16.3.16
My dear Mother
I’m afraid I haven’t written to you for a long time, but letters from me just now can have very little of interest, while every crumb of news from home is welcome. I am glad to get news of both the boys, and wonder very much which part of the line George’s division has gone to: we don’t get to know these things at all quickly here, but by adding two and two together one sometimes makes it four, and sometimes three or five.
I’m sorry to hear of fresh serious illness at Deal, medically speaking I should think Norah is a considerable puzzle. Aunt Edith has indeed had troubled times for the past ten years, and in her fragile condition it is a wonder she has kept going as she has. I’m sure Ethel could be a great comfort to them: I suppose Marian is still teaching at Eastbourne.
Mary and Baby seem to have got into an extended winter, I keep hoping to hear that the cold has gone, but that district seems to have had a very big share of snow. I shall be glad when things improve, Mary finds cold weather very trying, I know, and it makes matters difficult for getting Baby out enough. Dorothy (the elder) is going for another spell of nursing at Aberdare I hear. We are very sorry our tenants are leaving next month, Colonel Wood expects to be going abroad, I believe. We have to lay out something in order to comply with new lighting regulations, the curtains are not dark enough. I hope we’ll get new tenants again, what with new curtains, telephone charges, and incidentals, all necessary if the place is to be let, there’s very little in holding a furnished flat these days. However the lease has less than a year to run now, and we’ll have to get out of it when the time comes.
We’ve had one or two nice spring days this week, and when they come they have a cheering effect.
I feel distinctly in need of a holiday but see no likelihood of getting one, in fact I’m quite prepared to hear that there’ll be no leave till the autumn. I think with a long war in prospect they ought to do everything possible to keep a steady rotation of leave for everyone in turn, it makes all the difference for months before and after. That was done as much as possible from last summer till lately but whether it will continue I don’t know. I suppose the bigger the army the more difficult it is to arrange.
Verdun is splendid, and has stimulated the French as nothing else has since the Marne battle.
With love to you all.
From your son
Arthur
