Children's Column.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 14, 18 June 1920, Page 12

Children's Column.

(By "Ethel," Tisbury.)

MATER'S LETTER BOX. Mater invites children to send in stories for this column, or correspendence which will be replied to through these columns. All matter to be cle-arly written in ink and oh one side of the paper only. Name, age, and a.ddress, irfist always be given, and correspondence directed to "Mater," care of Editor, "The Digger," Box 310, Invercargill. THE ROSE G ARDEN.

Pearl was a good little girl but she did not believe in fairies. She had been a good girl for two weeks and her mother said to her, "Pearl,/' I wish you would believe jn the fairies." Pearl said she would try to do so. She loved liowers and was always wanting to be rich. When sh: was asleep she dreamed that she saw a beautiful fairy standing by her bed. Tne fairy said to her, "Hurry up, Pearl, an 1 we will see the garden." So Pearl hurried up and the fairy touched her with her wand and Pearl's clqthese were turned into a beautiful silk dress with rubies and diamonds all over it. Then the fairy touched her hair and it fell all round her shoulders, and in the middle of her hair shone a beautiful ruby. Now Pearl hurried with the fairy to the Rose Garden. 'The fairy opened a big gate and let Pearl in When she got inside there hefore her eyes shone the most beautiful ro'ses. She rau along them and the fairy told hen, to pick.a bunch of them. Pearl ran along to see what others she would pick. Then came to a beautiful rosebush and picked some beautiful roses, then she ran along to see wdiat others she chould pick. Then the fairy told her it was nearly morning, so she went home and hopped into bed again. In the morning when she woke, her mother was.leaning over her telling her what the fhiries had brought. Pearl Juniped up at once and her mother showed her what the fairies -had brought. Pearl ther told her mother what had happened during the night. Her mother took her outside and showed her the garden. When Pearl saw it she told her mother it was the sa-me as what she saw in the night. Pearl ever afterwards believed in fairies. HOW DICKIE SAYED CHRISTMAS. Dickie Dean was a doctor's son, and he was like his father in every. way. He had mad-: up his mind to be a doctor, too, when he was a man, and except that he was seven years old he was nearly" a doctor already. He had a splendid littlS motor car, with pedals, which his grand.mother had given him, he had a small bag full of bandages, plaster, and a hottle of "Ponds," and a hook, too, about how to save people if they fell into water too deep, and how to bind up up cut fingers, and every day when he went out with his nurse he put his little bag in the car, just in case he met somebody who had had an accident. His only real bother was that nurse would never let him go as fast in his car

as he wanted to go. She was sure he wmuld turr over going round corners, and he w 4.. quite sure he would not, and it spoilt t.hj realness to have someone running behird at all. One winter's day when they were passing a field they heard a little cry as if someone was in pain, and stepping smartly out of his car Dickie found a poor little dog that had hurt his leg1, and wras holding up one paw in a most pitiful manner. It was extremely lucky that Dickie and his bag had happened to be passing just at that moment, for everything was rea-dy, and nurse held the poor foot while Dickie cut off a little piece crf boracic lint, damped it with some "Pond's," and bandaged it u i The little dog licked his hand, and then nurse carried it to the car, for the name on the collar was one they knew quite well, and Dickie could drive the little dog home. Just as he was putting his things back in-v; the bag he noticed a queer-looking litle lady had been standing hy and watching. She was certainly not an ordinary little lady, for she wore a red cloa-k all made of holly berries, and a green skirt, too, not so big as Dickie, and when she sa v that he noticed her she hurried away, and disappeared straight into a big he-dge of holly which gre>v along the road. Dickie thought this rather funny, but he was far too busy with the little dog, to think much more about it, besides this was Ci ristmahs Eve, and there were so many other things t-o be done and thought about. They gave the little dog to his mistress, who was so pleased to see him, and then nurse had a quick run home, for Dickie was in a hurry.

He got his mummy s pr,esent ready, and p i'- it under her pillow, also his daddy's which he was rather afraid might he uncomfy, as it was a high inkstand, with ink already in it. Then he went to bed himself, and hung his stocking up on the bedpost. He did not seem to have been asleep vefv long before he was "awakened by a little tapping .at his window. Dickie sat bolt upright in bed. The moon was shining in, and on the window-sill outside stood the holly-berry-lady ! She looked terribly upset, and Dickie sprang out of be 1 in a moment, and opened the window. There was a high ridge of snow on the sill, and the holly-berry lady cannot have been very heavy, for she stood on the top amt did not seem to sink in. "Yes!" said Dickie, "what's the matter?" "Oh! dear, oh ! dear," said the little lady, "the world is in great trouble tonight, and I thought that as you are a doctor you might able to help us. There has been a terrible accident. Father Cbristmas was on his way in his chariot, bringing all the presents for the stockings — one of his reindeer has fallen down; he is lying f a-ce downwards in the snow. Can you come quickly?" Dickie had already begun to dress himself, and in five minutes he was ready to start. He crept downstairs very quietly so as not to w-ake anybody, and he was soon pushing his car out of the stable into the road. His bag was under the seat, and he had not forgotten to put on a big coat. The holy-berry-lady sprang in beside him, and away they went. (To be Coiitinufid.)