The Blue Room
Seward House, Badsey
26th April 1915, 10 am
My dear Boo
At last I am summoning up energy to write to you. Up to the present I have not been allowed to do anything at all except read and even that I could not do for long because of the pain in my eyes. Everyone has been most awfully good to me and I hope when you write to your Mother you will tell her how very much I have appreciated all their kind thought - it is so difficult to show them that I feel very much indebted to them but I do really feel awfully grateful. I don't know what I should have done if I had been on my own for I have really had a very nasty attack which has left me very weak and shaky. I got up for dinner yesterday but came back to bed afterwards. I went out in the garden in the sun for ten minutes. Your Father was gardening in a shady part and called out that I wasn't to go near him. I pretended to misunderstand him and replied that he was afraid of taking the "flu"! So when we came indoors he said to pay me out for being cheeky he would give me a big kiss! Which was also supposed to prove to me he is not afraid of infection! I think your Father must have made a very nice lover, he often comes out with such nice ways of being affectionate.
This letter is really quite a labour of love for I am getting unconscionably tired already. Last night your Mother and Kath sat with me while the others were at church and the former read the Psalms and Lessons to me. It was all so nice and homely.
Not having been able to talk much on account of resting my throat, the girls have taken it in turn to come and read to me. We are now reading "Middlemarch" by George Eliot.
I had a nice letter from Nurse Sampson this morning - she is "night special" to a case of cerebro-spinal meningitis. I envy her the experience as I am very keen on nursing one of these, it must be very interesting. I miss Sammy very much and she is quite unhappy without me.
12.45 pm
I had to rest for a bit and had quite a nice snooze and also glanced at The Times. There is only one casualty in the C.S.R. and another man died from illness. Hasn’t the fighting been terrific? I am sending you the little prayer book and would like you to let me know what you would like for May 5th? Would you like a silver pencil case with refills, to use in case your fountain pen should run out at t time or place where you could not refill it?
Matron wrote intimating that plans are forming and says that I am to wear my own uniform, which simplifies matters considerably. I hope, if the war continues a long time, bringing my nursing experience up to three years. I have already done more than half of that, that I shall be considered capable enough to be sent to the Front. I would love to go. Wouldn’t it be strange to meet out there? Perhaps we’ll meet in Berlin!
I have just been told that I am not to go down until tea-time and then only for a little while. I doubt if I shall be fit to go back by the 8th if I only progress at this rate. It is tiresome. I am so sorry this is such an unsatisfactory sort of a letter. I'll try and write a better one next time.
With much love
Ever your affectionate
Mela
PS - We were all very interested to read Dr Baker's letter. His letters are always so natural. I think he must be a delightful man.
