November 29, 1888

Fahrlander Family

Siegelau, 29th November 1888

Dear Hermann!

We received your estemed letter of the 20th of October and learned from it that you are not all that well this fall. At the fire of the barn earlier you must have hurt yourself much worse than you thought. Our health is not resistant enough for such work. You will do well, therefore, to be very careful and take it very easy as best you can until you are fully recovered. Such serious wounds often take a long time until they are overcome again. It often results in pretty bad consequences, tuberculosis and things of that sort. Therefore, I repeat once again, be very careful.
On the 18th of this month the youngest child of your sister rosa, a girl born in August of this year, died, and she was buried on Tuesday, the 20th. Her illness was only a short one, hardly two days. The others are four boys and only the oldest one is a girl.
Your brother Franz Anton is faring pretty well in Freiburg. He is always well and has the worst time behind him. He will probably come here on leave for Christmas, perhaps for ten days. If there is no war and peace can be kept, we hope that he will get away by two years, then he would have to stay in until late next year.
My brother Fidel has been in the hospital in Waldkirch for more than two months. In September he suffered a small accident and as a result of that he could not walk for some days, and even now "march" as before. How long he will have to stay in the hospital is not known. He cannot stand it for very long when he goes some place, then he just comes back to us again.
We are almost finished with our field business. Otherwise we were quite a bit behind with our work late this year. In October, even before our harvest fair, we had very bad weather for 14 days, once completely snowed in, so that our cattle could not be let out in the pasture. Since the harvest fair the weather has been quite good and thus we could still catch up with what we had missed before. It is really very beautiful and warm. Yesterday we harvested hemp, that is dried it.*
Zaver, the oldest son of Rieder in Kohlenbach (Harniswald), the cooper and beer brewer, has turned soldier too. He is stationed in the Alsace in an Infantry Regiment No. 112, in Schlettstadt.
I want to conclude now. All of us are pretty well, thank God, and from the depths of our hearts wish that you yourself are well again soon. Now, dear Hermann, all of us send our very best regards and are looking forward to hearing from you soon. Special regards from your Father,


Fr. Anton Fahrlander


*This translates as "hemp", and Mr. Schweder thinks it is used in making beer, but is not hops. (Dictionary states that hops are of the hemp family.)

 

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