Youth is the time to build up health and strength for the future

Kimberley Club,

Kimberley.

October 17th 1898

My dear Raymond and Joe,

Last mail brought me no letters from you. I suppose you were not able to write on account of the bustle of returning to school, just about the time you ought to have been writing for the mail.

I am so glad you had such a good time at Cromer; and I hope you will have an equally good time at school, working hard, and playing hard, & winning golden opinions all round. I was sorry to hear Joe, that Mother said you were not looking well when you went back. She said you had a chrinic cold and were looking pale. I hope all this has passed away. You must take plenty of excercise. Never mope or lie about — never loaf. Always be doing something, working in work time — playing in play time. Occupy yourself always body and mind.



Raymond old chap. I hope you are going to work hard and behave yourself this term. Mother said you looked in the pink of health when you left London. Keep your muscles up — make yourself as strong as you can. Youth is the time to build up health and strength for the future. Encourage Joe to go in for all sorts of athletics. Keep with him and be chums together.

I should like to see that little English scamp of yours. Mary says he is a dear little dog. Your African scamp is in splendid form; but still suffers from an incontinence of water whenever he sees me. That is — he pees himself for joy. Gypsy, Joe is still well and lives a happy contented life at the compound. There have been no puppies for a long time. Dodds always looks after her.

We had an awful storm last friday night. Not a thunderstorm but a hurricane! — a tornado!! The wind was terrific. About 11 oclock at night, it burst on Kimberley with irresistible fury. Houses were unroofed — huge trees blown down, and much damage done generally. I thought as I lay in bed that the front of the house would be blown in — but it wasn't. No damage was done either to the house or the Compound. The trees I had planted all round broke the force of the wind. If the trees had not been there, I believe the Compound would have been wrecked.

Give my kind regards to Sir Edmund and Mr Milne.

The winter is coming on for you and you must be careful, dress warmly and always put on a great coat after doing hard work and perspiring. Don't mope over fires. Always keep moving about & working hard. God bless you my dear boys. Say your prayers regularly go to your duties regularly, and avoid bad company.

Your loving father
Frank Mandy