Letter 24
Date: 23
mei 1882
Sender:
Harmen Jan te Selle
Adressee:
Mevr. Dela ten Damme-te Selle
Derk Willem te Selle
Firth May 23, 1882
Highly regarded mother
and brother with your children: we let you know that we all are
well and healthy. We wish you the same. Also we received your
letter of April 8, and note therein that you are still well.
Yes, it is a great treasure to have health and the necessities.
These two together is what we need. Because as far as the
human house is concerned, gold and silver would not be enough and
would make us poor, and to miss health, what would silver or gold
avail. Let us be thankful that the Lord has given us health,
and the daily bread that comes from His hand.
I note from your
writing that you do not always receive the newspaper regularly. I
have talked to the publisher about the sending. He says that he
sends it out regularly. Then the fault must be with the post
office that they take note, perhaps they think it is only a paper.
And the postmasters are not always too honest, as you also have
seen yourself in Rotterdam.
And talking about
Rotterdam, I see Brother you have had quite an outing in your old
age, so we say. I do believe that something new was the
large cities and the large buildings, the ships with their
innumerable masts. We looked up against that when we came to
Rotterdam, but later here in America, it was no news to us. In
Wisconsin we saw such almost every day. But now we are so
far inland and see them now no more.
I see that you have
become an agent for that company. Possibly that can bring in
something, mainly from the side of Germany. Now you will have to
advertise some times in the German newspapers which are published
in Südlohn
or Stadtlohn. That would reward your efforts.
And if I find a fitting
time, I will write a piece for the Winterswijk newspaper. Either
about the whole of America or about this state of Nebraska. That
would be of any help and that is something people asked me to do
many times, even by our former teacher, because I did so before on
request of the newspapers which are published here. But I never
did this for the Dutch newspapers. Now I drop this subject.
We have especially
cold, bleak and unpleasant weather here this spring. A lot of cold
rain. For the corn such is not so good, because that loves warm
weather. Wheat stands very nice, so also rye and oats. The corn is
extremely expensive, yet never before was so high. And so are hogs
and horn cattle. Butter and eggs are a little lower. Yesterday I
had a letter from G.W. Bloemers. All are well too. Janna te
Brummelstroete is still living, she was I believe already 93 years
old. Sincere greetings from us all.
