Newspaper Article 1943 – Bright Little Schoolgirls Now

Bright Little Schoolgirls Now

“CORONATION TRIPLETS” ARE “MOTHER’S” HANDY-MEN

SOON after Easter, the “Coronation Triplets” of Hawke’s Bay – Elizabeth, Mary and Rose, called after our Royal Family and born on Coronation Day – will attain the ripe age of six years. It is greatly to the credit of their mother, Mrs. J. C. Anderson, that these three children are healthy, bright and suitably clad, for it is she who is chiefly responsible. At present Mrs. Anderson is utilising the fleece of a special “Baa Baa Black Sheep” on the farm, added to a white fleece, and is spinning a wool mixture which will then be knitted into jumpers and cardigans. No light task to hand-spin and knit six woolly garments at a time!

The triplets are keeping alike in looks and have pretty grey-blue eyes and clear, rosy skins. They attend school with 10-year-old sister Jean, who mothers them well. It has been a pleasure to the children to learn the three R’s, as now they can write letters to their step-brother Corporal Mac Anderson, who is in New Caledonia.

Mrs. Anderson is a very wise person, and it is an example to those who have petted their children to hear of her regime. “I make them put all their things away – you can’t run after three,” she says, and she told of their little daily chores. They feed the chickens before and after school, and bring in the wood for fires. They can sweep up a floor, too, and help set a table. The dogs, horses and cows on the farm are a great joy to them. Summed up: Elizabeth is best at helping Mother and is an all-rounder at her school-work; Mary shines at reading and helps too; Rose also is very useful and is specially good at arithmetic. They are all in primer three.

Photo caption – FIVE-YEAR-OLD LETTER-WRITERS to their soldier step-brother: the Anderson triplets, (from left) Elizabeth, Mary and Rose.    – Lovell-Smith.