12 Charleville Circus
Sydenham SE
Mar 26 1916
My dear Mother
Thank you for your letter of good wishes; also for your share of the pretty hook that you and Father sent me, will you please give him my thanks too. I am so glad this brighter weather has come to cheer us all up and especially you, though I am afraid it is still rather cold for you. I hope Ethel will be able to stay on a little at Deal, but don’t you think in that case it would be a good plan for you or Father to write to Miss Lacey and ask her if Juliet may miss the last few days of term and come home next Saturday. I have been talking it over with her and she says she would miss very little and could do a little work at home, and Miss Lacey would probably make no difficulties if it more clearly put that she is really needed at home in Ethel’s absence. I had a letter from Ethel yesterday; she felt she ought to be getting back to you and was going to ask Mela to come over for a few days but from what you tell me of Mela I should think it would be far better for her not to have any more nursing for a time, but have the most cheerful holiday she can get. Betty is quite keen to come and it would be quite a good thing for her I think so I hope you will write or get Father to. I do hope Mela will be cheered up by her visit. Poor girl, she has had a very trying time lately and it is not surprising that she is rather depressed. When letters began to come again she will feel better I hope. I want her to spend a day or two here on her return journey and perhaps Ethel might come too and they could amuse each other. If Betty were with you there would be no urgent need for Ethel to hurry home. Betty and I are writing now after dinner and going to post these early with an extra stamp, then they should reach you tomorrow. I am writing to May too, but will send that separately this evening I think.
I had a letter from Aunt Fanny yesterday. I am glad she is better again and like you, hoping for more improvement when the weather is warmer. I heard from Mela yesterday; just a short letter, but she seemed to be enjoying the change and finding Folkestone interesting.
We are enjoying having Betty here. She came straight here yesterday afternoon after lunch and we had an early dinner and then went up to see “Romance” which we all enjoyed very much. It is most magnificent acting and I like the play too, it has a fine motive and very passionate action which I never saw more convincingly done; so often on the stage it strikes one either as feeble, or as unreal melodrama. It was raining when we came out and we made for Piccadilly Circus Tube Station as the buses were rather full and got into such a crush trying to get into the booking office; we were really rather glad to get safely into the lift and train at last; I never knew such a crowd after a theatre before. We did not get to Victoria until just upon twelve and home about twenty to one, so we did not get down very early this morning. However Betty and I managed to get down to church, where we had a very good sermon from the Vicar of Mortlake, the man with whom I hear Archie is now doing some work. Jack will have told you I expect that he has received an official notice that the Inland Revenue can spare no more men for the army, so that quite settles his plans anyway for some time to come. I suppose it is possible they might be pressed to reconsider their decision later on, but not while they are so busy, even so Jack would not be one of the earliest groups. It is possible that he may get the Saturday before Easter and be able to come home for a few days. I hope he will. We break up on Wednesday April 12th and get until May 8th, quite a nice long time.
I wonder what makes you think George’s brigade has gone anywhere near Verdun; I had not thought of their being anywhere near so far south as that, though they seem to have moved further south than they were. I did see some reference once to some Australian troops near Verdun; it seems curious to detach them and send them so far from the main British force. I have good hopes now, haven’t you, that the German chance at breaking through there is over. Well I must write other letters.
With much love to you all.
Your loving daughter
Kathleen
