COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 25, 23 June 1909, Page 55

COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE.

EAR Cousin Kate,—My brother ■ gets the “Graphic,” and I read J the cousins’ page, and I X thought if you -will accept me as a cousin I will join. My a , e is 15 last birthday, and I have left school. Will you send me a blue badge, and I am sending an addressed envelope? I live in the South Island, and I have been to the North Island, I have lived there 10 months. One of my sisters lived there while I was there, and another married sister is living there now. They live in Featherston. I suppose you have not been there? I have four nieces and two nephews. I will write a longer letter next time. —Yours truly, Cousin MARY. P.S. —I meant to ask, Cousin Kate, if you allow us to write on another piece of paper, or just on the one. [Dear Cousin Mary,—We will certainly accept you as one of our cousins. Aren’t you rather proud of all your nieces and nephews? I think we do feel quit© important when we are “aunty” to these interesting little souls, if we are quite voung, as you are, and haven’t grown used to the" distinction. It is very pleasant having some of one’s people in another part of the Dominion, for it is such a nice change to go away and stay with them —like going to a fresh place to live. I have never been to Featherston, but I am sure that, being a centre of such rich farming country, it must be an interesting place; and it has a great future before it, one would think. I should much like to visit Canterbury. The cold down there must be so bracing. Are you taking up any course of study or self-improvement, now that your schooling is over, Cousin Mary? Did you notice the picture in the “Weekly Graphic” for June 9th called “A Hopeless Dawn”? It is very fine, is it not? Do you love good pictures? Dear me, how inquisitive I am! But I love them so much myself that I like other people to love them also. If you read the artist’s account of this picture, you will •ee that the whole picture eame into

his mind from his seeing a candle, which he had omitted to extinguish, burning itself out. You are quite at liberty to write on another sheet of paper; what we don’t like is to have the letters ■written on both sides of the sheet.— Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate,—lt is time I wrote to you again. We have another cowmilking. Her name is Peggy, and now there are seven cows milking. We have a stove in our dolls’ house. Mother papered the walls and put a window in the sitting-room, and hung up white muslin curtains. I have a game of draughts, a donkey-race, a Foo game, and a motoring game. Freda and I have a small bookshelf full of books. Have you ever read a book called “Carrots—just a Little Boy”? It is a lovely story. —Yours truly, Cousin KATHLEEN.

[Dear Cousin Kathleen, —I am glad you thought it was time to write to me again, for I was very glad to get your nice letter. Is your Peggy a Jersey, or a Holstein, or of what breed is she? What a clever mother you must have. I think I know- a mother something like her. The things the mothers do are far better than things one just buys out of a shop, aren’t they? The little sitting-room must look really sweet. I am immensely interested in your donkey-race game, because, though I have never seen ft, I imagine something of how it must be played. When we were little things, our man used to tease us if rye were late coming down in the morning by saying that we would win the donkey raee. And we found that in a donkey race nobody rode his own donkey, but everyone rode someone else’s donkey, and the donkey which came in last won. Is your game like that? You are well off for games. You and Freda will presentlv have quite a library; you have made a very good start. I have not read “Carrots,” but I am sure it must be lovely. I am very fond of little boys, and if I were ever clever enough I should like to write a book about one. One of the prettiest stories I remember reading when I was a child was called “The Little Captive King.” It was about the little son of Louis XVI. of France, and how he was treated at the time of the French Revolution. I am reading the story of the Revolution again now, but this time it is written by another writer —a wonderfully clever man called Thomas Carlyle. I shall always think it the right timo to get another letter telling me about your pleasant doings, Cousin Kathleen.— Yours affectionately, Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate, —I hope you are quite well. Terence is a dear little boy; he talks a lot now, and he joins us in our games. He is a great singer. I have a game of Ludo, Domino, Cats and Dogs, and a game of Motor-car race. Frank is coming home for three weeks’ holiday on June 18, which will be my birthday. I shall be 10 years old. I have 11 little dolls and four big ones. I have more than 24 books, and they are all nice ones.—From Cousin FREDA.

