Feb 19th 1918
My dear Father
Your letter of Dec 12th came a few days ago. Mails up to Dec 24th from London are I believe all supposed to have arrived, but I have nothing later than two dated 13th from Mela and Arthur.
The dispatch of mails is quite irregular now from England, so it is bound to be just a matter of luck whether you just catch or miss a mail when posting.
I had by Mela’s cable on Sunday morning two days ago the very welcome first news of my Military Cross. The full list has just come through officially, but a private cable generally gets through from home a little quicker.
I get it for previous service not really for the period the dispatch covers, that is from the taking of Bagdad till the latter part of the summer. That was a restful period comparatively, and such occasions are made use of to put in names of those whose claim is one of slow accumulation rather than on account of any special occasion.
I see by Mela’s cable that she was with you at Badsey when she sent it off. I am glad she is near enough to be able to pay a short visit now and again. It is a very great satisfaction to me that she has got such a good appointment, and I am quite sure she is doing very well in it.
You mention that George had written of exciting experiences, so I rather gather he got into the Cambrai fight, which I imagine provided plenty of such for all who shared in it.
We have got newspapers that describe it now, though I have not had time yet to read them very carefully.
I get The Observer most regularly, and enjoy reading it very much. I think it is undoubtedly one of the soundest papers at present, and avoids extremes in any direction. It stands the severe test of being read two months after issue better than most; it is astonishing how foolish it makes many papers appear.
I was glad Arthur reported he found you and May looking well when he was home. I wonder if I am ever going to get a chance to come and see you for myself.
I don’t give up hope of it though there are no definite prospects just yet.
Best love to all from
Your affectionate son
Cyril E Sladden
