Take off your hat and salute you rascal

Kimberley Club,

Kimberley.

April 23rd 1898

My dear Raymond and Joe

I suppose you are back at school again after your Easter Holidays. That is - when you get this letter, you will be back, and working hard at your lessons.

I received your letter Raymond of March 31st on Thursday morning, and congratulate you on the prizes you won at the sports. Five feet and half an inch, is a very good jump; and ninety four yards is fair, for the cricket ball. What did the prizes consist of; I suppose they did not come up to the De Beers sports prizes? I have had long letters from Mother who seems to have been having a gay time at Nice, Cannes, Genoa, Pisa and Rome. When in Cannes, she said there was a grand flower show, and she and the Prince of Wales went to it! I am glad you have not been smoking much lately. I suppose you left it off, for "training" purposes.


I saw scamp to day, he was at the house when I went to wash for lunch again, he could not restrain his feelings and wetted the floor in his joy at seeing me. He looks very well, but still swings one leg when he trots.

Winter is coming on rapidly, but stealthily - at six oclock, it is quite dark, and the nights, and mornings are chilly and sharp. Mr Scott leaves for a six months' holiday, next week and I shall then have double work to do, for I shall do his work. It will mean getting up earlier in the morning, and coming home later at night.

Yesterday the Governor sent me what is called "the commission of the peace" and I am now a "Justice of the Peace" for the district of Kimberley! Take off your hat and salute you rascal; and don't stand grinning there like a cheshire cat or a stuck pig do you hear - take your hands out of your pockets and bow to the new "Justice of the Peace"!

I spent last evening at Old Mrs. Coghlan's and "Mickey" Joyce was enquiring about you and Joe. He didn't seem to think very much of your 94 yards throw (that is for you). He said when you were at St. Aidan's you could throw as far as that.

There were a lot of people there and we had very good fun playing games such as "minister's cat" and "Proverbs". The "minister's cat" is played thuswise. All who are in the game sit in chairs round the room and one man is chosen to be the school master. He selects a letter of the alphabet and commencing at the top asks what sort of cat the minister had. Each has to supply an adjective beginning with the letter chosen. If you can't say an adjective before he counts ten your chance for that round is gone, and he goes on to the next one. All who answer correctly, are moved up and you are moved down until some one else misses. Supposing the letter "D" is chosen, then you have to say a "deaf" cat or a "dirty" cat or a "devilish" cat, or a "dumb cat", & so on until the adjective beginning with "D" are exhausted. If you have a good schoolmaster, the game is a most amusing one. He decides whether the word you offer is an adjective, and as to whether it is admissible.

Joe, I had no letter from you last mail. What was up? I expect you must be practicing writing. But you only want to take pains my boy. You can write well enough if you try. Take pains and write slowly, until your hand is formed. Gypsy's pup grows uglier every day. The great delight of the monkey's life is to nurse it and hunt for fleas over it's ugly little carcase. I wish you could see them together, you would hurt yourself laughing.

God bless you my dear boys. Your loving father.
Frank Mandy