Seward House
Badsey
26th April 1916
My dear old Cyril
We had a telegram from the War Office on Saturday saying you had been sent to Bombay, so I suppose you are there now and hope you will soon get the letter I addressed there just after we heard of your being wounded again. I do hope your arm is getting on well and not giving you much pain or trouble. In a way we can’t help feeling thankful that you are not in all the dreadful fighting and the floods seem so hindering, I do hope they will manage to get to General Townshend in time, but it seems a very hard task.
Harold Allsebrook has also gone to Bombay, so I daresay you will come across him some time, he has a broken thigh. We shall be anxious to get your first letter from India and hear how you are getting on and what your impressions are of the place. You will have had Mela’s wire before this and ought soon to be getting letters. Mela writes as if she was feeling better for her stay at Folkestone, she is now at Aunt Lottie’s and will go to Eastbourne and then I think come back here. I expect Father told you I am quite laid up again now and able to do practically nothing. I have to be either in bed or on the sofa, not walk at all and go out in a Bath chair. Father has ordered one for me and meanwhile we have borrowed one from the Vicarage. Dr Leslie is making me do some exercises night and morning which he says will strengthen my heart. I hope they will for it is trying to be so helpless and such a nuisance to other people; it is a great tie for the girls. May is staying with Mary Simpson for a fortnight and will then go to Eastbourne; I am glad she is having a good holiday. Jack came down last Thursday, he was able to have Saturday off so that made four days which was quite a nice little holiday; he was looking pretty well and was cheerful.
27th April – I was very pleased to get your letter of March 16th this morning, it was much longer getting through than your pc of the previous day which I had some time ago. So you will be spending your birthday in India this year; I am afraid this not reach you in time to give you our good wishes, but we shall think of you on 9th May. This is a bad day with me so I will not write any more but get Kathleen to add a little general news.
Hoping your arm is getting on well, with much love, dear.
I am
Your loving Mother
Eugénie N Sladden
Apr 28
I will write you a proper letter in a day or two and meanwhile just add a line to this. Mother is very poorly today; I think the sudden heat has tired her, but you must not be over-anxious. It is bound to be a long time before her heart becomes much stronger, but we quite hope it will, with much care which you may be sure she has. Mela will be back to help, just when I leave, and there will be a great deal for her to do I know. Her letters sound so much better and stronger now. May writes cheerfully from Budleigh and gets on well with the old man evidently. She will come back fresh and cheery I hope and that will do Mother good. Father seems quite well now which is a comfort. No time now for more but hope we shall hear you are getting on well. A nice long letter from you arrived this morning written on March 16 – a long time to come through.
