Palmerston Hotel
Port Elizabeth
(Sunday) 28 July 1912
My darling Dolly
It is Sunday afternoon & you cannot imagine what an awful day it is. Raining as hard as ever it can & it does not show the least sign of abating. You know what a thunderstorm is like – or better still, you remember the last ride we had in a taxi after having tea at the Midland that Monday night & how it rained; well it’s been raining like that since nine-oclock this morning. Ordinary grids(?) such as we have at home would not be of the slightest use here. They have great big open sluices & it is just like a raging torrent, the way the water rushes down. A gentleman promised to call for me at 2-30 but he ain’t turned up yet. I am going to have tea with him. A man whom I met on the boat gave me a card to him (Mr Paton is his name) & he has been most kind to me. He knows nearly all the business people here & has introduced me to several of them. I had better begin at the beginning though & tell my tale properly.
I sailed on the "Balmoral Castle" on Tuesday night. She is a most delightful boat – the biggest of the Castle line & it was a treat to sail on her. The only disadvantage was that the engines vibrated more than on the "Kenilworth".
I arrived here on Thursday morning about ten o’clock & after getting my sample rooms & all the samples laid out I called on our principle customer in the afternoon. They have a very big claim against us & I have to settle it the best way I can & frankly I don’t like my job as Manchester will not see it in the light that I do although they (m/c) admit the claim. However its no good bothering you with business details. I went to bed on Thursday night feeling awfully groggy with a cold in the head. Friday I called on all my customers & made appointments, then called on Mr Paton. He came out with me & we had a wee posset & we got on splendidly together. He introduced me to two customers & because I was a friend of Mr Paton’s I got some information which I wanted the first day I landed in S.A. There is no doubt I should never have got it from anyone in all my journey if I hadn’t got it here.
Friday night I went to bed early as I was still feeling groggy & on Saturday morning I did nothing except wander round. In the afternoon Mr P & I went to the theatre & at night I knew I’d got the ‘flue’ so there was nothing else for it but to get to bed. After a hot bath & gruel I got into bed by 9-0 o’clock & had a good sweat & feel ever so much better today. I didn’t get up till 12-30 this morning. By tomorrow I hope I shall be quite right. Fortunately I had my own doctor’s prescription with me & that has bucked me up. You would hardly know me at the present moment. What with mosquitos & a cold, my face is a perfect picture & I think it would be a good advert for someone for "Before using" & "After using".
I have been thinking sweetheart that there will be trouble if you are not careful. I mean in this way. Suppose your mother opened one of my letters to you whilst you have been on your holidays. What happens? I am puzzled to know & I ought to have thought about the contingency. I hope that she hasn’t. You will let me know won’t you as I am awfully curious & incidentally worried as to whether you will get into trouble. Personally if the catastrophe has occurred I think it would be better to make a clean breast of it & lay the blame on me. My greatest regret is that I am not there to talk to your mother because I flatter myself I could get her to see the humorous side of things & once she smiles I know there is no danger. Today or tomorrow you will get my first letter from Capetown & I hope you enjoy the perusal of it. As, more or less they are diaries I would like to see them in later years provided you do not mind keeping them. Your letters are awfully welcome.. You haven’t the faintest idea how I look forward to mail day & how impatient I am to get my letters. Last week I had seven & I simply gloated over them. Now I will turn to your letter & make a few remarks about your news. You ought to have received my Madeira letter the day after you posted your letter dated the 5th inst. Am delighted to hear Auntie is improving & hope that the doctors were quite wrong in their diagnoses. Even the cleverest people make mistakes. The news about you having a holiday is splendid. Really sweetheart you cannot work at full pressure without having a break & you know quite well what I think about your capacity for getting into the midst of it. When I come home I shall thank Miss Ashton for insisting on things being done as she likes. From what I hear you can go to far worse places than a CHA centre, only I think you will not be in a fit condition to undertake the long walks they go. It is too late for me to say, take the shorter walks but your own judgement is sound enough as to what you can do. Who are you staying with at Bangor & who is going with you? No wonder you feel seedy after the amount of work you put in but the changes (3 of them) ought to do you any amount of good.
Am pleased that the picnic was a success, I did think of sending a Marconigram but it would have cost about £2-10-0 so I thought again. I would have liked to have been with you but business is more important. The remark of Mrs Smith must have been rather embarrassing (are there two s’s) but I simply howled when I read it. In fact the lift man came in to see if there was anything wrong with me. The miniature idea is great. I am looking forward to seeing it, but hope to see the original sooner.
I don’t know when I shall get home. I have reckoned it up as carefully as I can & may possibly manage sooner. For instance instead of being here two weeks I shall only be 10 days possibly only 8, & as soon as ever I can you may rest assured I shall make tracks for home. Next year dearest I want to have a short holiday with you if it is at all practicable. Can you arrange to have, say a week in September; but there will be ample opportunity to refer to it later when I see how things are progressing in Australia. How are affairs with Walter. I really don’t like to ask but I am looking forward with eagerness to hear what is happening. I am a selfish brute really & it is furthest from my thoughts to hurt your feelings. Give me just a faint idea dearest when I may expect news. I have nothing further to write about & the mail closes early tomorrow which gives me two days less than I had before so I will close.
With all my fondest love & heaps of kisses, yours forever
Harry
Am sending a card for the Salford ladies through you. Hope you don’t mind. I feel absolutely fit again today. Haven’t booked an order this week but then I have only had one working day, Friday. Went to a fine church last night & afterwards heard tales of sharks & goldmining by men of actual experience. Twas highly interesting. Met a man who applied for our agency. He wants me to get him the job. For reasons mentioned in my previous letters, I don’t think, unless of course you think otherwise.
How I wish sweetheart mine I could have you here. Its no good dreaming though. I am out here to make money & I shall do it. Am almost certain to finish on Friday so that brings me a week nearer home. Now I have just ten minutes to run to the post & catch the mail homewards otherwise you will have to wait another week.
Heaps of love sweetheart
Harry