Seward House
Badsey, Evesham
April 18th 1915, 10.30 am
My own dear Cyril
This is Wickhamford Sunday and I am being lazy and am not going to Church until this evening. I have been up and had a chat with the little Mother. Her cough was rather troublesome in the night so we have persuaded her to stay in bed until tea time, for by that time the house will be warm, and I shall see she keeps in one room all the evening.
If she comes down to dinner she only goes upstairs again to lie down which means a change of temperature, so she might just as well stay in her room until 4.pm and then come down into a nice warm room and stay there.
Last evening I spent reading quite an amusing novel by Mrs Croker, the opening chapters of which contain a description of a London boarding house and its occupants. The characters are so true to life and very humorously portrayed. The latter part of the evening I played Poker Patience with the little Mother, who gave me a hopeless beating.
I went to bed about 10.30 and had a nice comfortable sleep until morning, so refreshing too to be able to sleep with open windows.
May and I were down first to breakfast – it looked such a nice day it seemed a pity to waste any of it in bed. The first thing my eyes rested on when I awoke was your photo on the table by my bedside so I beamed a good morning to it which seemed to effectually wake me up.
Before I had quite finished dressing I sneaked downstairs to see if the post had come – not that I was expecting to hear from you, oh dear no!
However I found you had written and so of course I had to read your letter which took some of the time I might have spent in arranging my toilet!
How dare you even pretend to have measles!
It is such a silly complaint for a soldier to get. It is bad enough to have a Mother and a future brother-in-law down with it!
I searched Birmingham for a flat Prayer and Hymn Book combined but only succeeded in finding a Prayer Book of the size you asked me to get. I got it on approval but now that I have it away from the shop it looks a bit shop soiled so I am returning it. I now think of asking them to get a flat Hymn Book and Prayer book combined printed. It will come a bit more expensive but if you would like me to turn this into my present for May 5th’s anniversary, I would love to give it to you, unless there is anything else you would rather have. The smaller the book the more expensive it is, on account of the paper having to be so thin.
Will you let me know your decision as soon as you possibly can so that I can return the prayer book I have on approval.
It is awfully sweet of you to want to give me a present on the strength of your promotion. You seem to be giving so many, but I won’t say “no” because I don’t think you would like me to do so.
I will mention one or two things or rather 3 or 4, and then you can choose which you would like to get and not tell me so that when it comes it will be a surprise.
I am in need of a case or box for keeping jewellery in, and which could also be utilized for locking up money. This is generally called a Jewel box, if you want to know what to call it, and I think you would get it at a leather goods shop. (Have initials put on it). Another thing I should like to have is a small folding book case.
Or if you like getting me things to wear, a brooch or a pendant.
I should be pleased to have any one of these, darling, which ever you would like to give me.
My throat is very sore this morning. I have been dosed with quinine, and am presently going to be given a gargle.
I spent quite a lot on remedies at Birmingham, one can get nothing in hospital without reporting yourself, which entails a lot of fuss and palaver. Am also feeling rather low generally but not as bad as sometimes.
Have any of the others told you that young Mr Drysdale shot himself. He had been given a commission although he, himself, would have preferred to remain in the ranks. He had been home on leave and had had influenza, which probably left him in a very depressed state, and on his way back to camp he shot himself in the train. I expect, poor fellow, he lost his nerve and could not face the responsibility of controlling his men.
I had heard that he was a bit wild and his men probably took advantage of this and I expect he found a good deal of difficulty with them.
It is awfully sad for his Mother who thought the world of him.
Before I forget I must tell you of my interview with Matron.
I asked her if she could give me any particulars about my going to Bournebrooke and this is what she told me. She, as Matron, wishes to choose her own nurses, and the War Office authorities want to put in the Voluntary Aid people. Her point is that they are so difficult to discipline and may be good at bandaging, but cannot be of the same use as nurses who have had a fair amount of training and practical experience. She knows of mistakes where a V.A. nurse has gone into hysterics at the bare suggestion of taking a case to the theatre. All this kind of thing increases instead of decreasing the work and she wants to run the hospitals of which she is in charge, on the soundest and best lines.
If she gains her point soon I am to go to Bournebrooke on May 8th, but if it takes longer I may have to wait longer, but her hope is that things will be in working order by the 1st of May.
So that I, as well as you, may spend your birthday under new conditions and surroundings.
Roddie was over here before breakfast this morning and he and I were having quite a flirtation at the gate! It is amusing to watch him growing up, he, hesitated as to whether to kiss me as he has always done or to shake hands and ended up by deciding on the latter, and shook hands for what seemed like several minutes! He congratulated me on your promotion in quite the approved fashion!
No. I did not know that I could pay cheques into my Savings Bank Account. It is quite a sound thing to know. Thank you, dear, I would like you to make arrangements with your bank to pass my cheques – it might come in useful some time or other.
I am so glad your cough is better and hope that rash has completely disappeared.
The doctor being down with measles himself is quite amusing – although I don’t suppose he finds it so.
As soon as this north wind goes I am going to sit out in the summer house and garden. In the forever I shall be able to imagine you sitting there by me, as we were a fortnight ago today. I do long to have you here, Sweetheart, although in a sense I am at peace, because I have fought myself, and am resigned to God’s will. It has been a hard fight to bring myself to submit willingly to letting you go without a murmur, but there is joy of a kind in the knowledge that the victory has been won.
God bless you, Love, and have you in His keeping.
Ever your own devoted
Mela
