Page 117 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

53
1876 – 1877
I became the godfather of the son Hermann. The whole
family emigrated to South Africa in about 1885. When jacket potatoes, herring and dark rye bread were served in the Mission House, which was too heavy for my stomach that was not accustomed to this food, I let the dinner stand and went to baker Albers and got a lighter meal there: white bread, young “luffen” and milk or malt beer.
I felt particularly at home at Aunt Marie Behrens, the widow of Uncle Heinrich Behrens with her children August, Fritz, Georg and Marie who lived a few hundred yards from the Mission House. I often visited them. Fritz and Marie died in Germany. My aunt with August and Georg later came to Bethanie. Today, only cousin Georg is living near Kroondal. August and Georg have big families here with children and grandchildren.
Also in the pastor’s home (Theodor Harms and his family), at Major Ruschenbusch, Schüren and many others I was always welcome.
During the 5 years I travelled a lot during the holidays, for example with Stielau to Vierlanden, with the Persian to the Harz, with pupil Chr. Johannes to the beautiful Rhine, then
on my own to Hannover, Hamburg, Bremen, Osnabrück, Braunschweig, Leipzig, Berlin, Lübeck and many other cities and towns. I enjoyed travelling and travelled cheaply because I always had too little money.