A Page for Little People

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 45, 25 November 1925, Page 37

A Page for Little People

Concluded by

My very dear Little People, There’s little enough time or room for trimmings this week, we’ve so much of real importance to talk over. Before you get the next Tablet November will be gone and December, the glad Christmas month, will be here, although it will be only two days’ old. Now, everyone knows what a busy month December is. So, we’ll get right into the ; business of the month, and, - if there’s any ■ part of a page left at the end, we’ll see what we’ll do then. First, and most important of all is our habit of saying “The Thousand Hail Marys” in honor of the Holy Infant Jesus. Old Members know all about this, but we’ll tell the New Members so that everyone may start off in good time, bright and early on the first of December. By starting on the first of the month, you will need to say FORTY Hail Marys every day up to Christmas Dayforty times twenty-five make ONE THOUSAND—and it is One Thousand Hail Marys that we’re going to offer to our dear Little Infant Jesus on Christmas Morning. Be very faithful about saying these, get your dear Grown-Ups' to join in too, and let us have this beautiful posy ready as our gift, to Jesus from us. Will you all try to remember to start on the first of December, and a good way to make you remember is to make a ring around that date on a calendar. I’m sure everyone of you will be able to hunt up a calendar, perhaps even you’ll be allowed to use the family one for this very special thing you want to remember. And if anyone misses the first and wants to join in later, you can still do that very well by DIVIDING UP THE THOUSAND into the number of days left before Christmas. Next comes our Birthday List, here are the names of December Little People: ! r Chrissie Kennedy, Barry O’Regan, Annie j Daly and Frances Orr, same day; Nellie Healey; Evelyn Chapman; Clare Abbot and Pat Mulqueen, same day; Reggie Delargey and Lettie McClintock, same day; Anthony

Kearney; John Gallagher; Vera Thurlow, May Julia Smith and Winnie Waldon, same day; Nellie Cameron; Johnny Davies Winnie Macartney; Irene O’Callaghan, * Rose Fitzgerald, Kathleen and Nora Mangan, all on the same day; Josie Blanchfield, Katie Mullany, and Irene McAnul on same day; Thomas Kowalski and Margaret O’Driscoll, same day as the Little Infant Jesus; Yvonne Londrigan and Veronica Ainey, next day; Ita Dowling, Tom O’Sullivan and James Fahey, all on next day; Tom Mulqueen, Eileen Burke, Keith Field, Alice Fleming and Dympna O’Brien, all on same day; Mary O’Sullivan, Mollie Houlihan, Dan Kearney and Vera Long, all on same day; Mary Hamilton and Eileen McLaughlan, both on the last day of the month. “Many Happy Returns” to all these Little People, and we hope we’ll have ever so many more by next December. I must give you also the names and addresses of New Members who have joined the L.P.L.C. during this month. Please add these, names to the lists you have been sure to save as I sent them to you. Noreen de Vere, Panama Hotel, Vivian Street, Wellington. Joan Cleary, Police Station, Victoria St., Cambridge. Bernard O’Neill, Allendale, Fairlie. Josephine Buckley, 42A Hogg Crescent, Masterton. Mona Gibson, Police Station, Coalgate. Kathleen Morahan, Clinton. James Johnston, R.D. Hook, Waimate. Trevor Wackrow, Box 56, Taumarunui. Patty Wackrow, Box 56, Taumarunui. Margaret Nyhon, Sandymount. LADDER COMPETITION Hooray! Hooray ! At last some of the Little People have climbed the First Ladder? I just wish you could see close your eyes and think you can, and this is what you’ll see. There’s a beautiful Ladder, all white and silver and blue standing in my little garden that I told you about a week

