Page 49 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

19
1867
To keep the school in Hermannsburg going was said to have cost about ₤ 1500 per annum. From 1863 – 1873 I got to know the entire operation and because I had advanced to assistant teacher in the last years, I could tell you many a story about this, but that would be excessive. I need to keep things brief. This is to where I got in 1941 and then I fell ill from November 1941 to May 1942 and I never thought that I would ever be strong and healthy again. But by the grace of God I got better and am writing this on 3 December 1942. And will try to record the description of my life completely differently because I am now 88 1⁄2 years old.
So, differently from 4 December 1942
1866 my dear parents came from Transvaal with multiple wagons. For the first time I saw my younger brother Hermann. When my parents had to return to Transvaal after 3 months, my sister Christine also stayed with us at the school. Father’s trek back up was made up of ten wagons with many young missionaries and brides and they attracted much attention on their way.
1867 my younger brother Hermann died and my parents then decided to let my two sisters come to Transvaal at the end of 1867 with Missionary Lohann who had come to Natal to marry his second wife. So, I remained behind on my own and was often very homesick.