A PAGE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 43, 29 October 1924, Page 39

A PAGE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE

My dear Little People, * Such a big mail-bag came in this week from our dear 'Little People away over in Hastings, North Island. Also some other letters. I got a, snap too —I mean a photo you knowwhich may be on our page next week. We'll get right to work with our letters now, so that, there will be a little room, for the story. Let's fly away over to Hastings, Hawke's Bay, North Island. As all our friends have written from the Convent School we'll go straight -there and •ask Sister to let us in. : . We've got a friend for nearly •every letter of the. alphabet, so we'll start first with, |f. Tom Banks; who has a black cat called-Flip. Tom is ?ij new Little Person, and he tells us that his class-mates flayed and defeated the Central School football boys. (Good sor you Tom. Glad you have joined us.- .Hope to hear ,from you again. Anne.) . ' ".'■< ; Margaret Curtis, and Margaret is nine years old, in standard two, and has four sisters and two brothers. (Welcome Margaret, you'll be seeing us in the "Daydream" soon. ■t— Anne.) •■/'; .* ' . • ' ~; Phyllis Eileen Boissiere tells us about the rhododendrons' and lilacs which are coming into bloom, the willows and other trees which are shooting new leaves. (Glad to '.hear from you again Phyllis you'll show us round the garden won't you. Hope you pass your examination. — Anne.) jj, Geraldine Mary Fitzgerald is an old friend and just writes because she wants us to know she is well and looking ■forward to the Christmas holidays. (We'll be pleased to see .you Geraldine and hope you'll have fine holidays.—Anne.) Ivan Hilliker writes again to us and tells us the Weather is very hot in Hastings, also that the flower gardens are looking very beautiful. (What a joyous time •we'll have when we come across to you Ivan, the days are so long and fine now. Anne.) Vaughan Hallaghan is quite worried because our page was missing from the Tablet and he hopes we're all well and happy. (I'm sorry I cannot put all your letter in this time Vaughan, and I'm sorry you hurt your knee old man. You wait and see how nice ; our page will be one of these fine days.—Anne.) Dolly Kitching is a new friend who walks two miles to school and who likes to hear The Far East read every month. (Welcome Dolly, hope Sister reads the Tablet too. What a long walk you have every day. Anne.) Frank Laredo likes our letters very much. Frank has two sisters Kathleen and Mabel, two boy mates Terry Walsh and Luke O'Connell, and a big football. (What a great day we're going to have when we arrive in Hastings, Frank. . Glad to get a letter from you. Anne.) . _ - • Patrick Maggin has been reading our stories and is looking forward to the next, also to the Show in a. few weeks' time. (Wouldn't it be fun Pat if we all arrived on Show —Anne.) if Olive McConnell tells us about a birthday party her little sister had,, and there were nineteen little friends at 'it. They dressed up and played games, besides finding time /to eat. jellies, fruit salads and other good things. (You did have: a glad" party Olive, your big sister is so nice .we'd like to have her along withus*—Anne.) % '"'''Jean - /.Martin'; is another, new friend and she has five .sisters and-two brothers for. us to meet. Also at. her. home they have four cows, eight pigeons and fifteen fowls. (Jean dear bring all the family along, for us to meet. < Love.—Anne.) ' - i •'.':, • ■:.,./ ,

Conducted's by

Terence Walsh is in standard two, has a pony called Dolly, three brothers and one sister, and he has been in the Napier Hospital. Welcome Terry, are you Frank'! mate ? We hope you are all right again now and that there will beta, fine.,crop of 'fruit on your trees this season.Anne.) . ' ' ',•.-';,■" > f ?, ■,._•:. This finishes on / letters from Hastings, and to all of our Little People oyer there we say goodbye this time'; Your letters were ever so nice, so well-written and so clean that we enjoyed reading them.. Naw .we'll have a little chapter of our story: It'^l^-''-'' THE UNKNOWN LAND (continued) ''* ' ' "It is -about the.tJnknown Land," answered the young Warbler, with modest pleasure, and very innocently. "Do I hear you right, my little friend?" inquired the Magpie, with mock solemnity." "the" Unknown Land, did you say? Dear, dear! to think of finding such abstruse philosophy among the marshes and ditches! It is quite a, treat! And pray, now, what is. there that you can tell an odd old fellow like me, who ami always anxious to improve myself, about this Unknown Land?" "I don't know, except that we are going there some day," answered the Sedge Warbler, rather confused by the Magpie's manner. ;' ;' v "' "Now, that is excellent!" returned the Magpie chuckling with ; laughter. "How I love simplicity and, really, you are a choice"' specimen of it, Mr. Sedge Warbler. So you are thinking of a journey to this Unknown Land, always supposing, of course, my sweet little friend, that you can find the way to it, which, between you and me, I think there must naturally be some doubt about, under the circumstances of the place itself being unknown ! Good evening to you,'pretty Mr. Sedge Warbler. I wish you a pleasant journey "Oh, stop, stop!" cried the young bird, now quite distressed by the Magpie's ridicule; "don't go just yet, pray. Tell me what you think yourself about the Unknown Land." ... "Oh, you little wiseacre, are you laughing at me? Why, what can any body, even so clever a creature as yourself, think about an unknown thing? You can guess, I admit, anything you please about it and so could I, if I thought it worth while to waste so foolishly. But you will never get beyond guessing in such a case—-at all events, I confess my poor abilities can't pretend to do anything more." • ' "Then you ,are not going there yourself?" murmured the overpowered youngster. "Certainly not.. In the first place, I am quite contented where- I am; and, in the second place, I 'am not quite so easy of belief as you seem to be. How do I know there is such a place as this Unknown Land at all?" "My father and mother told me that," answered the Sedge Warbler, with more confidence.' "Oh, your father and motherr told you, did they?'' sneered the Magpie scornfully. "And you're a good little bird, and believe everything .your father and mother tell you. And if they were /to tell you you were going to live up in the moon, you would believe them, I suppose?" ; "They have never deceived me yet!" cried the young Sedge Warbler firmly, his feathers ruffling' with indignation as he spoke. ; : ' -\ : .■•.■■:">■ '.'■'•-,-. .;.*•-■; .^ y . ~ - : . . ; . .; , (To be continued.) '..'-' ■}-.' , / . ' " , /'—Anne.