or two ago. It’s not an ordinary Ladder at all, because it stands up on its own legs and doesn’t have to lean against a wall while the Little People climb up the rungs. It isn’t exactly a. Fairy Ladder, standing on nothing as they do, but, because it’s shaped like the letter “V” upside down, it can stand alone and be safe to climb. Well, there it is, on my little green lawn. All the flowers are in full bloom round it, somebody’s black cat has come in to have a better look at it, and, on the Ladder are the following Little Peoplesix of them — the order given here, and counting the top one as first: First Margaret A. Nyhon. Second Colleen McNeill, Third—Erin McNeill. FourthTrephena Quinn. Fifth—Catherine Lamer. Sixth—Margaret Walker, Some of the Little People write really very well, and so neatly. Hurry on, the rest of you who mean to go in for this Competition. I’ll only give you till the end of November to try because you will be too busy after that, and so will I, Besides, we’re going to have a very big Competition during the holidays. Remember what I told you about that and get yourselves ready for the big event of the season. MAIL BAG FOR THE WEEK Nice letters have come in from old and new Members, and from some who want to join us but have not sent for their badges. Here are the letters: COLLEEN McNEILL, Lauriston, .is an old Member who has sent along stamps for the Orphans and has also entered for the Ladder Competition. Colleen has to do odd jobs for every penny she gets, so, the stamps she sent for the Orphans were bought with her very own money. (Thanks Colleen, glad you have gone in for the Competition. You’ll see where you are on the Ladder before you read this answer.—Anne.) • : ERIN McNEILL, Lauriston, also sent fivepence for the Orphans and is in the Competition. Erin earns his pennies by cleaning his brothers’ boots. (Good boy Erin, I think you and Colleen are very clever to find a

way to earn those pennies. Did you see where you got to!, on the Ladder? Anne.) CATHLEEN EARNER, Avoca, Wynd■ham, wrote a long and interesting letter for the Competition, Catherine told us about all the beautiful birds in the bush, the delicate clematis vine and the bright red rata blooms. Also she tells us about the tui, the pigeons and other creatures, we see in the bush. (Yours .is a nice letter indeed Catherine, and another time you will have to write another of the same kind, when we have a competition of that sort. This time, the prize is for the WRITING only, not the BEST LETTER, and I have entered you for the writing Ladder. I think you must love the bush, you make me want to wander through it. Anne.) MARGARET ANN NYHON, Sandy mount, is a New Member, and she has sent money for her badge, as well as one shilling and sixpence for the Orphans. Margaret got her Proficiency a. week ago, she hopes to go to the Dominican Convent in Dunedin next year. (Welcome Margaret, thank you for sending the stamps. We are glad to have you with us, and would like to know when is your birthday and what is your age? I have given you a chance on our Ladder, your writing is so neat. Anne.) TREPHENA QUINN, “Ocean View,” Okain’s Bay, Banks Peninsula, has sent 2/for the Orphansl/- from herself and fid each from Kathleen and Terence she thinks it will be great fun scrambling up the Ladder. Trephena’s cousin is to be ordained a priest and his name will be Father Maguire. (Glad to hear from you Trephena, thanks for stamps. That will, be a great ' day when Father Maguire is ordained and when he says his first Mass. Be sure you ask him for his blessing when you see him. Thank Mother for saying she will always help me when I send out an S.O.S. to the Grown-Ups. What is your exact age?— Anne.) DOROTHY MacPHAIL, 126 Dixon Street, Masterton, writes sending a stamp for the Orphans. Dorothy is looking forward to the Holiday Competition, but she won’t enter for the Writing Ladder. (Thanks for stamp Dorothy, sorry you did not. send your age, I would have entered you then. Good girl to be making a garment for an Orphan.—Anne.) OLIVE ROUGHAN, Waitahuna West, liked her badge and wants a Letter Friend. Olive also sends some riddles, which I just had time to.put in last week’s Riddle Bin. (I couldn’t get your letter in last week Olive, but managed the Riddles. When is your birthday dear, perhaps I have a Mate for you?—Anne.) BETTY KEEFE, Peak Hill, Lake Coleridge, got her badge safely but lost it when she was out riding, so she hag sent for another. Betty has a dear wee sister, her name is Rita Catherine. (Betty dear you sent .1/- and the badges are only sixpence, so I sent two. Glad you’re writing to Mollie, hope you’ll get an answer.—Anne.) V TREVOR YVACKROW, Box 56 Taumaruhui, is a Lead Pencil Treasure who writes , for the first time, and he sent stamps for a badge because he would like a Letter Friend, I’m sure. (Welcome Trevor, hope you and

