Letter # 4 - Jan’s sister Grietje and her
husband operate a barge on the canals of Holland. Their sister Margien and
husband Detmer operate an ocean freighter. Apparently Jan and Jaantje have been
quite ill.
Wildervank, September 8, 1870
Dearest Brother and Sister,
We received your letter in good health and from
it learned that you both had been ill, and that gave us inward pain. We still
want so much to see you in good health as long as we are still here on earth. O
dearest Brother and Sister, may the Lord show us the way to that end. Here there
are so many difficulties in this world.
Perhaps our brother Detmer and Margien are at sea
and the weather here is rather stormy. The wife of Jan Pekelder died and last
week Klara de Lese also died suddenly.
Other than that I have no news; I hope that the
Lord may give you swift healing. We also understood from your letter that
Hendrik de Ruiter arrived in good health.
Now dear Brother, receive my hearty greetings;
greet your whole family; greet H. de Ruiter. And again a thousand greetings from
me, your loving sister,
Grietje G. Rubingh
I hope that you may receive this letter in good
health. Write soon.