Dot's Little Folk

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24422, 7 October 1940, Page 10

Dot's Little Folk

TO ALL Dear Little Folk, —In these days of strife and tumult, when the war news overshadows' everything else, the death of a poet does not attract a great deal of attention, but the recent cable from London announcing the passing of W. H. Davies will have been read with regret by all who are familiar with his writings, and, as several of his poems have appeared from time to time in this page, I think it will not be out of place to pay some small tribute to his memory. He was a great lover of the wide open spaces, and in his younger days led a vagrant and wandering life, during the course of which he visited America, and threw in his lot with tramps and vagabonds. At the age of 30, however, he had an accident which resulted in the loss of a foot, and during his illness and convalescence he experienced so much kindness that it changed his whole outlook on life. On his recovery he returned to England with the intention of seeking literary fame in London. Like many others before him, he had a hard struggle, and his first attempt ended in disaster. This only made him more determined than ever to succeed, but the old wandering spirit seized him, and he resolved to travel through England as a hawker, selling buttons, laces, needles and pins, until he earned enough to publish a volume of his poems. Finally, after many disappointments, he achieved success in his chosen career, and won for himself a place in the literary world, at the same time receiving State recognition in the form of a pension, so that the remainder of his life, in striking contrast to ns early years, was passed in comfort and security. His wants were simple, and he scorned clothes and jewellery; he would, he says, " rather take a free country walk, leaving thi road for the lesstrodden paths of the hills and lanes, than ride in a yacht or a coach.” He wrote prose as well as verse, and dealt with many different subjects, but it Is as a Nature poet that he has a particular interest for us. “My love of Nature,” he writes, “ was terrific. Even Wordsworth couldn’t have felt is as I did. The birds were my friends. I talked to the cows'over the fence—and to the horses and sheep. I could almost kiss the earth in my affection for it.” He expressed this love of Nature in such poems as " The Kingfisher,” “ Early Morn." “ Early Spring.” “ The Rainbow,” and others too numerous to mention. These are so simple that they can be understood and their beauty appreciated by children well as by grown-ups, and 1 would recommend those of .you who wish to write good poetry to study the poems of this great lover of Nature. The' following one has been published here before, but to mark the passing of its author in what is our spring time, I think it will not be inappropriate to insert it again: EARLY SPRING How sweet this morning air in spring. When tender is the grass and wet! X see some little leaves have not Outgrown their curly childhood yet; And cows no longer hurry home “ How ever sweet a voice cries “Come.” Here with green Nature all around . While that fine bird the skylark sings: Who now in such a passion is. He flies by it, and not his wings; And many a blackbird, thrush, and sparrow Sing sweeter, songs that 1 may , borrow; These watery swamps’ and thickets wild— Called Nature’s slums —to me are more Than any courts where fountains iSlay. And men at arms guard every door; For I could sit down here alone, And count the oak trees, one by one. Wishing you happy days.—Your loving DOT. LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLK

