In France
5 Dec 1915
My dear Mother
You can’t imagine how badly I wanted your letter and how glad I was to get it; thank you very, very much for your good wishes and congratulations. I positively ached for people to share my joy: in that respect I envied Boo. In his case you were able to “spread yourselves” more than in mine, being already [?] devoted of Mela. Never mind. I must content myself with your congratulations and wait [?] for your appreciation. It was rather bad that you should have had [?] of speculation caused by [?] arriving first. Just before I had to [?] Saturday we went into the post office and got the one registered and I bought stamps for yours and Betty’s. Then I promptly [?] letter in my pocket and (foolishly [?]) forgot to post them. [?] stopped at Basingstoke, so there I leaned out of the window and spoke [?] a lantern [?] a tapping hammer that were working their way down the train. Said I: “Chum, do you mind posting these letters for me.” Straightway replied a voice from the darkness: “Sure I will that, and not be minding at all.” The response was so cordial that I felt the letters were safe in spite of the nationality of the poster.
It was a weary wait before I got any letters. The post got rather disorganised I think last week. And of course they managed to get Rosie’s first letter hung up so that it reached me two days late. However I have it now; that is the main thing. I have just received a letter from Father with a note on the back that Rosie had written and that you were much pleased with her letter, as I knew you would be. She was very much pleased by your letter. I felt sure that Little Mother would not fall short of her very nicest in welcoming her new daughter; and I very much wanted Rosie to feel that she was receiving a very warm-hearted greeting. She is rather frightened at present at the ordeal of being presented to so many people as our family group contains: she has such a very gentle responsive nature that other people’s manner towards her makes a great difference.
Mrs Wilkinson wrote me a very kind letter. Naturally she would have liked an opportunity of seeing me; but she said that Jack Lintott had spoken to her of me in a way which left no doubt in her mind that if Rosie’s Father had been alive he would have joined with her in giving full consent to the engagement. Which leaves me very grateful to Jack Lintott as an excellent doughty friend.
Judy wrote a delightful letter, also May, Ethel, Mary and Father; other letters are yet to come. I wrote to all the scattered members of the family as well as to you at home; to Aunt Polly and to Aunt Lottie. And Kath undertook to let Mela and Aunt Fanny hear the news. I wrote long letters to Tark and Boo, they being kindred spirits: I imagine that I beat Mary’s letter to Arthur’s by several days. Bon, ça!
I am glad that Dolly Molly’s brooch has been admired by everybody; I like it particularly. Perhaps it was lucky for my god-daughter that I bought it before the 26th. I might have been more economical if I had purchased it after!
I am very sorry that Father has been ill and I hope he is already fit again; you also ought to be better than you were when I left home. Mind I get a good report of you in the next home letter.
Please thank everybody at home for their letters and good wishes, etc. I cannot promise to write to everybody but I will try and reply to them all in due course.
Much love from
Your affectionate son
George
PS – I almost forgot to send belated birthday wishes! We were on the move (just an exercise trek) on the 1st and 2nd so I couldn’t very well write in time. I hope your book has arrived.
