Don't you go flirting with any of those "doocid fine Girls" you write about

Kimberley Club,

Kimberley.

January 23, 1899

My dear Raymond & Joe

Your letters from Bournemouth (both undated) came on Saturday. Those photographs of yours, Raymond, are capital. I like the football one the best. What a splendid big strong chap you are. God has blessed you my dear boy with great physical gifts — strength too. See that you use them properly and take care that you do nothing to spoil these gifts God has given you. I am glad you are enjoying yourself at Bournemouth. You young rascal! don't you go flirting with any of those "doocid fine Girls" you write about.
Joe — you seem to be enjoying yourself pretty well too — dancing from 9 till twelve every night! What awful dissipation! What a mischievous minx little Mary must be to take in her aunt Agnes by writing from Southhampton on ships paper & saying your were all off to the Cape!!

Gypsy is showing signs of old age. One eye is getting clouded — covered with a blue film. She yelps with joy whenever I take notice of her and pat her.

That pantomime must have been good — Cinderella I mean. We are very dull in Kimberley — nothing of any sort going on. But in Cape Town, there is a very good pantomime I am told. Ginger Carroll is here. All the Carrolls are living in Kimberley out at the West End, beyond the Kimberley mine. They have given up the farm and are settled in town. Ginger looks quite swagger with his red beard cut in the torpedo fashion like mine.

I showed your photography to the "Bos–boys" Raymond and at once they said "Quowck"!" moochli kakulu; "Endorda sibele." Endorda sibele means — truly a man. Hem!

And so Joe, you shave regularly do you! You chaps would open your eyes if you could see the fruit we are getting in Kimberley this year. It is not grown here — the locusts destroyed all our fruit. No, this comes from Cape Town & the Western Districts. The fines fruit I have ever seen in any part of the world. I do not think the peaches & plums could be equalled anywhere. Very cheap too. I have eaten a tremendous lot. Such sponspects & water melons and grapes. Does the water accumulate in your mouth whilst you read.

God bless your my dear boys
Kiss Mother & little Mary for me.
Your loving father
Frank Mandy