January 17, 1898
My Dear Raymond & JoeI couldn't stir out of the house to night until after nine oclock on account of the heavy rain. When I did make a dash for the club, during a lull, it was almost a case of swimming. You know, how broad, & deep, and swift, are the rivers that rage through Kimberley streets during, and after a heavy rain storm! I received your letters of Dec. 24th from South sea. I hope you enjoyed yourselves there, and took your sister for some nice bicycle rides, and looked after Mother well also. When you got to London - dirty beastly London - I hope you enjoyed Barnum's great show & the Babes in the Wood, at Drury Lane.
I got quite a start to night when I sat down to write, & saw by the date at the head of my letters that it was my birthday. "Many happy returns of the day "old buffer" I said as I shook hands with myself. what an old buffer i am getting! Thank you dear Raymond & Joe for the beautiful table cloth you sent me for Christmas. It is a splendid one, & you could not have sent anything I would have liked more.
