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The Transvaal Repatriation Committee
Pretoria, June: 17: 1902
My dearest old Mother
This will be my last letter to reach you on Africa's soil – melancholy, yet cheering thought! But I will write to you c/o Walmer Castle at Cape Town. I do hope you will have a good voyage and reach home safely. I was very concerned to hear that you were all ailing. The weather in Port Elizabeth seems to have been pretty awful. With us we had snow and hard frost, but not much wind. In
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the Free State a lot of Tommies were frozen to death. I hope none of you has caught chills or anything. Tell Mhor I am deeply grieved at the death of Rikki.
My last home letters were very cheerful. One from Willie gave me a long account of those pleasant Oxford summer days during Eights Week.
Strachey writes that he may at any moment, have to make me a
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final offer from the 'Spectator'; and he writes to prepare me for it. He says he will make me Political Editor at £1000 a year to start with, and will give me also £2000 worth of shares in the 'Spectator' which are at present paying 15%. Afterwards I should succeed to the Editorship, whenever he gave up, & get £2500 a year. It strikes me as a very good offer, but I fervently hope he will not be compelled to make it for a long time yet, as I have not yet got the
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material to decide finally on.
And now, my poor old Mother, do take care of yourselves and get safely home. I am as busy as ever, but as I am getting my staff into decent order I am relieved of the more burdensome detail work. To night we are giving a great dinner to Lord Kitchener.
With much love and best wishes to all
Your affectionate son
John