Motto. We write for the benefit of others, not for ourselves. NEW MEMBERS Dot extends a special welcome to the following Little Folk who have written to the page for tht first time this week:— Miss Bombardier, Pineapple, Happy me Dwarf, Curly, Popeye, Little Brown Koala, Percy the Pig. FIRST LETTERS Dear Dot, —May I join youi band of Little Folk? I am six years old, and in Primer IV at school. I have a pet cat called Timmy, and a guinea pig that I keep In a cage. I have only one brother and no sisters. I live next door to New Zealand. Butterfly. She was away for her holidays when she wrote to you. I feed the hens and gather the eggs for mother when I, come home from school at night. Lots, of love and best wishes to yourself from LITTLE BROWN KOALA (Tarras). ¥ , ¥ ¥ Dear Dot. —May 1 join your band of Little Folk? I am seven years old, and in Standard I at school. We have a big Labrador dog which we call Lofty Blomfield, because he is so big.- I hedp dad to milk the cow at nights when I come home from school, as it is late by the time dad gets in from work. Love to all the other Little Folk and yourself. PERCY THE °IG (Tarras). ¥ . ,' ¥ ¥ Dear Dot, —May I join your happy band of Little Folk ? I am 11 years old and in Standard 111 at school. On September 27 we had a fancy-dress party. I dressed i as Happy the Dwarf. As this is my first ! letter I shall close now. with love to all | the Little Folk and your own dear self. _ \ HAPPY THE DWARF (Hakataramea)‘ [I have had to alter your nom de plume, Happy the Dwarf, as it has already been taken. You .must tell me about the party.—DOT.] .t * * Dear Dot, —May I- become a member of your band of Little Folk ? 1 am five years old and have three sisters' and three brothers. We have three pet lambs One drinks out of the bottle and the other two drink out of a pot. Would you. please, give me a name for them ? I will close now. with love to all CURLY (Clinton) [I think you must be the youngest of all the Little Folk, Curly, and I give you a very special welcome. For your .age you write very nicely indeed. Call the lambs Frisky. Bonny, and Topsy.—DOT 1 ¥• ¥ ¥ Dear Dot,—May 1 join your happy band? I like reading your page very much. We have 10 horses and one cat. The cat’s name is Pretty. We have three dogs and four cows. I am 10 years of age and in Standard 111. With love to all the Little Folk and your own dear self. PINEAPPLE (Hakatararpea). h- *t» Dear Dot, —May f loin your happy band of Little Folk? “Mittens" and “Dad and Dave ” are my favourite serials on the wireless. There are five teachers at our school. 1 am sure that the Air Force Queen will be Queen of Otago I have four pets—a cat. canary, bantam, and a bantam rooster. I like sewing and knitting very much. There is a picture on tonight, and it is called “From the Manger to the Cross.” MISS BOMBARDIER (Tapanui). f ■ t Dear Dot—May 1 join yout band of Little Folk ? I enjoy reading the letters in Monday's paper. lam in the Balclutha Hospital just now with a sore leg, The doctor is very nice and kind, and so are the nurses. As this is my first letter I shall close now. With love io all the Little Folk and to you, dear POPEYE (Balclutha), [1 am sorry to hear you are in hospital, Popeye. and hope your leg will soon be better. As you will see. I have had to •Iter your nom de plume slightly.—DOT.l BES'I LETTERS JUNIOR SECTION (under 14 years). Dear Dot—Here 1 am again writing to your page. I have two dolls named Betty •nd Rosy On Saturdays I take them out for a walk in the sunshine. We have a new calf, which Jim has named Billy. He is quite tame, and I have only to hold out my hand and he will come up and let me pat him. We hope to go- to the gala on Saturday. Love to all the Little Folk and yourself. YELLOW PRIMROSE (Peebles), [i nope you enjoyed the gala. Yellow Primrose. You must write and tell me about it.—DOT.l . ¥ ¥ ¥ Dear Dot.—l am going to tell you about our pig. It is white. Sometimes it comes Into the back yard and digs up the ground.

laeojOumted duly 16,1886,

w oy tne OTAGO WITNESS

Dot invites letters of not more than MOO words In length from her .voting friends throughout the Dominion on any matters in which.they are interested. New members must enclose their name and address. These will not be published, and are for registration purposes only. Little folk should write on one side of Hie paper only, and In Ink. and should address their letters “Dot, care of Editor, Otago Daily Times.” Every letter must state the ago of the writer for Dot’s private information The retiring age Is 21, after which Little Folk become Old Writers Dot’s Little Polk’s Badge, with pin, for use as a brooch. Is oUtainable on application to Dot. Price 2s fid, in stamps or postal notes.

It eats up the wheat when we feed the hens, and it chases the cows. It is a very tame pig. It lets you have a ride, and if you call " Pig, Pig 1 ” it comes running up to you. NIPPY (Clyde).

[Pigs are- evidently not so stupid as they look, Nippy, and yours must be quite intelligent.—DOT.]

Dear Dot,—We have two new calves. One is black and white and the other is red. There are six of us now, because mummy has got a new wee baby girl. The youngest one at home is Alan. Love to all the Little Folk and yourself. FRUIT (Alexandra).

[How lovely to have a new baby sister. Fruit. What are you going to call her?— DOT.]

Dear Dot,—l am going to tell you this time about the pig we have. It is white in colour, and has a curly tail and brown eyes. Could you give it a name? My pals at school are Little Miss Thirteen and Little Aberdonian Lass. My hobbies are stamp collecting and out-door sports. I have a big cat at home whose name is Peter, and Little Miss Thirteen has a cat named Fred. On November 19 we are going to have some sports. I have been at home three days with a cold. We are sending our milk away to the factory now. Love to the Little Folk and your own dear self. LADY JANE (Heriot). [Call the pig Snooks, Lady Jane, I hope your cold is better now.—DOT.l

Dear Dot, —I am very glad that the warm weather is here. Our school teacher will take us to the beach. We have a new little calf, and we are going to call it Beauty. We have two rabbits. I take my little sister out for a walk some days. She is just one year old, and she is nearly walking. Love to all the other Little Folk from

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE (Waikouaiti).

