The 2 of April I have not seen Keur Bush
I will be 80 Emily since I came January the 4 1912
from the dorp
I hear they are all
going down to the sea
forgive all
mistakes
My dear John and Sarah
Once more I take up my pen to let you see that the Lord in his great mercy have spared me to be able to write to you once more and hope and trust the same will find you and family all in the best of health as leves(?) us all at present well my dear the new year have began it was a sad day to me the last night of the old year my dear boy was kild by train (in the margin-- 4 years ago) oh what a dreadful new year it is to me when that night com every year my heart can not forget him he was so good to me and his father Every xmas he would send me a pound down and say it is for a Christmas dinner and his father the same oh I do feel my loss so but it is as you say we will all have to go the same way and dont know how soon I was looking over all the old letters all the dear children the girls and Jorge and Annie Moon and all the young ones all gone from us for Ever and my poor Brother and sister and god have left me and me so old I have been three months in the dorp with Susey I have not been home (crossed out) but my legs is so bad I can only walk with a stick from one House to the other it is all in my knees well I have just had a letter from my daughter from Johannesburg last year they both came down to see me her Husband is working on the train and my son is in a hotel they should have come down this year again but she can not go about just now you mite now the Reason she have one fine little girl little more than a year old she have got a very good Husband and he is fond of all her Family Susie wanted me to stay longer but I long for home My Eldest Son William is also up in JohannesBurg but he work on his trade the one that is in the hotel is not marred it was his photo I sent up he is standing I onle sent up one of poor old Johnnie Smith sons photo to poor Annie Moon I wonder if she Ever got it well there is two sons and a Daughter up in JohnnesBurge and my one son Stephen is up in Bloomfontain he have been a long time with out work now he have got some thing to do on the trains he have a wife and 5 children but the Eldest died when young so he have still 4 left I have have Emily not far from me I use to walk over but now I can not do it any more so I am with my son Charlie and his wife she have no children she is dutch but she is a very good wife to him she have three cows that give milk Charlie never bother him self she milk them and look after them it is some time that I have not heard from poor Henry wife she mite be gone some where or she mite be sick I never had to write for a letter but I hope to hear from her soon. She have five children she have a good farm and her mother healp her her Father had a very sudden Death he wend to lay down and a little while after when they went in the Room found him dead that was just befor my dear Henry death so she have had a lot of sorrow it is so very dry we have had no Rain all the gardens seem to be Burnet up with the sun I can not Remember seeing it so dry the ground is like ash I Expect food will be scrace this year well my dear you must give my dear Love to willie Smith and his wife and to henry if you could let him know to all the young ones and to Martha and to all the dear children and all that went when they was young boys tell John I often think on him oh what would I not give to have one day with you all I know that can never be but I pray to god for all my dear friends all the old stalk is gone I am the oldest and the last I have no Brother or sister so when the Lord take me there will be only my children my one Daughter Jessie is poor they are liveing at Alexandria not for from the Bay but she is very poor and 4 children in the House yet they go to school well my dear I have no news so I will draw to a close with Love and Kisses for all the dear ones the same for John and your dear Self from your Ever loveing aunt
Still address Jane Purls
Keur Bush post assigai Bush