Patty like your badges, did you know that Mother sent for a badge for Patty? Will you be Friends with Jack Howard, Shiel St., Reefton, whose birthday is two days before your own?. He is about the same age and has no Birthday Mate.—Anne.) KATHLEEN O’NEILL, Fruitlands, wants to join us and would like someone to write to her, also she wants names for SEVEN Pet Lambs! (Welcome Kathleen, what a flock of lambs you have , to look after and name. Suppose we call them Tiki, Hone, Maui, Rewa, Puke, Rata, and Kiwi. Don’t you think they'll like those names? Will you send sixpence for a badge so I can get you a Letter Friend? —Anne.) RANDOLPH CAVANAGH, Fruitlands, also wants to join us and he .is nearly 13 years old. Randolph has a black collie pup he wants a. name for. (Welcome you too Randolph, hurry up and send for a. badge, we’ve such great boys in our Club. I think Tane would be a good name for your dog. Indeed it would be.,very nice to go for a spin with you in -your uncle’s Oakland car, a. nice spin through your beautiful fruitgrowing district. Anne.) MONICA McBRIDE, Matainui, wants to join us, and do you know she has six brothers but no sister. Monica is 9 years, and is in Std. 3, which is not so bad at all. (Welcome Monica, do send for a badge quickly so that you can get some Letter Friends. You sure must have a busy time with all those brothers to look after. What is the baby’s name Anne.) CASSIE DOWLING, Awareo, Hyde, writes to see how we’re getting on all this long time. Cassie and the family went down to Palmerston to see some friends the other Sunday. They meant to go to Mass, but it was so windy that they were a long time getting along, and were too late. (Never mind Cassie, so long as you tried your best to get to church. The weather is quite fair now, are you visiting Dunedin during the Exhibition? oil’ll see your riddles in the Bin.—Anne.) TOM MULQUEEN, Balfour, also writes to let us know how he is. Tom writes to Dan Kearney and Jim Fahey, and saw his brother’s letter in the Tablet. Glad to hear from you Tom, I hope you get answers to your letters. Y es, Dunedin is a busy place these days, will you be coming in to the Exhibition? We are a great big Club now —340 members with Badges. Anne.) COLLEEN McNEILL, Lauriston, sends a second letter giving me a. recipe for getting rid of snails. Colleen says to put shallow vessels filled with milk, somewhere about the garden. It appears snails are very fond of milk, will come creeping to get a drink, and will fall into the milk and be drowned. (Thank you Colleen, I may try your, cure one of these nights, when the snails seem, extra greedy. Anne.) EILEEN HERLIHY, Green Bank, Patearoa, writes again to tell us how she is. Eileen says the weather - is very windy at Patearoa, and she thinks it is a Waste of time to build up Exhibition buildings, only to pull them down again. (Glad to hear from you again Eileen, and, so, Ida is no relation of yours. Hope you’ve had an answer from Margaret. It does seem a pity

to build things only to destroy them, but there’s a lot of that -going on all through life dear, not only in buildings either.— Anne.) MARY WHITE, Glencoe, sends 6d for the Orphans and is making a pretty littleprint dress to fit an Orphan of 5 or 6 years. Mary’s cat “Judy” has a black and white kitten and a blue and white one, and Mary wants a name for the blue one. (Is your “Judy” a Persian, she must be, to have a blue kitten. I think “Periwinkle” would be a suitable name for him, and you could call him “Peri” or “Winkle,” for short on week-days. Thank you for the riddles, you’ll see them in the Bin next week. Also for the verses. Anne.) AGNES QUIGAN, 19 Ihaka Street, Palmerston North, writes to say she is' helping at a Bazaar, her grandmother has a stall. (Glad you’re helping Agnes, hope you’ll get tin answer from Catherine. What a pity you didn’t enter for the Ladder, your letter is so neatly written. Anne.) RIDDLE BIN Answers to last week’s Riddles: 1. What turns without moving?—Milk. 2. What grows longer the more it is cut? A drain. New Riddles: 1. What time is it when a man has seven holes in his hat? 2. When is a soldier not a soldier? (Will the sender of those riddles please send the answers?— POEIRY CORNER (Verses sent in by Mary White) Tell me. little Baby Joan Why your starry eyes, Always gaze up into mine With such round surprise? Are you wondering how .it is I’m so strong and tall, While your little baby self, Feels so soft and small? Do you know that long ago, I was tiny too? Though I’m sure I never was, Half so sweet as you. For your pretty cooing voice Sounds just like the dove Talking to its little mate In the tree above. You are like this starry flower Fresh and pure and bright, Sweeter than the golden star, In the sky at night. They are cold, and oh! so still, You have twinkling toes, Soft warm cheeks and chubby hands Pinker than the rose. i ■ . Good-night dearest of Little People. ANNE..