[You will enjoy going to the beach, Red, White, and. Blue, It makes such a lovely playground—DOT.] m !!• *

Dear Dot,—We are having fine days just now, so we are able to do gardening. At school we are planting bulbs and plants. We are having a competition at school to see whose garden is the best at the end of the year. We have just started to do our garden. It is very interesting watching the little seeds grow up and the buds appearing. SUNSHINE (Berwick).

[You will all bet working hard in your gardens, Sunshine, and I shall be interested to learn the result of the competition.—DOT.] * H- *

Dear Dot,—lt is a long time since 1 wrote to you. At present the blossom on the fruit trees is beautiful. The flowering shrubs are out in flower too, and we have a hedge of japonica, which is a picture. Brownie, my pet hen, is laying now. FAIRY BELL (Clyde).

[How lovely your garden must look, Fairy Bell! lam sure Brownie’s eggs will taste particularly good.—DOT.l

Dear Dot,—l'would like to tell you this time about frost-fighting. Last Sunday the frost alarm rang at 2 o'clock in the morning. My father and my two brothers hurried out of bed to light the frost pots The lighter is like a watering can, but smaller, and the spout is on the top of it. When the frost is over the lids are put on to put the oil out. During the dav the pots are scraped to get the soot off, and filled up again to be ready for the next frost. Love from BLACK PIGEON (Clyde).

[I hope. Black Pigeon, that the use of the fire pots has saved the fruit crops from damage from the recent frosts. — DOT.]

Dear Dot—How are you keeping this week ? It is a long time since I have written to you. but I will try to make up for that. r At school we have the headmaster for our teacher, and he is very strict too. We are. having the sports soon, and we are only starting to pick out the girls for the basketball passing. I have a pen-friend in Australia, but have had only one letter from her. I have written back to her, and am expecting another letter from her soon. Some of the other children who are Dot’s Little Folk have written to you, so I thought I would do so too.' With lots of love to you and all vour Little Folk. SLEEPY HEAD (Dunedin).

11 hope you wnll have a successful spori.s season this year, Sleepy Head.— DOT 1 \ ¥ ¥ ¥

Dear Dot—Once again 1 pick up my pen to write to your page. This time I am going to tell you of my trio to Oamaru in the holidays. After a hasty breakfast we' set off for the station Having arrived there we procured our seats and sat patiently waiting, for the train to start, The journey was very hot. We saw many lovely sights. On arriving at our destination .we were met and taken to the house of kind relatives After an enjovable meal we went for a walk to the gardens. They were lovely. The blossom was in full bloom Something which attracted mv eye at once was the picturesque little river, with weening willows drooping gracefully over it. In the pond there were several ducks and a beautiful white swan. We walked through the dell, which was as lovely as the rest Final! v we took a walk through the hothouse. Soon it was time to go home: but we had had a lovely day. With ilove to all the Little Folk and your own dear self. BARNEY (Dunedin) I The Oamaru Gardens are very beautiful, Barney, and you would have a delightful walk through them.—DOT.l * * * Dear Dot.—This is only the third time i 1 have written to vou. I am very pleased I to see my letters in print. We are going for a picnic on Satimday, and I nop® 1 * will be a fine day. How many children I are there in the D.L.F.? We are praci tising for the sports at school and I am going in for the skipping and the marching Our school came third last year, but we hope to be first this time. Everybody is trving their best. Love to vou and veur Little Folk from DINKY (Dunedin). I The present register, which dates from July 1 1932, when the pace was transferred from the Otago Witness to the Otago Dailv Times, contains about •iff') names. Dinky I have inserted m the Little Folk’s Letter Box your request for a pen-friend.—DOT l ] Dear Dot.—Last week when 1 came home from school what a sigh met mv eyes! It was 381 day old chickens just cut of the incubator—all smiggUng under the big electric brooder. The ß first thing I did was to give them little bowls of water How pretty the little heads looked dinning in and out ot the water 1 Fach night my daddy me for a ride on a horse called Bex. Last ni°hl daddy took a friend of mine tor a ride too. Kind regards to all the Little Folk and yourself ■ YELLOW HAMMER (Millers Flat) | You would be defighted, Yenow Hammer when you saw all the liuie chickens. They would look very piett> OOTil * * Dear Dot,-Wc hav % f? u, 1hG c ® IVCS There ire V t°wo d betters ‘"anTtwo bulls, We have d°o n i aiVAW » up ' SUNSET The reel glare of the sinking sun T Lights up the dark skv with wondrous 1 unon f thVs 'lovely sight and thought 1 Soon wm come with a I its stars and golden moon —the night. ■ l heard a song, thrush in the trees, and a soft and sweet breeze. Love to you and your Little Folk. SCOTTISH HEATH (Chaslands). (Pall the heifers Buttercup and Daisy, Scottish Heath and the bulls Hector and Mac. Thank you for your pretty little poem. —DOT.! ¥ ¥ ¥

