Sisters’ Quarters
University House
Edgbaston Pk Rd
B’ham
Oct 11th 1916
My own dear Cyril
Your letter dated Sept 4th only reached me tonight so it has been 5 weeks on the way. You wrote it just before being sent up river and you found it rather difficult to write because you had had no home letters. I hope you are now among friends. Even if a place is dull in itself, congenial companionship makes up for the monotony to a large extent. By now the climate must be cooler, for which you are very thankful, I’m sure. I was afraid you’d find the heat very lowering, although you yourself tried to put me off thinking so, in your letters. I know exactly how you felt when you tried to write and found there was no news - I felt just the same dried up feeling when I first came back here. You only had very scrappy letters the first week or two. I called myself names for not being able to produce anything better. By the same mark there was a letter for me from India. I could not recognise the handwriting, and on opening it found it was from an old patient of mine, Gunner Snowdon, whom I nursed last Xmas and never heard of since! He wrote me a very nice letter of thanks for my care of him. He had gastritis and caught mumps while here, and he and Private Miller, an Australian, were known as the “Mumpies”. They had a small ward to themselves and I was in charge of them on day duty. Snowdon was very ill but says he is much stronger now. He is afraid of getting a return of his old trouble because the food at Kirkee Barracks is so bad and they only get two meals a day. He is in B Battery, 225th Brigade, RFA, Kirkee Barracks. If ever you should run up against the Battery, ask for Gunner Snowdon if you want to hear my praises sung!!!
Mother and Wilfred are in London together. Wilfred has been posted to the 3rd Essex Regt (Special Reserve) stationed at Felixstowe. He seems quite pleased about it and joins his regiment on the 13th.
Mother is sending me the nightdress case which Barbara embroidered for my trousseau also some lace she has crocheted herself for me to put on my “pretty pretties”.
I shall buy some material and see if I cannot make one or two things while I am on night duty. Mother hoped to come and see me before returning to France. What a joyful meeting it must have been today between Mother and son. We have no further news of Cecil, which casts rather a shadow over our family.
I will write to you fully next week - still I don’t think you will come off badly this week with two letters!
All my love and a great big kiss.
From
Your own devoted
Mela
Let me know if you want any winter comforts sent out to you.
