COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 October 1910, Page 58

COUSINS’ CORRESPONDENCE

Ashhurst. EAR COUSIN KATE,—We have I K one week's holiday. My mother ■ is not well, so she left home for J a holiday. My aunty is staying J with us, and we all tike her very much. I am 12 years old. Have you ever been to Ashhurst? Next time I write I will tell you all about it. Dear Cousin Kate, I will end with a ridd»e, “Why does a dog wag its tail? ’ I am, your loving cousin, BENA. [Dear Cousin Lena, —Your letter is rather a sad one. I hope you felt brighter before your holiday was over. I have passed Ashhurst when staying in the district Is the answer to your ridtfie. Because the tan can’t wag the dog? With love.—Cousin Katel 4 i i Riwaka. Dear Cousin Kate—May I become one of your cousins? I am teu years old, and I am in the second standard. I have an Angora goat, which I put tn the cart. He >s a beautiful fellow, with long silky hair and Is verv strong, and can pull heavy loads of swedes, or give any of us a ride. One day we went up the hill, and took Socra_tt» ith’e aoatl. and he brought a coil of wirenetting down. He can pull me quite easily and trots along slowly. May I have a badge. I must now close, with love to all the cousins and yourself—From Cousin ALLEYNE. [Dear Couain Alleyne,—l can't quite make out it vou are a boy or a girl; somehow I fancy a boy. Socrates must be a grand chap. When I was a girl we had a beauty, and used to have the greatest fun, but one day coming down a hill, he •bolted, and overturned the cart, and my sister was thrown out. and her arm broken, so we were not allowed to have him, and gave him away to some boys. We are very glad to have you for a cousin, and I hope you will write often. With love. —Cousin Kate.] * * * Hamilton. Dear Cousin Kate, — I now take up my pen to write you a few lines asking you to accept me as one of your cousins. I am Seventeen years of age, and reside with my parents in this place. I have left school now some five years, being in the 6tb Standard. I have sisters and brothers, all of them younger than myseU. It is very iu-