Dear Dot.—l was very pleased to see mv first letter in print, and I must thank you very sincerely for linking me to your ranks. This week I am going to tell you about the new intermediate school. Iheuare about 500 pupils, who either come from St. Clair. Forbury, Caversham, or Macandrew Road Schools, while there aie about 19 teachers. The school has a laige assembly hall, a large stage, and a very nice piano. It is well equipped, and has

a cloakroom for the hoys and one for the girls. On Thursday and Friday afternoons during the last hour we go to crafts, where we make duchesse sets, baskets, and stools. There are two bicycle stands and three basketball courts. The library is situated on top of the assembly hall, and it contains many interesting books. On Monday we go to cooking, while on Tuesday we go to sewing. Wednesday is games day. and on Thursday morning we go to singing. ,The two old buildings are the cooking rooms and the woodwork room (which are connected), and the old gymnasium. The children wear white blouses, black gymfrocks, and red and grey jerseys. Long, black stockings and black lace-up shoes are worn by the girls, and red and grey sox and black lace-up shoes by the boys. Mv sister and I both attend the new school. At home we have two budgies—a green one and a blue one. The green one is talking. I have six sisters and one brother. My youngest sister is four years old. With love to the Little Folk and your own dear self. GOLDEN PROMISE (Dunedin).

[Your description of the new intermediate school is very interesting, Golden Promise, and I think the children who attend it are very fortunate. —DOT.I

Dear Dot, —I am writing to tell you about what I do when I am on holidays. We have a crib at Purakanui to which we go every school holidays. Every morning my sister, Tiger Lily, and I go for a row in our auntie’s boat on the bay. Have you ever been to Purakanui, Dot? We go for the milk every morning to a place where there are about 24 cows. We go to the beach sometimes for a picnic. With lots of love to yourself and all the Little Folk. GOLDEN DAFFODIL (Whare Flat).

[You are lucky to have such a nice place to go to for your holidays, Golden Daffodil. I have never stayed at Purakanui, but I have been there several times.—DOT.]

Dear Dot, —The school holidays are over. We spent a quiet time at home, but I shall tell you some of the things I did. Daddy is still in camp, but he came home for two days. We were very glad to see him. After he went back I helped mother in the garden. Every afternoon the little boy from next door came in to play. We played houses in the orchard. It was great fun. Then grandma came down from Ashburton to stay with us for 10 days. While she was here we went for walks and played ludo, dominoes, and snakes and ladders. I knitted a pixie hat,for Hilary and one for my doll Betty. Grandma was knitting socks for the Red Cross, so I knitted three peggy squares. Hilary was two yesterday. We are saving her birthday cake till daddy comes home at the end of the week. He will be home for 10 davs this time. As it is nearly teatime, I must close. With love to you and the Little Folk. HONEY BUNCH (Benhar). [What a happy time you must have had during the holidays. Honey Bunch, It would be lovely having your father home from camp and your grandmother to visit you.—DOT.] * -V. V Dear Dot,—l am going to tell you about my holidays in Dunedin. One Saturday our aunty came down for the morning so we had to go to Balclutha to catch the 20 minutes past 4 train. It was dark when we arrived at Dunedin, and our cousin and uncle were there to meet us Next day we went to Woolworths to buy our mother something, and that night we went to the pictures with our cousin. While I was liv Dunedin I was taught how to ride a bicycle. My cousin gave me some stamps that I had not got. The last week of my holidays our grandad came in to take us home on Monday morning. I was sorry we were going home because we had such a good time. Love to all the Little Folk and your own dear self.

