Great wailing and lamentation round morgue tents this morning;
daughter and wife of old Mr. Van Heerde; and she boasted so big three
days ago of her boundless faith. Gave her straight talk; fruit of our
faith is our resignation and peace of heart. Thank God rather for the
blessedness of so long and happy a union; cross with daughter; a
woman can become so unreasonable in her grief.

Arrival of my autoharp; gladness.

* * * * *

Friday, September 13.--Spat fire. Now let me never have occasion to
get so annoyed again; wished for a bag of chaff to pummel for half an
hour just to let off steam.

458 the very essence of misery; old mother helpless (since dead);
young mother sick; three wretched and sick children; and yet when I
presented myself for rice at office was cold-shouldered by Assistant
Superintendent; and these be the things sent by friends from Cape
Town to relieve distress here; and after permission from
Superintendent to issue "briefies! I got rice and two beef teas after
all; but sparks inward flew all the same.

Got to 458; found old grandmother dead; wished Assistant
Superintendent could have been forced to look in; but what an if!

There comes the pity of it all--total absence of sympathy of any
kind!

Wonder of wonders; 70 new person; much better; returned from the very