"And so we sat tight."--_Despatch from Mafeking to War
Office._

February came and went without producing very much change in our
circumstances, and yet, somehow, there was a difference observable as
the weeks passed. People looked graver; a tired expression was to be
noted on many hitherto jovial countenances; the children were paler and
more pinched. Apart from the constant dangers of shells and stray
bullets, and the knowledge that, when we were taking leave of any friend
for a few hours, it might be the last farewell on earth--apart from
these facts, which constituted a constant wear and tear of mind, the
impossibility of making any adequate reply to our enemy's bombardment
gradually preyed on the garrison. By degrees, also, our extreme
isolation seemed to come home to us, and not a few opined that relief
would probably never come, and that Mafeking would needs have to be
sacrificed for the greater cause of England's final triumph. Since
Christmas black "runners" had contrived to pass out of the town with
cables, bringing us on their return scrappy news and very ancient
newspapers. For instance, I notice in my diary that at the end of March
we were enchanted to read a _Weekly Times_ of January 5. On another
occasion the Boers vacated some trenches, which were immediately
occupied by our troops, who there found some Transvaal papers of a
fairly recent date, and actually a copy of the _Sketch_. I shall never
forget how delighted we were with the latter, and the amusement derived
therefrom compensated us a little for the accounts in the Boer papers of
General Buller's reverses on the Tugela. About the middle of February I
was enchanted to receive a letter from Mr. Rhodes, in Kimberley, which I
reproduce.

[Transcription of letter:

"Kimberly "Jan 12 / 1900

"DEAR LADY SARAH,

"Just a line to say I often think of you[.] I wonder do you
play bridge, it takes your mind off hospitals, burials and
shells. A change seems coming with Buller crossing the Tulega.
Jameson should have stopped at Bulawayo and relieved you from
North. He can do no good shut up in Ladysmith[.] I am doing a
little good here as I make De Beers purse pay for things
military cannot sanction[.] We have just made and fired a 4
inch gun, it is a success.

"Yrs (.).Rhodes]

This characteristic epistle seemed a link with the outer world, and to
denote we were not forgotten, even by those in