[Dear Cousin Freda, —I am very well, thank you, and I hope you are well too. What a dear little laddie your little Terence must be. I should just love to hear him sing. I know a little boy who used

to sing (it was really only talking with him, for he did not get the tune at all well), when he was two and a-half years’ old. One evening we were all waiting to hear him sing “The Yeoman’s Wedding.” It begins “Ding-dong, ding-dong. I love the song,” and just when he got to the part saying “I love the song,” and his mother was helping him, to our great amusement he said he didn’t love the song. I can assure you we all burst out laughing. I suppose you generally count it a win for Terence when he is playing with you. whether he really wins or not, because he is such a little man. I sometimes play dominoes when I go to stay with a friend who has several children. The excitement is great, and we have a very good time. Motorcar Raee seems to be in favour just now. You will be having a happy time on the 18th, won’t you? Many happy returns of the day. Do tell us what you did on your birthday when next you write. What a family of dolls! I see that you have even more books than dolls. I suppose Terence likes to get hold of them and read them upside down. —Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate, —I was so pleased to get my badge, and to see my letter in print. My little sister said she would like to write to you, but I told her I did not think she could write well enough yet. I am going to the dancing classes. The name of the school is Maretaha, but the place is Muriwai. My little sister and I have lovely big dolls, but those are put away, and we have small ones to play with. Love to all the cousins, not forgetting yourself.—Cousin RITA.

[Dear Cousin Rita, —I am glad you like the badge. You see, you have your badge in silk, and your letter in print, haven’t you? If your little sister’s writing can be made out I would very much like her to send me a letter, and become a cousin. I should be very sorry, indeed, for any little sister not to write, if she would really like to do so. If you are attending a dancing class I suppose you are learning to carry yourself very nicely. What thrifty little souls you and your sister must be to take such care of your best dolls. I once knew three little girls who each had a very special doll, with flaxen hair and leather hands. The number of fingers on these dolls became less as the dolls became .smaller; the youngest sister’s doll had only two or three fingers on each hand. Isn’t the smell of new dolls lovely? Write again soon, Cousin Rita.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate, —May I become a cousin, as I always read the “Graphic” and see all the other Cousins' letters, and enjoy reading them very much. Would you please send me a red badge, as I should like one. I have four more brothers and’ three sisters. One younger sister lives with her auntie at Springrove as companion to finish her ’schooling. She came down from there in the train yesterday morning, and returns back again on Monday morning.—l remain, your wou'd-be Cousin LEONARD.

[Dear Cousin Leonard, —I had posted your badge before I received your envelope, and I hope you like it. lam glad you like reading the letters. It is good practice for our cousins, and very inter-

esting for me, answering an the letter* sou are very well off to have so many brothers and sisters. It is grand to belong to a large family; you can have such lovely koreros when you are all together. Do you ever run a magazine of your own, or anything like that? It is great fun. How much you must have enjoyed having your sistc? with you for the week end. Do you ever go to Springrove? 1 have a young friend who is doing just the same thing as your younger sister, only in my friend’s case it is only for music she is staying with her aunt, for she has left school. Do you play football or hockey. Cousin Leonard? Do you train for your school sports, or are you a cadet? I see by the paper that Lieuten-ant-General Baden-Powell has now 130,000 boys enlisted in his Imperial corps of boy scouts. and that 120,000 more boys, belonging to the Church I.ads' Brigade and the Jewish Boys' Brigade, are going to ally themselves with this movement. When you write again. Cousin Leonard, will you please put your name and address in full, as you have done this time. Though we do not print them, we like to have the name and address, because we have often several cousins of the same name and it is much easier to see just which cousin it is writing if we have this guide.—Cousin Kate.]