SILVER EKA (Kaka Point). [You will have happy memories of your stay in Dunedin, Silver Eka.—DOT.]

Dear Dot,—One Friday during the holidays we awoke early because we were going to Balclutha. On our way there we noticed frisky lambs frolicking beside their mothers. Growing on the roadside was a clump of golden daffodils, which looked very bright. When we arrived at Balclutha we noticed many different coloured houses. After waiting a moment we did our shopping, and then we had lunch. After lunch we started for home On the way we noticed a fence of gorse which was out in bloom. With best wishes to all the Little Folk and your own dear self. WHITE SOAPSUDS (Gatlins).

[At this season of the year, White Soapsuds, the country looks very beautiful, and you must have enjoyed your drive.— DOT.]

Dear Dot,—l have not been writing to you for some time, but I intend to start again. My age now is 11. This year I passed into Standard V at school. Oturehua School has been working very hard to raise some money to aid soldiers. We held a bazaar and concert, and included raffles, which realised a total amount of over £35. We also gratefully received a -few donations. I was in Dunedin for the Christmas holidays, and enjoyed mys°lf very much Love from MAGIC QUEEN (Oturehua). [You would all be very pleased, Magic Queen, with the result of your concert and bazaar. —DOT.] ¥ ¥ ¥ Dear Dot,—As I have not written to you for a month or two, I thought I would write to-night and tell you about how our farm is getting on this spring. We have 69 lambs and 3 pets. We have 14 cows milking, and have kept one calf and two others which we received from other people. Our garden is full of daffodils just now, and it brightens the place up after the winter, I shall now tell about a bicycle ride I had when I was on holiday. We had been up at Timaru for nearl a fortnight, and on the last Wednesday of the holidays we took the train to Oamaru, where we changed for the Kurow branch, on which line we went to Aitchison’s —the fifth station from Oamaru. The next day after dinner I started off towards the main road, which was tar-sealed, and it was a good road for travelling. I rode along to the Awamoko School. Far in the distance across the paddock I could see an old farmhouse with weeping willow trees growing close by. After I had had a good look at the scenery around I rode off towards a place called Altavady. Altavady is written on the hillside—the letters being formed by hedges. From the road you can see a gap in the letter “ D.” I shall tell you of my holiday at Timaru next time. Kind regards to Queenies Mistress, Mother’s Working Girl, Pink Tamarisk, and the rest of the Little Folk and yourself. TOMBOY DOROTHY (Houipapa). 11 am interested in your account of your visit to North Otago, Tomboy Dorothy, and shall be glad to hear about your holiday at Timaru.—DOT.l ¥ ¥ ¥ Dear Dot,—Although 1 have not written for a long time, I have not forgotten you. This time I am going to tell you about my pet lambs. One is black and the other white, and I wonder if you will name them. I think that is all I can tell you Love to all the Little Folk and your own dear self. SUNBEAM FLOWER (Clinton). [Call the lambs Snowy and Darkle, Sunbeam Flower.—DOT.l ¥ ¥ ¥ Dear Dot, —How are you getting on ? It is a long time since I have written, isn't it? We have 24 chickens, and we also have a little bird who can say “ Pretty Boy.’' Last Saturday the Oturehua schoolgirls went to Ranfurly to play hockey. Unfortunately we lost by one game with Naseby and by one goal. Love to all at Oturehua and your own dear self. HEATHER OF THE GLEN (Oturehua). [One must expect to lose a game occasionally, Heather of the Glen, and perhaps the next time you plav a match it will be your turn to win.—DOT.l ¥ ¥ ¥ Dear Dot, —1 was again glad to see my letter in your page. Thank you for the names you gave me for the canary. I have decided to call it Tim. We have just finished planting seeds in our school garden. T hope the nice sunny days continue. At present all the fruit trees are in blossom, and the weeping willows, of which there are a number up here, are beautifully green. I am busy knitting bedsocks tor the little refugee children in China. We have a Busy Bee hive of seven girls, who meet every Saturday night and make articles. Love to the Little Folk and your own dear self GINGER TOP (Ophir) I The Busy Bees must be doing very useful work. Ginger Too, and I am sure you are glad to be able to help those in need. —DOT. I BEST LETTERS SENIOR SECTION (14 and under 21 years) Dear Dot,— l wrote my first letter to your junior page about spring, and I am now going to write my first letter to your senior page about the same subject. 1 am sitting on the veranda, and there is an excellent view. I do not think this letter will proceed very quickly. The dogs bark, the calf in a nearby paddock presents his woes to anyone willing to listen, and even if no one will listen it seems to like to hear its own voice. The apple blossom is almost out, and everything seems to wake up The brown stalks of honeysuckle are growing green ; but every good thing has some disadvantage, which thought Edmund Spenser expresses in his poem "Sweet and Sour”: - •• Sweet is the rose, but grows upon a brier; . . , t , Sweet is the .lumper, but sharp its bough.” Thus wc see a broken eggshell, boys going bird-nesting, dead lambs, and many

