4-253 (Original)

File contents

<source><g=m><o=i><age=45><status=3><abode=04><p=vic><r=prw><tt=pc><4-253>
please break the following news to mother and the rest as gently as possible [...] I received a telegram of Robert Wilson stating that John had died suddenly that morning (Monday) and to come at once. James was nearest the train and he got away at once and Hugh was a little later and as the train was the last one, when I got the telegram I was unable to be at the funeral. When James arrived after travelling night and day he found everything done as we would wish except the death of our brother, having been washed and dressed and the coffin ordered from Bruthen. I shall give you the particulars. In the first place he had two young men working for him who slept in the house. One of them named Jock Anderson had been away on his holidays and came back on Sunday afternoon. He asked John if he had got his dinner and John replied he had not as he had taken a drink of sweet milk. So Anderson said he would put the kettle on and make the tea for all and John took a hearty meal and remarked with a little laugh that he was nearly dead since he (Anderson) had went away and he thought he had burst a small blood vessel and was spitting a little blood. Well Anderson said to John that he must be making fun as he never saw John look better for John had just took off his beard that same day before his departure to Melbourne to get married to Miss Wilton on April 21st. The invitations were sent to the friends to attend the ceremony (on Monday morning before James told her). On Sunday evening he had a chat with the boys and said that they would not go to the fencing on Monday as they would take a ride and see how much of a fence our blocks would take as he wished to leave work for them when he was in Melbourne. He then filled his census papers with perfect correctness and went to bed fairly well considering the spitting of blood. On Monday morning the boys lay long being tired with their journey when about 8 or a quarter past 8 o'clock Anderson heard John vomiting and jumped out of bed and John called him to come as he was dying and that his hour was come. [195] Anderson cleaned his mouth and held him in his arms and asked John if he had any message to leave to any of his brothers or friends and if he could do anything more for him but John answered him no "all you can do is to pray for me".
<\4-253><\g=m><\o=i><\age=45><\status=3><\abode=04><\p=vic><\r=prw><\tt=pc>