teresting to read the different letters from the cousins. Cousin Kate, will you send me a badge? I know a boy heie who has one, and I think they are very nice indeed. Well, I will now close, with much love to all the cousins and yourself. — Cousin MABEL. (Dear Cousin Mabel, — Yes, of course, you will be a senior cousin, and I hope you will write often. I am glad you find the letters interesting. — With love. Cousin Kate.] £ £ £ Ormondville. Dear Cousin Kate, — I am sorry I have not written before, but I have been wriing to auntie rather much lately. In your last letter, you asked me to tell you about Ormondville. It is a pretty village in the centre of four villages smaller than itself: (1) Norsewood (you sometimes see it marked in the map in the time-table), (2) Whetckura, (3) Makotuku, and (4) Takapau. < Have you ever been to any of them. In one place in Ormondville called the Pretty Place, there are a lot of totara (bush) trees. Underneath the trees are numerous native plants, such as the matapo, lancewood, etc. I think it well deserves its name. If you would like some, I could get you as many as you like. I see you told Cousin Albert to call one of the cats Buster. That is my cat’s name. I must close now. with love to you and the other cousins. — MADGE. [Dear Cousin Madge, — Thank you for your nice letter, and your offer of the trees, but as I have no garden, I could make no use of them. Yes, your letter will be in the “Graphic” soon. With love, Cousin Kate.] £ £ £ Denniston. Dear Cousin Kate, — As I have nothing to do, I thought I would write you a few lines. The weather is fine up here, just at present. There was a fire here to-day; it was the doctor’s house. We bad our examination from Wednesday to Friday; I came fourth. By brother came third in the 4th Standard. My pet cat has got some little kittens. The whooping cough is very bad up heie this season, and such a lot of people have got it, especially the babies. My sister is at Nelson now for a few months I think this is all this time. I will now close, with love, from DAISY. — P.S-. — This is a riddle for you and your cousins: As I stood on the haibour, I saw a ship a-sailing, and what was the name of the captain? [Dear Cousin Daisy, — I am glad to hear from you again, and also to know you did so well in your examinations. I hope you don’t get whooping cough. With love, cousin Kate.] * i * Aromoho. Dear Cousin Kate, — Will you accept me as one of your cousins? I have been reading, the interesting letteis in the “Graphic.” I did not see any letters from Aramoho, and I thought I should like to write. I am fourteen years of age, and have passed the Sixth Standard. I shall be a senior cousin. I have a bicycle, but I do not ride it very often, as we live near the trams. 1 had a pet duck, which my brother found in the bush, but last week we found it dead in the garden. We were all very soiry, and buried it. I must stop now, as it is iate. Good-bye to all the other cousins, not forgetting yourself. — From ESSIE. ]Dear Cousin Essie. — I am delighted to have you for a cousin, and hope you will write often. I have never been to Aramoho or Wanganui. So you must tell meal! about them. — With love, Cousin Kate.] £ £ £ Aramoho. Dear Cousin Kate, — I have been reading the intei esting letters in the “Graphic,” and I should like to become one of your cousins. I am eleven years of age. and am in the Fourth Standard. I have a big cat, which we have had for three or four years. I have a vegetable garden with some peas in it. Please send me a navy blue badge. — I remain, your loving cousin, JESSIE. [Dear Cousin Jessie. — I am glad you want to be a cousin. W’e are pleased to have you. What a useful sort of garden to have. How jolly it will be when your pens aie ready for picking. Won’t you be proud. With love, Cousin Kate.] £ £ £ Kainui. My dear Cousin Kate, — I was very pleased to see my letter in the “Graphic.” My cousin said he would like to write to you, but his father does not take the “Graphic.” He is stopping with us for a month nr two. Up goes to school with us in the morning. My sister Rene was very pleased to see her letter in the “Graphic.” My mother is veiy ill in bed. I have been ill in bed too. and have not been to school for a week. Mx cousin is getting a lot

better, but my aunty is very ill in bed too. Now Cousin Kate, I must stop, with love to all the cousins and yourself, from Cousin ELLA. [Dear Cousin Ella, — Your letter seems to be rather a tale of woe. Why don’t you send the “Graphic” to your cousin after you have read it? Then he could join our circle. —With love, Cousin Kate.) £ £ £ Kainui. Dear Cousin Kate, — I received your kind little letter, which was in the “Graphic.” Now. you want to know all about Kainui. Well, it is a place surrounded with native bush, a great deal of fern, it is a little lonely, but I enjoy it very much. It is a good, healthy pltce. But in a very short. time I am going back to Kaikoura, where I came from. I am going back to help my grandfather and grandmother with cows for the factory. Now, dear cousin, I will soon have to stop, as I have no news, and I have to w’rite to another girl friend in Kaikoura. So I must now conclude with best love to all the other cousins and not forgetting yourself. — From Cousin RENE. [Dear Cousin Rene, — Many thanks for your nice letter. I expect you are too busy ever to feel lonely. You are a clever little girl to be able to milk cows. Write again soou. With love, Cousin Kate.] £ £ £ Kaimiro. Dear Cousin Kate, — I would very much like to become one of your cousins. I am ten years old, and I am in the Fourth Standard. I hope you will send be a blue badge. I like reading best. I have read a good few books, some of them are: “Father’s Coming Home,” “Kittle Women,” “Happy Days.” and others. W’e milk thiity cows, and in winter, when the grass is scarce, we fed them on hay and turnips. Kaimiro is a very pretty place, and in the background is Mount Egmont. I have a nice black pony, and its name is “Tip-top,” and I often ride'him to school. — With love, Cousin EILEEN.

