinner thin year, so off they started in a launch. and got stuck on a sand hank, and there they had to stay for ?n ; u» a long time. It rained a little, t so they had to stop in a ratlin imail cabin. I didn’t envy them a bit; they said we were horrid because we laughed. Yhat are uia fems like. I don’t think I know them at all. Don’t you love a heaco ' I do. It mso lovely just to lie down on the -and in the sun. —Cousin Kate.] Dear ( ousin Kate, — I am very sorrv that I did not write to you before. I passed my exam, last week, and I am now in the fifth standard. I went to Wanganui in the motor-car to see the hoar. race. There were a great- number of people there. Cousin Kila ix ‘staying with us, and so I thought I would try to get her to write to you. I am going tet'-k with Cousin Ella, and Cousin Myrtle is coming back with us. On Christmas Day we went with Cousin Myrtle Rita. ** We had a very pleasant time. We w-ent up in the brake, and came lack in it*. We went right through the bush and to the cave, and I am sure we all enjoyed ourselves very much. The following dav we went to the beach with Cousin Myrtle and Rita and their father and mother and a number of other friends. We had a paddle with the smaller chihiren. and helped them to make <audhills and boats. One of the little boys had a boat, and twice the string that was tied to it broke, and he had to wait till one of the waves brought it back. Then a gentleman came and took us for a row in the boat. Well, dear Cousin Kate. I must now close, as it is getting Iate.—COUSIN MARY. [Dear Cousin Mary.—l am so glad you were successful in your examinations; I congratulate you most heartily. 1 got a letter from Cousin Ella the same day as I got yours. 1 suppose she wrote it while she was with you. I would like to have been in Wanganui to see the boat race. too. Were you very excited? It must have been lovely to watch, and a crowd of people is always interesting. Of course, you were rather disappointed with the result. We all were, too; but. after all. the other man was really a New Zealander, too. so it was not quite so bad as it might have been. If I had been that small boy with the l>oat I would not have risked it twice with the same string, would you? Do you like boating? 1 don’t: I wish I did. I miss such a lot of fun. because I am always sea-sick, even in the harbour.—Cousi Kate.]