1 Thursday night
2
3 My darling Ettie,
4
5 Thank you for your letter. I haven’t written before because my heart
6seems to get so bad if I try to write to any one. I can get through my
7house work better.
8
9 I hope you got my wire & letter card all right. If you will let me
10know when Wynnie is passing I shall try to be there to meet her & get
11the photographs myself. But I shall have to know some time before as
12one can’t raise a cart & horses for hire in a minute here. I am so
13grateful you had the photos taken. It is strange that on the 2nd of
14September I was thinking that I would send down the money to ask you
15to have a photographer up take one especially for me.
16
17 I shall try to come down dear, next month October, or early in
18November. I should like to see the old room just once as it all was.
19Could you keep it so long. I think your plan about the things is very
20good, we can see about that when I come. Any of the old things I took
21would come back to the grand children Effie & Wyn & Dot or Ursula
22because I have no one else to leave them to. There is one thing if I
23would like to have if Will will let me ^have it.^ A photograph of Will,
24a very good one taken either in Kimberley or Town; it hung in
25mother’s little room. I have no photo of Will’s taken during the
26last 12 years & I should like to have it so much. I can’t write
27about the other old things to night. You might ask Will about the
28photograph before he gives it away to some one else, if you see him. I
29wish you could have some real rest & change, dear one. I suppose you
30will not care really to leave the Highlands before all is over & right
31with our little Effie. When that is over you should go away for a real
32complete change.
33
34 I am better, I have very little pain, I might almost say none, less
35than I have had for years. But I feel so weak, it feels like tiredness,
36 but no eating & no sleeping makes it any less. I would like to try &
37come down next month. My poor old husband ^is having a great deal of
38trouble here^. The man who managed his business here has mismanaged it
39terribly & I don’t want to leave him just now while he’s so
40worried & seems to cling to me (this about the business is private of
41course)
42
43 How is Guy’s health dear one & how is Elberty? I think it would be
44nice if you went up for a few weeks to John’s farm. Dear old John, I
45don’t like him being away up there so far from us all. I am always
46afraid of his getting ill & dying almost alone not liking to send for
47any of us - & we are all he has.
48
49 I’m so glad I came to Cape Town when I did. I was out walking alone
50that Friday evening, & I’d no intention of going to Cape Town, in
51fact there were many reasons why I didn’t want to go, & I’d only
52been out of bed for two days, & such a feeling came over me that I
53must go, & go the next Sunday. Miss Molteno & Miss Greene were so
54surprised when I came home to hear of my sudden resolve, & now I feel
55it was so right, I am so glad I went. You know Ettie why I knew she
56couldn’t live long, the swelling had gone out of the face & it was
57so small & bright again & the eye so clear. She looked like she used
58to years & years ago. I’m so glad Cron went.
59
60 Good bye dear one
61 Olive
62