1 Matjesfontein
2 Jan. 3rd 1909 1910
3
4 My dear Jessie
5
6 I have been trying to make that milk you told me of but it doesn't
7come right. Perhaps I have not read the instructions which are in
8French right. How much powder must I add to a bottle of milk? Must I
9let the milk boil first or take it off the (fire) before it quite
10boils? I have the feeling it would do me much good if I could make it.
11Since my heart has got so bad I can't eat meat, & I can hardly eat
12anything at all.
13
14 I was ill all the time at Muizenberg, but I have got worse since I got
15here. I shall try a week or ten days longer, & then if I'm not better
16I shall go on to Graaf Reinet to stay with my friends the Haldane
17Murray's whose farm is high up in the mountains & said to be always
18cool even in summer. But I can't bear going so far away from my
19husband. Here I know if he were ill or needed me I could get to him in
20twelve hours at any time.
21
22 I hope you are having a good time in Cape Town among old friends. It
23was so hard I wasn't able to come & see you, but I couldn't get out.
24It was such a disappointment to me not to see more of you, because my
25coming to Pretoria seems like a beautiful dream never to be realized.
26
27 I'm glad you had that little time with Mary at Uyitkyk even though it
28prevented my having you. She's just the same dear, beautiful pure soul
29as ever. But I seem so seldom able to see her. Matjesfontein is very
30sad now, all going to the dogs. Logan looks very ill. The hotel is so
31kept no one can stay there, only the barman & his wife there, & I
32don't think they want people. I have passed days here without seeing a
33human face, or hearing a human voice except when the boy brings my
34milk. It seems like a dying place.
35
36 Good bye, dear. It was sweet to have that peep of you. You look so
37young & fine.
38 Olive
39
40 Give my love to your husband. I was so sorry I couldn't get over to
41the station to see him.
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