Marshgate House
Richmond
Surrey
17th August 1915
My dear Eugénie
I hasten to congratulate you and Julius on the arrival of your first grandchild. I hope Mary is doing well and the child also, how anxious Arthur will be to get back to see his little daughter. I hope you get frequent news of George and Cyril. I believe Mela is staying with you now and also Kathleen and I suppose they are all very busy fruit picking. I hope you have found a servant for it will not do for you to do too much. I had a long letter from Mary this morning, they are thinking of going to St Ives after Mr & Mrs Thornton Simpson and Baby have visited them. I am glad for I think it will do them both good. Florence is getting on so well, making sacks for the trenches. I am only on my second, but I am quite willing to go out buying material for others to make them. Tomorrow if it is fine we expect Fanny and Miss McCulley to early dinner and then we are going to drive to Dillon to see my husband’s cousins. They are invalids now, it is so sad for them. Is Jack with you now or does he take his holiday later? On Saturday I had a delightful surprise when I came downstairs after resting. I found a telegram from Harry saying he hoped to be home at 7.30. He was rather later than that and Fred and Florence had been to Norwood to see Selena and were late too so they had supper together. Next morning Harry went off soon after breakfast to spend the day in camp with his lads, scouts. Mr Beckwith is there with him, on his way he went to see them at Pembridge House, he had his bicycle with him so rode both ways, he enjoyed his day very much and joined us as we had just come out of church after evening service. After supper he sang Gounod’s setting of “Glory to thee my God this night”. Do you know it? It is beautiful. Then he sang things out of Elijah and Samson. He tells me he is allowed to play on the organ at one of the churches at Bexhill, they are digging trenches there, permanent ones I think but his work is more seeing about the rations as he is Quartermaster. He does not seem to think they will be leaving Bexhill yet so I may go and see him there later with Anna and Dalgarno. Fanny and Charlie had early dinner with us yesterday. Harry went off again before 7 o’clock.
With much love to you and Julius and all the daughters and Mela.
Believe me
Your loving sister
Mary Anna Robinson
