12 Charleville Circus
Sydenham
Saturday 1 am
My dearest little Mother
If I can keep myself from trying to write with the butt end of the pen or can find sufficient control of my brains for a few minutes, I will tell you my great piece of news. I am engaged – voilá! It only happened this evening rather late on and I have just rushed home, knocked up Kath, told her (I made a ridiculous job of the telling, I was so excited), and now set out to let everybody know – starting, of course, with you.
My sweetheart is Rose Lintott, a niece of my friend of that name. I met her first at Watford and have kept up a heavy correspondence during the time I have been abroad. (Forgive me now for having been rather neglectful of you several times.) It was a case of love at first sight with me, and as far as I can make out, Rosie didn’t take much longer than I did. But then she is younger than I am and consequently more cautious! She is just a month and a bit older than Betty if you measure by the calendar, but real age is about 22, though she is liable to occasional relapses to 18.
How can I describe her to you? Ordinary descriptive methods might make her seem just like an ordinary person. Whereas she is Rosie! Well, anyway she is about Betty's size and her eyes are blue and her hair is golden brown and …. Oh bother these hard facts! They don’t give you a bit of an idea of her. I give it up.
She works for her living as a telephone operator – a beast of a job I think. No, she has not got a telephone voice!!! She lives at Edgware with her Mother who has married again after being left a widow and has been more than unlucky in her second choice. He is a regular bad one. I want to hear from her, first, and then I will ask you to write to her. You can and will I know write to my little girl at once. Her address is 8 Whitchurch Lane, Edgware, Middlesex.
I am awfully happy even though I have got to go away at once – write and make me happier by your good wishes. Of course I know I ought to have waited till après la guerre, but I couldn’t. How could I help it.
Goodbye, love from
George
