Bloemfontein
9th April 1900
Dear Mother
You will be glad to hear I am feeling a great deal better and am back with my regiment doing my duties. I was very glad to get better. I got a letter again, I was so glad to get one from father. That is a good idea of yours as it is very difficult to get paper and envelopes.
You talk about tarts and cheesecakes, why the worst bread you ever made would be a perfect luxury. You canít think how hungry we always are, I bought ? worth of flour and one of the blokes made some doughy cakes which we ate ravenously otherwise we should of gone hungry everything is terrible.
At a farm near here they put the milk through the separator and then sell it at 4d and 6d a bottle. I bought a cup of tea and a piece of bread 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches square, no sugar in the tea and no butter on the bread it was 6d and they sell a lot. You canít buy butter the officers and hospitals get it all, I do not know what they pay for it.
I would have liked to get a set of Boer money it has Kruger on it, our Queen on ours. I have a Boer sovereign. I swapped with a Boer prisoner when we took 17 but I am afraid it will have to go. There has been as much as 2 pounds given for a Boer penny which are very scarce. If I had plenty money I would have got a lot of curios. The Orange Free State Stamps are getting scarce; you want to save them all if they are not taken off before you get them.
I see in a Queensland paper, where Colonel Lyster says he has a secret commission in connection with them, who were depending on us fellows and invites female dependants to correspond with Mrs Lyster all communications being strictly private.
Now dear mother you were to a certain extent depending on me and the 1 pound a week will not I am afraid make up my loss to you. If you have any difficulty in meeting payments, I should not be backward at coming forward. I trust dear mother that I shall come back please God. I am so sorry you are not well but am glad dear old dad is so good to you. He is a splendid man s my father.
You will like to know what I value most amongst my possessions. It is the little bible my mother gave to me; it never leaves my pocket except when I read it. Every morning and night I ask God to keep you all safe because it would be no pleasure to me to come back if you or dad were gone. So please take care of each other all you can.
The outposts were firing early this morning, we thought a battle was coming that is how it always starts but it has been quiet since. We expect a big fight any day but they are fixing the Artillery Cavalry and Mounted Infantry with horses. There is one dies about everyday but a lot of them are picking up fine. I think they are getting over the sickness and now dear mother I must conclude with bags of love to you as Tommy Watkins says it is all bags with him as it is whips in Australia.
From your ever loving son
Private E. T. Johnson
No 3 2nd Queensland Contingent
South Africa xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dear Laura
Your letter has been very short lately. Never mind be a good girl and I will bring you something nice if I live.
Ted xxxxxxxxx
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