The Little People’s Page

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 9, 1 March 1923, Page 39

The Little People’s Page

Conducted by Anne

My Dear Little Folk, — Among our letters of to-day you will see one from a correspondent at the Chatham Islands, and if you v ill look at your atlases you will see what a long way our new friend’s letter has come. Now, isn’t it cheerful to find that the Tablet has readers all over the place like that? Some day we may perhaps got letters from Ireland, China, and India, who knows?

Talking of far-off countries. Do you ever think, 1 wonder, of the poor children who are starving in Russia? Out here in New Zealand we do not know what it feels like to ho starving, as most of us only get hungry enough to enjoy the good meal waiting for us. Did anyone tell you or did you read anywhere that our Holy Father the Pope has given a Dig sum of money to help buy food for those poor children, boys and girls like yourselves, who are starving and suffering. What can we do to help them? Nothing perhaps, or at best very little, but children we can try to keep our hearts kind and help suffering whenever we meet it. There are not many starving children in this country to help and some of us may never, never see one. There are however, many sick children whose mothers and fathers cannot buy them the nice things we get so easily, or even perhaps, the things they need, so. try always to save something for those in distress. You’ll be surprised if you once start, in how many ways you can help, and surprised too to find out what a lot of things you can learn to do without.

What a busy time we are having with competitions and things. The Irish history essay competition is just finished, and we are all waiting for results. The Christmas story competition is finished too, and now most of you are trying in Auntie Dona’s competition. You will not get time to become rusty, and it looks as if we are going to have a bright and busy winter.

Anne.

Dear Anne, —It is my second letter 1 have wrote that I will tell you a little more. I might be going to the fishing camps to-day in our own gig with my two sisters — Mary and Katie. We will soon be starting school. My two brothers will he leaving this year if they get their proficiency and another boy will to. One of my brothers is II years old and the other is 13 years old, the the other little boy is 11 or 12. Well, dear Anne, I will close now. —Lennie Knowler, Te Wae Wae.

(Glad to hear from you again Lennie. Did you go to the fishing camps after all? Now the holidays are over and you are back at school working hard at your lessons? • —Anne.)

Dear Anne, —I am pleased to see in the Tablet that your number of correspondents is increasing. All my brothers and sisters and I have our holidays now as it is harvest time. I shall bo glad to get back to school again as there is too much work during harvest. I am 12 years old and am in the 6th std. Last year I missed being top in my class by £ of a mark, as my average was 365£ marks, while the top girl’s marks were 366. Lately we have had two terrific “nor-westers” from the Rakaia Gorge. Now I must close my letter as I have no more to say. Hoping your health is good. Frank McNeill, Lauriston. (You are back at school now Frank and the harvest days are almost forgotten. That 366 girl must have thought it was Leap Year and worked out a mark for each day, while you took just one half-holiday. Better luck next time! —Anne.) Mv dear Anne,—l am 11 years old, and 1 go to St. Joseph’s School. lam in standard A. Last year I went for the junior examination in music and I gained 73 marks. My father has a motor garage business in Temuka and my two eldest brothers work for him. I have four brothers and two sisters, and I am the youngest girl although I have one brother younger than myself. Am I the first little girl to write from Temuka ? Good-bye for the present, with love from your new friend, Eileen McGarva, Temuka. (Yes Eileen, you are my first correspondent from Temuka Did you have lots of car rides during the holidays and did you help at the garage Anne.) " Dear Anno,—l am glad wo have a page in the Tablet. I live a long way from you and we don’t have a mail very often I am seven years old and am in standard L. My daddy is in New Zealand, and I would like to' give him a surprise with my letter. We have a pet lamb, called Tommy Tucker. There are eleven fisniug launches here, and a freezer. I have three little brothers;. I learn my Catechism, but I have never seen a priest. Last Christmas

we had a little Crib. We have a. garden with cabbages, peas, carrots, potatoes, lettuces, turnips, pumpkins, parsnips, cauliflower, beans, beet, and some flowers too. Goodbye with love. Your little friend. —Edward John Prendeville, Owenga, Chatham Islands. (Dear little Edward John. Have you given up all hope of ever getting a letter from me? ' If you have been reading the Tablet every week you will understand why it has taken me such a long time to answer you. Your letter has come, the longest way of any to me.' What is it like at the Chatham Islands and is your Daddy still in New Zealand? Write to me again and tell me some more about the Islands and how you spend your time. Do you ever come to New Zealand? —

