Herbert Arthur Lewes to GHL, Wakkerstroom, 6 May [1871]
Title
Herbert Arthur Lewes to GHL, Wakkerstroom, 6 May [1871]
Title
Herbert Arthur Lewes to GHL, Wakkerstroom, 6 May [1871]
Sender
Herbert Arthur Lewes
Recipient
George Henry Lewes
Date(s)
- 1871-05-06
Place
Wakkerstroom
Letter Content
Herbert Arthur Lewes to GHL, Wakkerstroom, 6 May [1871]
MS: Nuneaton Public Library.
Falls of the | Assagai. 6th May.
Dear Pater
I have just received your last letter dated 7th February. I am very sorry indeed to hear of poor dear Grandma's death and M. Gillies. 30 I expect Charles and Gertrude miss her very much. If you should write or see Lizzie remember me to her. I am very sorry to hear of her husband's death. 31 Many thanks for the Box of Books, which I received in January. I have not been able to read many of them as yet, I've had too much to do. The only time I read is of an evening before going to bed. There are two Books I should like to have had, that is Mutter's last two poems. My Father-in-law has answered your letter, I did not see it, but Eliza told me almost all he had said in it. I knew pretty well what his answer would be, he is too stingy to part with any thing. He could spare a span of oxen and some cows etc. and never miss them for he has plenty of cattle.
For some months past Mr. and Mrs. Harrison have been trying to make Eliza give me up. The poor girl has had a dreadful life of it. They want her to give me up because I am poor. In January Mr. H. in a fit of rage threatened to knock Eliza down and would have done so, if Mrs. H. had not been in the room and prevented him. (Lucky for him he did not strike Eliza, for I don't know what I would have done to the Brute.) That day Eliza packed up her things and left the house. It had been raining very hard for several days and the country was in a dreadful state, how the dear girl crossed all the swamps etc. on foot I don't know. She walked 5 miles to a friend's house, and stopped there for a few hours. While she was there an English farmer and his wife (name of Short) rode up to the house. They knew Eliza well, and when she told them what had happened they got a horse for her, and she rode home with them, and has been staying with them ever since. Mr. H. has tryed to get Eliza back, but she won't go. I think she is quite right not to go. Next month we shall be married. We ride to New-castle and get quietly married by the Magistrate, and nobody will know anything about until it is over, except Mr. and Mrs. Short. They of course will ride with us.
In my last I think I told you I had sold Falls of the Assagai. When I went to take over the cattle, the Dutchman thought he had given too much, and backed out of the bargain. However, I have sold it again, for £130. in cattle -- viz. A good span of oxen, 4 mares and 2 horses and £15. I was obliged to sell the place. I could not bring Eliza here to live, it would not have been safe, it is too close to the timber Bushes and there are always a lot of Bush workers passing, going in to Wakkerstroom and very often they are drunk. I could not have left Eliza alone for a day. I have hired a very good Farm for 5 years, close to Wakkerstroom, and close to plenty of English neighbors. This week I am going to shift and build a small brick house. Now I have got a good span of oxen again, I shall be able to earn a little, by riding timber, and transport. If I had now a little stock, 12 cows and a couple of hundred sheep, with care I should be well off in a few years. I often wish that I had learned some trade. A man in a colony ought to have some trade, if he has not got enough stock to live on a Farm with.
I have had hard times of it since I lost my cattle with the lung sickness. I have learnt some things I did not know before. If ever I have lungsickness again in my cattle I shall know what to do and shall not lose so many. There is a large store in Wakkerstroom now. Mr. Nisbet the manager a great friend of mine is talking of going to England in a few months he will very likely call upon you. The winter has just commenced we have plenty of frost now of a morning the grass is begin[ning] to get dried up. The next letter you get from me, I shall be on my new Farm and I hope married. The address will be the same as before only Kalbasfontein instead of Falls of the Assagai.
I think I have told you all the news. Love to Mutter, and Gertrude, Charles etc. I am
Your affectionate son
H. A. Lewes.
MS: Nuneaton Public Library.
Falls of the | Assagai. 6th May.
Dear Pater
I have just received your last letter dated 7th February. I am very sorry indeed to hear of poor dear Grandma's death and M. Gillies. 30 I expect Charles and Gertrude miss her very much. If you should write or see Lizzie remember me to her. I am very sorry to hear of her husband's death. 31 Many thanks for the Box of Books, which I received in January. I have not been able to read many of them as yet, I've had too much to do. The only time I read is of an evening before going to bed. There are two Books I should like to have had, that is Mutter's last two poems. My Father-in-law has answered your letter, I did not see it, but Eliza told me almost all he had said in it. I knew pretty well what his answer would be, he is too stingy to part with any thing. He could spare a span of oxen and some cows etc. and never miss them for he has plenty of cattle.
For some months past Mr. and Mrs. Harrison have been trying to make Eliza give me up. The poor girl has had a dreadful life of it. They want her to give me up because I am poor. In January Mr. H. in a fit of rage threatened to knock Eliza down and would have done so, if Mrs. H. had not been in the room and prevented him. (Lucky for him he did not strike Eliza, for I don't know what I would have done to the Brute.) That day Eliza packed up her things and left the house. It had been raining very hard for several days and the country was in a dreadful state, how the dear girl crossed all the swamps etc. on foot I don't know. She walked 5 miles to a friend's house, and stopped there for a few hours. While she was there an English farmer and his wife (name of Short) rode up to the house. They knew Eliza well, and when she told them what had happened they got a horse for her, and she rode home with them, and has been staying with them ever since. Mr. H. has tryed to get Eliza back, but she won't go. I think she is quite right not to go. Next month we shall be married. We ride to New-castle and get quietly married by the Magistrate, and nobody will know anything about until it is over, except Mr. and Mrs. Short. They of course will ride with us.
In my last I think I told you I had sold Falls of the Assagai. When I went to take over the cattle, the Dutchman thought he had given too much, and backed out of the bargain. However, I have sold it again, for £130. in cattle -- viz. A good span of oxen, 4 mares and 2 horses and £15. I was obliged to sell the place. I could not bring Eliza here to live, it would not have been safe, it is too close to the timber Bushes and there are always a lot of Bush workers passing, going in to Wakkerstroom and very often they are drunk. I could not have left Eliza alone for a day. I have hired a very good Farm for 5 years, close to Wakkerstroom, and close to plenty of English neighbors. This week I am going to shift and build a small brick house. Now I have got a good span of oxen again, I shall be able to earn a little, by riding timber, and transport. If I had now a little stock, 12 cows and a couple of hundred sheep, with care I should be well off in a few years. I often wish that I had learned some trade. A man in a colony ought to have some trade, if he has not got enough stock to live on a Farm with.
I have had hard times of it since I lost my cattle with the lung sickness. I have learnt some things I did not know before. If ever I have lungsickness again in my cattle I shall know what to do and shall not lose so many. There is a large store in Wakkerstroom now. Mr. Nisbet the manager a great friend of mine is talking of going to England in a few months he will very likely call upon you. The winter has just commenced we have plenty of frost now of a morning the grass is begin[ning] to get dried up. The next letter you get from me, I shall be on my new Farm and I hope married. The address will be the same as before only Kalbasfontein instead of Falls of the Assagai.
I think I have told you all the news. Love to Mutter, and Gertrude, Charles etc. I am
Your affectionate son
H. A. Lewes.
Signature
H. A. Lewes.
Citation
Herbert Arthur Lewes, Herbert Arthur Lewes to GHL, Wakkerstroom, 6 May [1871], Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/95138