Motunau
Oct 14th/15
Dear Mrs Sladden
Excuse pencil, I am out on the cliffs for a breath of fresh air. You will wonder why I haven’t written to you before, but we have been having a great deal of trouble and sickness, and so you must forgive me. Jack has been ill for many months and for the last two in bed with two trained nurses. He underwent a serious operation and unfortunately it turned out to be a failure as the doctor operated for stone and found it was not the case, but on the draining of the pancreas his agony has been terrible; but they say with great care he will pull through, but it will take a twelve-month to affect a cure. He has been rather better and has less pain for the last three or four days, but it is weary work.
By now, I expect you will have heard that I have lost my darling Fred. He died at Gallipoli, or rather, I should say, he was wounded there and died from his wounds in Cairo (I think). We have to go to much from the papers. Some papers said Cairo, others Malta, and the Hospital Ship. So we are not certain, I have not been able to find out so far. This wait is awful. How we all can thank vile Kaiser. I miss my boy so terribly, everything reminds me of him up here. He was no trouble and so devoted to me. Such a fine, tall, handsome man, so full of fun and life. My son Harry is also wounded and has been sent home to Walton-on-Thames. I do not know how he is wounded. I hope they will keep him there for some time. This is the second time he has been wounded. George is home so I called to him to make enquiries.
I hope all your boys are safe and well. I wonder when this war will end? Not I suppose till all that vile scum has been wiped out.
I am feeling better [?] today on Florrie’s account, as the 14th inst was the day she expected to be confined. Of course I was not able to go to her. In any case I should not have seen much of her as she is going to a Nursing Home, some way off from her own home. I am so glad about it, and her husband is delighted. They have got a lovely little home in Dunedin. Winnie stayed with them in March and April but I have not been able to go down there yet. They have given me a pressing invite to go as soon as I can and whenever I can.
We shall not be having a good per cent of lambs this year, on account of the weather. We have not seen any rain for months, I might almost say forever, as it must be nearly two years since we had a good one. There is scarcely any feed, and the sheep have been dying by the hundred. The ewes that have given birth have nothing to feed the lambs on so walk away and leave them. It is becoming very serious as there will be no feed during the summer and we are wanting money badly now. Sheep farming is not all joy by any means. Everything is very slow.
Poor Connie has been having a bad time with her kiddies. They have both had diphtheria followed by bronchitis and croup. I am glad to say they are better now. I miss her so much. She and I see so much of each other when I am in Christchurch and she was always very chum.
I must now end and go in as it must be dinner time and Marie will be wild at waiting. So with very much love, hoping to hear from you.
With love to dear May.
Yours very affectionately
C Byrch
PS – I hope you have been keeping well.
