Seward House
Badsey
Sept 29th 1914
My darling Boo
I am enclosing a few lines with the socks, which by the way have been washed and are improved thereby. Tomorrow, Ethel and I are going to tea with the Byrds so I should not have time to catch the evening post unless I wrote in the morning and it is not so convenient then as many things turn up which must be done before one feels one can settle to letter writing. If there should be anything of importance to answer in your letter I will do so by the Early post on Thursday.
Ethel and I cycled into Evesham today to return Miss Opie’s call. We met a very nice lady there, a Mrs Alston or Austin who has been in Evesham about 6 months, she is reported to possess a very charming husband, according to Miss O!
Mrs Preston came in to tea there and as usual raked up the old story of relationship with me, she knows Aunt Clemmie very well and Dora slightly. She is related to Uncle George, whose photo with that of Aunt Maggie, Cecilia and Barrow Hall were shown to us by Dora one day.
I cannot write anything but a disjointed letter as the war news is being read aloud so you must look for the next one to be a better one.
We called on Fanny Mace this afternoon too. She was very interested in me! We had a long and amusing chat with her.
We met May Openshaw and Grace Horsfield in the town. They were both very alarmed to hear the Territorials are going abroad by degrees. May’s brother and fiancé are both Territorials, and Dr MacNicholl to whom Grace Horsfield is engaged has joined the R.A.M.C. but has not been sent abroad yet. We mutually congratulated one another on our respective engagements, May not having seen me to speak to since the night of your memorable dance. We also saw Miss Rudge, who is training at the hospital here, she looked very rosy and well, as though the life suits her admirably.
News from the Front continues to be good but I feel that this ‘siege’ will be a long one, but will conclude in favour of the Allies.
Your next pair of socks is to be of a very pretty shade of light brown, the nicest shade of khaki, more the colour of your light brown suit. The pair after this will be for Cecil. He is sure to have started off well supplied and it is no use to encumber him with extras as a private has to carry so much as it is, so that if he gets them a little later on he will probably be needing them to wear them straight away.
There were letters today from Betty and George. Betty finds term most dull, she finds none of the girls can really discuss the war properly. The staff of house workers is much reduced through the absence of foreigners unable to return. Her Music Mistress is away ill, in America, I believe. Her one consolation is Miss Grierson, of whose experiences on her return journey from Switzerland Betty tells. There were 800 people in her train, the occupants all washed in turn under a pump on a station, the handle being worked by a Frenchman to the continuous reiteration of ‘Vive les Anglais’. She slept on a suitcase which seemed all handles!
George’s regiment has had its marching orders and are to leave for Active Service in France in a fortnight. (G. does not think they will get away in less than 3 weeks.) They are probably to take the place of a Guard’s Regiment. I hope George will be able to get leave to come down here and say goodbye. He says he is collecting more Scotch anecdotes to the disfavour of the Scotch, although he says is bound to admit they are good fighters! He dares to assert that his moustache is a better one than yours! From what Kath and Betty say I should judge it is not as good!
Well – my darling I hope you’ll find the socks comfy – let me know their bad points and I’ll try and improve on them.
Do you want a cholera belt?
This time please answer any questions I ask. When you were at Churn you were a bad boy and hardly ever replied to questions. I expect it was because you wrote under unfavourable conditions. The others send their love – your Mother will write soon.
Goodnight – Sweetheart - God bless you. All my heart’s love and a kiss. Am longing to hear from you to know if your quarters are comfortable this cold weather. Another day gone – another day nearer Peace – and you.
Ever your own loving
Mela