(Dear Cousin Eileen, — I think yoe lucky to live near such a beautiful spot as Mount Egmont. I have seen K from every side, and it hi very beautiful. Mow nice for you to have a pony of your own. I am pleased to welcome you amongst us. — With love, Couain Kate.] £ £ £ -1 Rockville. . Dear Cousin Kate, — Please may I become one of your cousins. I shall be pleased if yojj will aeept me. I ani >ten years old, and my birthday comes on .the 6th of July. I have been at school three weeks, and I like it very much. I have a hand camera, and I very often go out with mother to take views. We have had such a lot of rain here lately, but I think it i» going to be fine now. I think this is all 1 have to say, so good-bye. — With love, from Cousin IRIS. [Dear Cousin Iris, — Yes, we are pleased to have you join us. Some day you must send me a picture you have taken. It is a horrid, dull, wet day here, and I have a bad cold. With love, Cousin Kate.] £ £ £ Devonport. Dear Cousin Kate, — Will you please accept me as one of your number. My fathen takes the “Graphic,” and I delight in reading the cousins’ letters. I am thirteen years of age and in the Fourth Standard. My favourite study is reading, and I like it very much. Dear Cousin Kate, have you ever read the books named the “Melbourne House,” or “Millicent’s Home.” They are beautiful books. Will you please send me a red badge. As this is my first time of writing, I will bring my letter to a close. With love to all the cousins and yourself, GEORGENA. [Dear Cousin Georgena. — I am delighted for you to join our circle. Thank you for your nice letter. I can quite understand how fond you are of reading. Yes* T have read the books you mention, and liked them so much. With love, Cousin Kate.] £ £ £ Koromiko. Dear Cousin Kate, — I saw my letter in the “Graphic,” and was very pleased. I am bo glad I may be a cousin. We had two little pet lambs, and one died. The lamb’s name is Buster. We have also a little pup named Rags. Please will you give me a name for one of my dolls. It is raining and blowing here to-day. Koromiko is about five miles from Picton, and it is a beautiful place for farming and dairying. There are a lot of hills surrounding the place, and they look so nice. My father owns a large hill. Our examination is this month, and I hope I pass. My father has six cows in milk, and he sends the milk to the factory. . Do you like reading. Cousin Kate? I like it very much. Please excuse bad writing, as I have a bad pen. Good-bye, Cousin Kate. — Cousin MAY. [Dear Cousin May, — Thank you for your nice little letter. How would Myrtle do for your dolly? From the description you send, your home must be very pretty. Yes, I love reading. Write again soon. —• With love, Cousin Kate.]

Hastings. Dear Cousin Kate. — I think it is time I wrote to you. I thank you very much for the nice badge. We hare a little fox terrier dog. and he- is"called Sam. He is such a dear little feUow. and keeps all the mice and rats away from our place. We Ware also two kittens and two cats. The two kltteas are pure black and the big ones aie black -and white. I went to ••Aladdin." and thought It was lovely. Was not Widow Twankey funny. They did

not show the balloon. I must close now with this riddle: Why is n cat on Its hind legs like the great falls of Niagara . —- Love to yourself and the cousins, from Cousin PAT. [Dear Cousin Pat. — lam glad you wrote again. I am very keen bn fox terriers they are such smart little chaps. I am glad you enjoyed “Aladdin"; it was very funny 1 can’t think what the answer to your riddle can be. — With love, Cousin Kate.]

Xlettle’s Valley. Dear Cousin Kate. —. May I become one of the “Graphic" cousins’ I am 12 years old. aud in the Fourth Standard «t school. I have four brothers and three alstcts. Obe of my brothers has been 111 lately. We PlayJioc ki-y. football, and cricket at our school. The Short girls are getting a croquet set aoom We are haring beautiful weather here at present* My sister takes music lessons and I am going to lears soon. We have seven fn now, and I help to milk them.

Our garden Is looking very well now We have plenty of spring dowers out in bloom. We are busy sowing vegetable seeds now. Well. Cousin Kate, as this is my first letter to you. I must not make it too long, •o good bye. — With love, from DENZIL. [Dear Cousin Denali, — 1 am to have you join the cousins circle. Will you write again and put your full name and address? and then I will send the badge along. — With love. Cousin Kate.]