Fourway Farm,
August 6, 1934.

Dear Ab,

We received your last letter and have read it over three times to make sure there werent nothin we missed, but we have come to the conclusion that it reely must be as silly as it sounds which seems almost impossible.

Well, Ab, when you left the old family seat to go and seek fame and forchin in the great city me and your ma did wonder now and then if you would ever get nipped by any of these modern bugs. But it seems they aint been only just nipping you Ab. They been biting chunks out of you.

Be that as it may, when I tole you in my last that we would not be sending the five pounds you asked for so cheerfully I thought you would know I meant it.

That was just a plain statement of fact and I don't see there was any call for you to swamp me under a lot of poppycock about what you call your ego and your right to self expression and living your own life.

So far as I been able to see, Ab, a man's own life is the only life he has any chance of living in this world. So you go right ahead, son, and live your own life. All I got to say is you ain't going to live your life on my money. So now we got it clear.

Be that as it may, I want you to understand, Ab, that the old man still has hopes of you. And they'd be a lot stronger hopes if I was to hear that you returned to your ma that half note what she sneaked into her letter to you, when she thought I wasn't looking out of her egg money.

It might be just as well for you to reelise that every time you blew one of them ten bobs of your ma's on one of them plucked pullets they call flappers you are spending a new hat or wot not that your ma might have had if youd give her a chance to hang on to her own egg money.

This is just a hint that's all and I'd say no more about it.

Be that as it may, I am a good bit puzzled lately about the bits and scraps you put into your letters about someone you call your girl friend. This here girl friend business is a bit of a mistery to me.

If you mean that you have found some very plucky young woman willing to become your wife in ten or twenty years' time when you might be able to afford to keep her me and your ma would be glad to hear about it, though I wouldent like to say you are being very fair to the girl.

Anyway, me and your ma would be a bit relieved if you was to write in plain English and let us into the secret of this here girl friend stuff.

Well, Ab, if you have been able to let your eye wander away from the sporting columns of the newspaper you might have noticed that wheat is going up a bit. Not that it will make any difrence to you. It won't.

But I thought you might perhaps feel sort of glad that your aged parents sees signs of getting a bit of luck at last. It would make us awful pleased - speshilly your ma to know that you was pleased about somethin that pleased us. But I suppose modern parents has not right to become too optimistic.

Well, Ab, we have had a bit of rain and things is looking brighter up this way. Your brother Joe asks me to ask you if you would consider it beneath you to buy him one (1) pare of strong working boots, size 8. He will send you the money when you send the boots.

Well, Ab, I think that will be all at present.

Your aff. father,
JAS JAMES.

P.S. - Your ma is also writing.

"Den"
Herald, 8 August 1934, p6