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3 TEMPLE GARDENS, TEMPLE.
March: 27: 1901
My dear old Mother
I was very glad to get Anna's letter yesterday and hear that she liked the fur. I thought I might as well get a good one, for it will wear better, and if you are having the cauld blast that we have it will come in handy. I went over to Clapham yesterday and got vaccinated. - 5/. and a very good
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job he made of it. So far it has not troubled me. I went & had tea at Uncle John's, and found Uncle better of the cold and in one of his periodic fits of revolt against the tyranny of Aunt & Maud, - taking snuff, wanting to go out bareheaded & poking the fire recklessly. I encouraged him a bit and then came back & went out to dinner with Amery, the foreign Editor of the Times & the author of the Times history of the war. He told me
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that he has just ascertained from Dutch sources that at the first charge at Magersfontein, a small body of Highlanders - mixed Black Watch & Seaforths - broke through the Boer Lines, all but captured Cronje, and then occupied a small hill where they were shot down to a man. A Lieut. McFarlane commanded. Isn't it a fine thing.
On Monday night I was dining with the Johnston-Douglases. Old Admiral Sir John Dalrymple-Hay was there and his son and his son's wife, also Lord Sholto Douglas & a queer
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American wife. Sholto & Miss Olive [Johnstone-Douglas] are going to Italy for three weeks
I am horribly busy just now with my work in chambers, You will have seen the absurd verdict in the Chamberlain libel case - £200 damages. I suppose the jury thought that he didn't deserve more after waiting so long before bringing the action.
I hope you are all well. Has the Bird [Walter, his brother] got a prize.
With love to all
Your affectionate son
John