Dear Cousin Kate, —I shall be very pleased if you will accept me as one of your cousins. I often read the letters in the “Graphic,” and I think it is very nice to correspond in such a way. 1 havo got two cats, called Tom and Smut, and I have also a pug dog, whose name is Chummie. Smut and Chummie are good mates, and they play together most of the time. In the way of birds we havo a talkative parrot and three bantams. Will you send me a badge, please? This is all the news at present. — I remain, your loving Cousin, KITTY. [Dear Cousin Kitty, r—l am very p’eased to accept you as one of my cousins. Is Chummie a very popular name for pug dogs? I think it must be rather tha fashion, for I know a lady who has a dear little pug by that name. Talking about pugs reminds me of a pathetic little story I once read. It was by a famous writer, I believe, though I am very* sorry I cannot recall liis name. It was called "Puggie’s Grave” (hot that I think your puggie will soon have a grave). But this puggie died, and had been buried, and the children were charging a button admission to see the grave. And there was one little girl who was so poor that she hadn’t a button to pay. so she just sat in a corner and cried because they would not let her in. Yon have a delightful little zoo, and reading about all your pets reminds me of a very interesting journey I once had down the line. It was in a second-class carriage. And in a second-class carriage I find one has more fun than in a first, if less comfort. In this carriage there were a young couple, with several children, eno of them a baby, and a large cage of birds. There was also another party who had with them a pair of splendid cats, huge fellows they were, each in s hamper by himself. They kindly offered me one to feel how heavy he was, and I assure you, Cousin Kitty, I would rather have carried him half a mile than a mile, especially as 1 wa.s nursing t-ha baby. Parrots are splendid fun. aren’t they? A neighbour of mine has one, and one day the cat got to :t and hurt it, and when its mistress picked it up it nestled against her and said “Puss!" Thank you for your account of youi pets. —Cousin Kate.] + + + Dear Cousin Kate, —As we have co» menced to take the “Graphic” weekly, 1 took the advantage of the opportunity of becoming one of your many cousins. We have for some years occasionally taken t’he “Graphic,” but father went to the Winter Exhibition, and was persuaded by the attendant in charge of tha “Star" publications to become an annual subscriber, being tempted by the small subscription. We live at Epsom, but have not been in the district very long. We like it very much, as it is very healthy, and very good soil for gardening. Among my pets are a few fowls, a canary, ami a beautiful striped cat. It enjoys sitting by a warm tire of • cold morning. The canary, as its cage hangs in the sun, whistles beautifully, and bursts out in a clear note. The colour of the canary is a pretty orang* vellow, with green stripes. The last of my pets are the fowls, which are se tame that they will eat off your hands, and you can catch them with the greatr

est of ease. Hoping to be accepted as one of the *’Gr iphic” cousins. 1 remain, your loving Cousin, MADGE. P.S. —1 am thirteen years of age, so 1 Mill be a junior cousin. [Dear Cousin Madge. I think you are a wise little woman to decide to become a “Graphic*’ cousin now that you will see the paper regularly. And 1 hope

that now you have joined our society you wit’ often write to us. But we do not limit our cousinship to those who take the paper. Any hoy or girl may write to us, and become a cousin, only, of course, it is much nicer if you see the ‘'Graphic” regularly. Did you go to the Winter Show, too? It was so very good. I do not wonder you like Epsom so much. 1 think it very pretty.

indeed. To me it has such a p?acefu', reposeful look. The trees, with their shadows round them, the beautiful seagulls flying about, and One-tree Hill, with its whispering aspen grove, keepin; watch over all, have quite a eharm of their own. 1 suppose you take an interest in gardening, or at least in flowers. A cat on the hearth on a cold day gives the finishing touch. But does your cat

love to come in and stretch herself in fro-nt of the range in the very middle of summer* That’s what our cat does. Isn’t it absurd? What a pretty canary yours must be. Fowls do become very tame if one is kind to them. Please send me an addressed envelop?, Cousin Madge. I would like to send you a badge badge, but do not know your surname. - —Cousin Kate.]