Correspondence relating to Mary Anne 'Bessie' Pocock, pre-1914 - Part 8

All having quantities of white sand
between, several other processes
& then you come to the place where
the pattern is put on wh. is wonderful
the article being so rough & porus that
it readily takes it. this is done by
Land Girls & men.  Another Room are girls
all polishing the gold work &etc. &
another the more costly are being
hand painted.  Many of wh. are so
beautiful.  one old Lady working so
hard with such a steady hand
75. yrs of age & 55. yrs at her Bench.
A most wonderful old body looks
abt 50, I go out for Drive or something
Every day & to the Country Houses
all round the County where Everybody 
is very curious abt: the Australian
& South African woman.  I think some
are surprised I look so English I
should be Copper Color & partly a Canibal

I must say I can never forget the
kindness of the many friends I
have met in England, Ireland &
Scotland.  I had no idea I should
be so much spoiled & taken care
of.  I am quite sure I shall hate
having to work hard again & of
course I should be a perfect Bear
as you know if I were not working
hard.  I'm sorry as Lil have not had
the Syd: Hosp: Training, they would
have been able to do as I have
if ever there was another war any

where, I have seen more I think
than any other person in the 

Short time I've been here.  I wish
you & they had a chance of seeing
it too.  I still wear uniform wh.
saves a lot of clothes for all
the places I go to they dress in
Evening dress for dinner always

5
wh. we all thought. scraps of clay
that they were kind of using up, the
remains of some previous article
& thought how careful they were. & a
nice way to use up peices.  You can
imagine how we all looked when we
were most beautifully had by the man
turning out a good sized thing and
announcing "Pork Pies" the workers
laughed & thought it a capital joke
they cut it in four, and you could
nearly have picked up a peice
to taste it - looked so real food,
I sh. like to have brought a peice
home but of course it would, when
it became thoroughly dry, crack
& come to pieces, unless it had gone
thro the furnace process, wh is
an awfully high chimney in the
Center, fires all round, then all round
the wall feet & feet high are closely
packed sort of tubs, in these are
placed all the articles, plates & etc

I sh. never be able to afford it
of course & could not appear amongst
so many strangers if I were not as

well dressed as they.  I bought a

couple of private dresses at first

but have never worn them so they
will probably fit you on my return.

they say I'm very thin here but I am
feeling very well.  Not much breath
or strength to speak or boast of this yet

expect I shall be as broad as long
on my return to N.S.W.  I shall be
here till next Saturday then I go
to London for a couple of days again
& then to Southsea.  I have several

places to go yet.  More than I have time

for, wh. is lovely don't you think!  Everyone
asks me to come back or stay longer than 

I intended to wh. is more lovely still.
I must shut up now love to the Boys &
all.  hope Mother is well & all of you

yr. loving Sister Bessie

Sign over Inn at

Fountain Grove, Pretoria

 

Multum in parvo, pro bono
publico

Entertainment for man &

beast, all of a row -

Likker host - as much 
as you please

Excellent bed & without
any fleas

Los paltau fuquines now
we are here

Vivamus, let us live by
selling beer

Oh donne à boire et 

a manger ici,

Come in and try it whoever

you be.

I am sending you a four
leaved clover, they say it is

very lucky.  hope it brings

luck to you also a piece

of the mignonette you brought

from Africa.

further East.
I hope you & Sister Hoadley & Sister
Moony are quite well - also Sr Hay.
(Others I don't know). We all were
very grieved to be obliged to rush off
from Middelburg & our patients there.
However, we hope that all have progressed
well.  We all were very sorry also to
leave on account of you all being
there = (You will scarcely credit this!)

Since leaving Middelburg we

xxx

Machadodorp, & E. of [[Belfast?]] 
We met Col. Henry's force with
Victorians & Tasmanians on
9th on which day (Sunday) we
had a fight. no losses to our
side but 4 of enemy killed &
others wounded 1 of whom we got -

Luther - who has we believe died since.
We proceeded to Uitkoomst & there
had another skirmish on / 10th & 11th

Machasdorp
ask I know of 

(inclusion?) also

to  there

Possibly 

 have force
Major

with

I had a letter from Mrs Knight -

Mr Hale she says is still ill.

I am very sorry.  I hope you go
down sometimes.  how very good
Mr Smith has been to me &

now sending papers & etc home

he says he put an Extract
out of one of my letters in 
the paper.  Why did you not send

it to me?  Was it any good?

I'll try and write another nice
letter from where ever we go if

there is anything interesting & 
send you.  Only when we get to
the interesting places.  probably
we shall have a good deal of
work to do and then there
is no time for anything.

Of course you got my letter
telling you to send me no
more money I have plenty.

one spends a great lot here

Everything so very expensive.

I really do not know what to 
tell you.  I think it would cost

so much to send you any

thing from here.  Would you
like some Kafir beads they
are not very much of a 

Curiosity.  I'll try and get you
something.  if I do not send
it - I shall bring it home.

be sure you see abt the
stamps (new ones one of every
kind obtainable) also the

Photos.  Miss Branchs letter

and anything else of value

I hope nothing happens 
to my clothes in that
store room & now trusting
you are in the best of health

My love to all at home &
hope they are well.  I've never
written to any of the Attwater
family but Lily  Best love
to all my friends

Mr Smith sends me a