Dear Anno, —I may bo rather late in starting to write to you, but I read in last week’s Tablet that you were always glad to get more letters, I think it is so kind of you to let us, one and all unite by way of distant but near friendship. I am going to try for the sixth standard this year, I do hope I. will get it. I am making a novena to the “littleflower” for help. We have such a pretty little farmlett in Howick, we have five cows, two horses, and a little brown and black pig. Well now Dear Anne I must go and help Mother.—Milly, (Clarice.), Howick.

(Dear Milly, I hone the Little Flower helped you into Std. VI., but if she didn’t it was all for the best I am sure. Always glad to hear from you. —Anne.) .. .

Dear Anno, I was so pleased to see my last letter in the Tablet, The baby has a box of blocks' and she is so fond of them. lie and mv sister Ellen, are learning music, at the present. My cold is better now but I am often in bed sick. I. am taking medicine. I was at the beach last Sunday week and I was in for a bath and I got my photo taken. Dear Anne I must close. Doreen Knowler, Te Wae Wae. (Hope you are better now, Doreen dear, and that you will not be sick very often this year. How is the'baby, has" she still got the blocks?—Anne.) THE CHILD JESUS. [From Pearls From Holy Scripture for our Little Ones by M. J. Watson, S.J. Dedicated to the Children of the Catholic Schools.] "Be ye holy." The splendor of a soul tha.t is holy is greater in God's eyes than is the brightness of the sun in ours, and its beauty far surpasses any loveliness we can see on earth; for holiness, by making one like to Cod, gives the soul a share in the Divine beauty. Hence, it is said: "Be ye holy, because I the Lord your God am holy." The great Apostle St. Paul declared, when writing to the Hebrews, that without holiness no man should see God (Heb. xii.,l4). By these words he meant that all must be free from grievous sin and must have sanctifying grace when they are dying. You see, then, how necessary"is holiness; we cannot do without it, if we are to enter heaven. The holiest being who ever walked on this earth of ours was the Child Jesus, our Brother and Saviour. Whatever is your age at this moment, eight, or eleven, or thirteen, Jesus was, also, that age; and as He spoke and acted when just as old as you are, so you now should try to act and speak. He was kind and gentle and cheerful and unselfish, and He loved overyotte, even those who were rude and who hint Him. If you saw Him, you could not help giving Him your heart and wishing vou were as good as He was. Should you find it hard to be patient and truthful, quiet and obedient, ask Him to make you so and He will do it. Day by day as von grow in age you will then imitate the example of the'holy Child Jesus', Who will show Himself to be at all times your most loving Comrade and Brother. For does not He belong wholly to you and guard you with an infinitely tender affection? It is related in the Life, of St. Teresa that, as she was passing one day through a corridor in her convent she beheld a child of extraordinary beauty and ness standing before her. "What is thv name?" she asked "What is thine?" sm'd the child; and she replied. "I am Teresa of Jesus." Then ho answered. "And I am Teresa's v." Jesus" and vanished. Jesus is, indeed, our very own and wo may go to Him with all confidence, knowing that when we pray and try to be like Him, He will give us the nv>H precious Braces, and at last will take us to be happy with Himself for ever in heaven. --■ PRAYER. 0 Sacred Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in Thee. A MORNING HYMN. Now swift the shades of night depart, v And rosy dawn is glowing. Pray we the Lord with suppliant heart, t: ' And Hymn-notes sweetly flowing: That He in ruth may sinners spare, All bonds of anguish sever, Preserve our soul from deadly snare " '" And grant us peace for ever. ' . . ~-; ... Amen.