Marshgate House
Richmond
Surrey
2nd February 1915
My dear Eugénie
Thank you and Julius so much for your birthday letters and also for the life of General Joffre which I am so very pleased to have. Please thank Ethel for the violets, they were so fragrant and I suppose out of your garden and thank May for her kind wishes. I have also to thank you for a former letter in which you put me right about the schooling fund so I now enclose what you ought to have had in December, my memory is very little to be trusted nowadays. Mary arrived on my birthday and stayed two nights, it was very kind of Ted to spare her, she looked so well and got a good deal into the short visit. Harry arrived on Friday in the afternoon and Fanny, Charlie, Edwin and Eleanor had supper with us that evening, it was so nice all to be together again once more, my children united in giving me a photograph of Harry in his uniform, it could not be mistaken for anyone else but the eyes are too wan and pale-looking, it appears it was taken by artificial light, still I am very glad to have it. I am glad your Belgians are so satisfactory. Ethel must indeed be busy. Courtney is getting on better now and was still having massage at Exmouth and he has obtained that Lectureship at Sandhurst, which is a very good thing as it will be comparative rest for him before returning to the front. I expect they will soon be moving or will be soon. Mrs Lambert is coming to stay with me next week for a month. Anna was very sorry to leave me, but it was quite necessary for Dalgarno and better for herself for she was not really well, he was getting better so I hope soon to learn that he has got a good appetite once more. I loved having him and we had good fun together and his Mother did so much for me but I know Mrs Lambert will help me also. Harry was very sorry they had to go, of course he can only come when he gets leave and that is very seldom, he went back to Windsor yesterday, they still want more recruits but they are coming in gradually, he had rather a hoarse voice having had a sore throat, but I think the short rest did him good. He had sad news of his friend, Captain Brown of the St John’s “CLB”, he is reported as wounded and missing. I think that is so very sad for those that love him. I heard from Henriette Bergeon this morning, her married sister has lost her brother-in-law, he was killed near Soissons, he was very young and lively and nice. He leaves a young widow, Henriette says she is very courageous and is such a good Christian. I hope Juliet will get the scholarship she is trying for, she will find it very helpful I am sure to teach others and I am sure she is fond of French and that is so much better and helps tremendously. Harry will just have missed seeing Palantine who is expected home any day from the front, he has had a man on each side of him killed – he has escaped. He is an old CLB of Harry’s and has served 3 years in the regular army and was in reserve when the war broke out. I shall like to go and stay with you very much some time in the summer. I am so glad you are taking care of yourself just now, it is really for some weeks to come the most trying part of the year. I shall like to know where Arthur gets moved to next. I expect George will also be moved soon.
With much love to you all.
Always your loving sister
Mary Anna Robinson