other such sights, and so I think anticipation of spring is the best part of it. LITTLE GIRL BLUE (Balclutha). [Spring, like everything else, Little Girl Blue, has many sad things connected with it, but, while regretting these, we must not allow them to blind us to its beauty.— DOT.] * # * Dear Dot,—Here is a poem for the page: COUNTRY ROAD. Dust on the sunny road that winds round the hill. On rocks and dead foxgloves in the noon hush so still; Myriad small voices where the stream flows along, And the faint, half-heard echo of a voice raised in song. Green flame of willows in the first spell of spring, Larks, in drifts of melody, that rise up and sing In the sunny blue distance and softly descend, And the clip-clop of horse-hoofs around the next bend. Starry pink cranesbill that peeps through the grass, A sigh in the grey scrub where light spring winds pass: Scampering feet, and the dust rises high As dogs and a horseman gaily go by.

" Hello, there ! A grand day—feels just like spring. Got a match on you ? Thanks. Wind might bring A change from the south. Well, I’ll hurry along. Cheerio ! ” And a voice lifts in lighthearted song. Dust settles slow on the road round the hill,

The noontide returns to rest, sunny and

still. Kindest regards to yourself and all the Little Folk.

GREY-EYED BLONDE (Kurow). [Thank you, Grey-eyed Blonde, for another delightful poem.—DOT.]

Dear Dot,—ln this grave and serious time we have to squeeze every atom of laughing matter from the general affairs of the day. It is no use feeling gloomy and prophesying evil. Even the petrol shortage has its comical side. Now don’t jump to conclusions, for I know the disadvantages and drawbacks that accompany it. Still, it could be worse. Take our house, for example. The scheming and underhand work that goes on at the beginning of the month is simply outrageous. Dad takes the seat of honour, and starts dictating on the pros and cons of the using of those precious eight gallons, quite like a miser. He will be sleeping with the sparkling gallons under his pillow soon. There’s that church meeting on Tuesday night. “In connection with the church, you know. We must go!” “ What! I’m afraid it couldn’t be done,” the head of the house says meditatively, gnawing his fingernails. Mum sighs. She did so want to go to the summer shows in town. That dream of a fur coat —just what I wanted ! “Ail bosh,” dad says. “ But this is a different matter. That stock sale on Friday—l simply can’t miss it. If I manage to get those twotooths, why, they'll pay for the petrol easily.” Dad smiles in anticipation. Daughter has her say, too. “ What about that ‘ bonzer ’ picture, pop?” You'd like it.” “ No, that would be too much, as there is church on Sunday and a Farmers’ Union meeting on Friday night.” “A dance on ! Wednesday night?” “Good gracious, no! ” booms the mighty one. “Sheer waste.” “But, dad, it’s in connection with the show.” “ Oh, it is, is it? Well, ’er, we might have enough, but oh, don’t bother me now.” However, after all, we do fairly well on our eight gallons. Good luck to everyone. DRYAD OF THE FOREST (Otago).

