Page 1 Hamburg Ohlsdorf the 15. Dec. 1913. My dear good aunt! It is once again necessary for me to talk to you in this way. We are always happy to hear from you. Amalie is so kind and good to send us a letter now and then, she never forgets to give us detailed information about your well-being. We ourselves are alive and well, although my wife's condition could have been better. She has a lot of you, aunt, she is always active and economical. The two children we have with us with their mother, as you know are growing up to our delight and are of a good nature. They visit their schools regularly. These are quite expensive, for both we pay about M. 1000 - the year, so about 250 dollars. We like to pay for it because both are making good progress. It is simply the case in the world that today's youth must have greater school knowledge than 50 or more years ago, otherwise the young people have no future, the same will probably be the case with you too. With my great lawsuit I am still not finished. I won it on the first instance. My opponents were turned away. Now they have followed up again, and the fight is in full swing again, I can still lose a lot of money, even if it doesn't look as bad Page 2 as 3 years ago. Who would have ever thought of something like that? Later, after our death, my wife's relatives would have been the first heirs to our property, although the young mother with her two children are preferred from us. And now they are like this. With my sister we thought so. She is now 50 years old. If she can no longer take care of herself later, she receives the interest from one of us for the suspended assets, from which she can live well. After their death, the capital falls back to our children. - "Man thinks and God guides" how many things have turned out differently than we thought before, but nevertheless, if we are not hit by another accident, I think that our first intentions will probably be fulfilled. As you will remember, I visited her with the children last summer. I saw how she was honored and respected by better people, and that made me happy inside. It is not easy for an elderly lady to run her own business to concede, and to make ends meet, she also has to count on lazy customers and others, where she has to wait a long time for her money, but she is satisfied with her situation. - I don't want to write about my intended trip to America today, I have already Page 3 pointed out that I cannot leave my wife alone with the annoyance and fright of one while I am pursuing my pleasure, even if it is a harmless one. It annoys me because of Amalie, whom I have written about so many times without being able to do it. I no longer have any great wishes, but the wish to see you all again, as well as the graves, is indelibly alive in me, I cannot say today when I get there, but I certainly hope that I will still experience this, and God willing, pretty soon. According to good old customs, you wish each other a lot of good things for the New Year. I myself wish to be able to congratulate you in the future after many New Years. If I'm not mistaken, it's your birthday on January 7th. Then you will be 89 years old. I congratulate you very warmly on what a beautiful age you have. If you no longer have the enjoyment of your existence as before, you are infinitely favored by providence over others. You are certainly honored by your children. as you deserve to a high degree. likewise from your children. all this was reserved for you to experience it and to enjoy it. In front of the table on which I am now writing, my gaze is directed against the wall where your pictures hang, and I look into your good face. Then I am vividly reminded of the winter 72_73 that I spent with you, as you have always been so diligent, always concerned for the well-being of your own. Page 4 If you get old and look backwards and then notice that not all of your wishes came true. Oh my god. who can say that about himself? Nothing is perfect, then you should be satisfied with what you have achieved. On the 24th of October it was 38 years ago that I got a good wife who always stood by my side, especially in the past 3 years. Unfortunately, she suffered more from the adversity than I did. My physical well-being has remained good, apart from the more and more gray hair, etc. You're no longer a young man (in 67) where it's easier to shake off bad experiences. She is also always concerned for our best and so diligent and frugal, so even now that I write this, she sits with me with her sewing work for the children. Because I'm just mentioning the kids. It's Christmas time here. The big theaters give performances for the little ones in the afternoons and there are now ours with their mother. So we two are alone. And I have a good opportunity to calmly put my thoughts on paper and to occupy myself so comfortably. Farewell, dear aunt, and still delight quite often with a few lines Your faithful nephew Gustav Grupe and wife.