Pinehurst Tea Rooms
Likky Hills, near Birmingham
March 1st 1915
My own dear Cyril
I am waiting for some lunch to be brought to me and am taking this opportunity of writing you a few lines. My hands are rather cold so please excuse a scrawl.
My darling, it is like being on top of the Brasted hills to be up here. You can imagine how I am enjoying the lovely fresh air and the scenery.
As I have told you before, the country always gives me beautiful thoughts of you and I am always divinely happy among green fields, hills and woods.
I will tell you how I spent my day and I am sure you will commend me for the good breakfast I made.
I provided myself with a really fresh egg from a dairy and the nurse who brought my breakfast procured me some ham, tea and very nice bread and butter and I also bought myself a tiny jar of honey. I had this sumptuous meal about 8.30.
Another nurse brought me your letter and one from the little Mother about 9 am so I read them first and then read the Psalms and Epistle and Gospel for the day. After this I snoozed again until 10.15 and then made one plunge out of bed, had a refreshing tub and dressed at my leisure.
I left the hospital about 11.30 – travelled to Selly Oak and motor bussed from there up these hills. It rained a bit but I did not mind – the sun keeps coming out at intervals, like an April day.
There are some dear little houses on the way here, anyone of which would suit us nicely!
I am feeling very fit today which makes me think that if when I come out of the theatre at the beginning of April Matron would grant me 3 days leave, I should not be long recovering from the strain of theatre work. If you got your three days leave then too before the New Army is sent abroad, everything would fit in charmingly, wouldn’t it?!
I can hear the birds singing as I write, it seems ages since I heard them.
If you had any sense now, you would walk in at this moment in time for lunch. I’m afraid you’ll think me rather extravagant but I really couldn’t resist a day in the country, and in spite of my large breakfast, my appetite is not impaired, indeed the open air etc has made me ravenous.
After lunch I shall go for a ramble over these hills and not allow my mind to dwell on the dragon Theatre Sister. Report has it that she is very nice to me in comparison to many others who have worked for her. All I can say is the others must have been bricks (in texture as well as in temperament) to put up with it. Never mind, a month today and it will all be over.
I am so glad you can get some coal, dear. I did not realize it was so cold until I came out to a place where the plenum does not exist.
You must have been perishing without fires.
The price of those aprons I think will be about 4/- to 4/6 for material.
You are in awful hurry to keep me up to the mark, old fellow, I believe you thought I was going to forget to tell you, accidently on purpose!!
No more notepaper available, so am compelled to stop, in spite of feeling like scribbling reams.
I think it is lovely here, but I can imagine if you were here, with your usual critical air you’d find a blemish somewhere. Don’t you remember I always tease you about this.
All my love from
your devoted
Mela