[lt is good to be able to see the funny side of restrictions which are otherwise somewhat irksome, Dryad of the Forest. — DOT.I

Dear Dot,—What a lot of pleasure a motorist misses in life by dashing along our country roads or beside the sea, and just noting whether the farms and animals are further advanced than those in his own district or whether the tide is out or in. Cycling may be much slower, but there is pleasure in a breeze fanning one s face and a more leisurely view of the surroundings. The road which runs beside the sea from Oamaru to Kakanui has many little hills and hollows, and the sea view is beautiful. Sometimes the sea is slatey-grey, and the waves come rolling in, threatening a storm, and at other times it is a deep, placid blue, with a few white horses near the shore. The hills on the other side of the road are green with the new grass and lucerne. Lambs,- sheep, calves, cows, and horses are enjoying the warm spring weather, and look'very contented in their paddocks. Rabbits and hares give me a wave with their little tails as I pass. Birds supply the band and dance music, the latter being needed when my bicycle skids in the loose gravel. Gorse fences form the sides of the avenue. Beautiful yellow fences they are. too, and their scent is marvellous at present—so marvellous that I often take a deep breath, sometimes finding to my dismay that just opposite on the beach is a decomposing pigfish. The surroundings are so bright and cheerful on the Beach road, the yellow dandelions, blue periwinkle, and a purple creeper adding their attractions, too, that. I look forward to and enjoy my rides along that wav NEW ZEALAND ROSE (Otago).

[Cycling is certainly a far better way of seeing the country, New Zealand Rose, than motoring is, and to one who. like yourself, is a lover of Nature, few things are more enjoyable than a leisurely ride along a country road, especially in spring.—DOT.l

D.L.F. SOCIAL CLUB One of the most entertaining and venturesome programmes ever attempted by the above club is to be presented on Tuesday, October 8. in Trinity Methodist Church Hall, in Stuart street. We will commence at 7.30 p.m. sharp, and members are asked to bring something for supper and their own cups. There will be a collection to help pay for lighting, etc. We trust that you will show your appreciation for all that the club is trying to do by joining us in our meetings. We, are always pleased to welcome new members, and hope to see lots of our old friends present. One of you will be fortunate enough to win the valuable prize which has been donated by Southern Cross, and all who attend will have a chance to win _ . We are taking orders for the October issue of the Junior Times (price Is). There will only be a limited number, so please order early. A list of the contents was published in this column last Monday This is worthy of your support, as all profits go to the Dunedin branch of the Red Cross Society. KILMENY OF.THE POOL, Secretary. 2 Forth street, Dunedin, N.l. OVERSEAS CORRESPONDENTS Little Folk wishing to correspond with residents overseas should write to Miss M. A Vernon, c/o Dot. Otago Daily Times, Dunedin enclosing stamped, addressed envelope for reply, and stating age hobbies, and requirements, and also in which country correspondents are desired LITTLE FOLK’S LETTER BOX As the Little Folk inserting the following requests do not know the addresses of the companions with whom they wish to correspond, it is necessary that those companions should send the first letter. —DOT. Dinky (Valerie Duncan, Somerville Cottage, Anderson’s Bay, Dunedin) would like a pen friend 12 years of age who is interested in swimming and sports. HELP THE RED CROSS In the future we hope to give you a bigger and better magazine than ever before. However, we must have your cooperation at the moment. Buy as many copies as you can afford. We don’t wish you to be out of pocket for the sake of the Junior Times, but I don’t think threepence a week will be missed by anyone. If you are really interested in this magazine and its future, then sit down and write an essay, a short story, or a poem and send it to me. Our readers will welcome your appearance in print. This is your chance—act now ! Remember the cause and get busy. Talk to your friends and relatives—aunts and uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers, sisters and brothers —and persuade them to buy a copy We need your help. Up to the present time only about seven people have endeavoured to help us. They are Charles Dickens, Old Eighty-sixer, Lady Dundas. Chic Lavender. Ivanhoe, Red Gauntlet, and Almond Blossom, Now, what, about all the rest of you V All proceeds over and above our printing expenses are to be donated to the Red Cross Society—a humane cause worthy of our utmost, support. Do something now —it's urgent ! Only 3d a week for subscription, and if ‘you happen to bo one of the 30 subscribers out of the 3000 memberchip. then there are plenty of other ways vou can help. Now rise to the occasion 1 Let me see those letters and orders literally pouring in. EDITOR JUNIOR TIMES. 417 Cumberland street, Dunedin. OLD W RITERS’ NOTES Old writers are reminded of the monthly meeting to-night (October 7) in the library of the Otago Daily Times office at 8 p.m. A good attendance is urged. Keep the 14th free for our next social. Parcel of booklets received from Mistress Jean will be acknowledged by letter shortly. Annual subscription received from Olwen. Suggestions contained in covering letter will be investigated and replied to as soon as possible. INDIAN CHIEF, lion. sec. 129 Forfar st„ Clydchill S.W.I. Phone 10-237.