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High Commissioner's Office, Johannesburg.
Feb: 22: 1903
My dearest old Mother
I was very glad to get Nan's letter, and to hear from my venerable father. His epistles are so few in number that it is a pleasure to hear from him. I am glad you met Professor Rankin & Dr Scott. Old Dr Scott struck me as far the best man of the three, and a very fine type of a Scots minister. I enclose you a letter I received from him this week thanking me for getting a Presbyterian church provided for in the new army cantonments.
I am very distressed to hear of your ill health. You must try & not worry about things. What is there in the world worth worrying about? I think I must make a point, whatever happens, of getting home
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this autumn before my brother William departs. I have just heard from Sandy Gillon, who proposes to come out here in April for 3 months' holiday, a most sporting suggestion. It would be a great pleasure to see Sandy's old Gothic face in S. Africa.
I think you should try & see that Anna gets a good holiday at Easter. If necessary, I will send some more money. She must have had a dowie winter. I enclose a small & very bad snapshot of me standing monarch of all I survey in the middle of the Springbok Flats.
I tried staying with the Lytteltons this week. They are are kind nice people, & the old General is a jewel, but I had to give it up after
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a few days. The General & his A.D.C. were always off to barracks at 6, & I could not support breakfasting alone with Lady L. & her 9 daughters. I have lost the art of talking to womenfolk & they bore me to death. There was one dear little child called Hermione, about 8, who used to go riding with me on a small black pony, & who could ride like a moss trooper.
H.E is not very well & much overworked. What between the Board of Trade, my financial work, & the constant claims of the Land Dep[artmen]t, my life is no bed of roses either. At Easter I think I must take a week & get down to the sea. I have been getting a good deal done to my African book lately & think I should finish it before I return.
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Would it be possible for you to take Altarstone this year for August & September. I will gladly pay the rent.
The weather has been very hot, but a tinge of autumn is getting into the air, & we have had some delicious mornings. I see that poor Cubby has an article in February 'National Review'. I had several letters this week about that row in the Guards in London. It seems to have been the mothers who played the mischief – Lady Belhaven, Mrs Leweson-Gower, & the Duchess of Wellington. It is short-sighted policy, for it has ruined their sons' careers for life.
With much love to all
Your affectionate son
John
