Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-28
-FOUR 9 DIV |

Dear Aunt Dorothy: I have wanted to
write you letter, SO I thought I would
tell you about what I do.
I live in the beautiful town of Salem,
nestled in the mountains, the Blue Ridge
on one side and the Allegheny on the other.
have a beautiful Welsh pony; she Is
yellow. Though small, she Is very strong.
I have cart with seats on the sides, so
my sister and friends and myself ride a
great deal. I sometimes ride horseback,
with my sister behind me, and we go up In
the mountains to find flowers. Two of my
friends also have ponies, and generally we
all go together.
One of our favorfte places to visit is up
to see some friends who live three miles
out Of town, right on the Roanoke river.
We all have bathing suits, and delight in
going into the water. We get on logs and
float and have a grand time. My friends
have a boat painted blue and white, and
named Dolly. When we are not In bathing
we are boat riding. Once while we were
rowing a large fish jumped in the boat and
frightened US very much, but we held on to
him and got him to shore.
Another one of our favorite visiting places
is Aunt James; she Is an old colored wo-
man. and lives right in the mountains. We
go to gather wild flowers in the spring and
always get as many as we can carry. She
never fails to have a lunch prepared for
us, because, as She says, "Childrens always
is hungry" She has grapes, raspberries,
cherries, peaches and a great many other
kinds of fruit.
My pony has a colt, that is also well
gated. so I go on one pony and my sister
Claudine on the other.
My father was a captain in the late war,
and was stationed at Jacksonville, Florida
He sent us from there a small alliga tor,
which crawled into one of our neighbor' s
yards and scared them very much. We had
a tank of water for him, but he used to
crawl out.
My father also sent us a fox squirrel
named Schley, and he stayed with us all
fall and winter, but as soon spring came
and the leaves came out he went to the
mountains: and he has never returned
Father had a goat to send us, but it used
to butt SO badly that he was afraid it would
hurt one Of us, so he sent us instead a bull
terrier dog, but he grew SO fierce that we
traded him off for bull terrier puppy. We
got him when he was four weeks old. He
is now nine months old, and very playful
He is very fond Of us and we of him.
Roanoke Red Sulphur Springs, summer
resort is only eleven miles from here 1t
is noted for its medicinal qualities. Roam
oke city Is only seven miles from here, and
the cars run every forty minutes.
We were at Virginia Beach summer be-
fore last and had a grand time bathing.
We have fine public schools here and I
am in the second grammar grade I am
eleven years old.
All my letter is true, and hope to hear
from YOU remain,
Your constant reader, E. VIC.
Dear Aunt Dorothy: 1 was very glad to
see my name on the Childrens Page / will
try very hard to have it In there many
more times. Yours sincerely
GUY CHURCH, Falls Church, Va.
| Love is sunshine, hate is shadow;
Life Is checkered shade and sunshine:
Rule by love. o Hiawatha.
Dear Aunt Dorothy: send you today a
| photograph taken by me in Havana harbor
in 1900. It shows the Maine as she was
then, blown up and sunk In the mud The
| only mark to show that she was thought
! Of is a small American flag and some
| weather-beaten evergreen hanging down
/! from the masts. I think at least large
| flag ought to be put on this wreck Hoping
that may win a prize. I remain yours
| truly, COURTNEY p W.
| IA S street northwest Washington, d. c.
Ny Dear Aunt Dorothy: Many thanks for
| Sunshine PIN What do you think 1 did for
| Valentine day? Got the names Of few
| little children from my kindergarten teacher
shine and sent 1t by mail. I got valentines
| and ZONE bright new pennies from Uncle
SANG bank Che treasury. On the plain
| side Of the valentine we cut out round
spaces the size Of the pennies and Their
placed the money in and stripped It with
thin paper. so as to keep them in place. and
| mailed all so they would receive them Val.
| entine day. What are you going to do for
Easter? I have several plans. but have
! not decided which one 1t will be. DOM