Marshgate House
Richmond
Surrey
2nd October 1914
My dear Eugénie
Thank you for your letter giving me news of Arthur, Cyril and George, they are all doing splendid work and I hope they will all keep in good health. I wrote to you after my first Nurse left and sent a message to Arthur’s wife but as you do not mention it perhaps you never received it. Molly Kirton left me to go to the Richmond Hospital, not because we no longer wanted her, Anna has just the same things to do as she had and that means a good deal of morning work before the Doctor comes to do the dressing, she does it extremely well and is very busy with housekeeping and now helping Harry with the money arrangements for his Scouts every Saturday afternoon, and many other things as well, then of course she also helps to look after Dalgarno. I enjoy him very much. I have him every day after tea and he likes me to sing him nursery rhymes and play about with him. Harry has been extremely busy since he joined the East Surrey Regiment, they now have 200 recruits, they are very raw and I should say a lower class than his Church Lads have been, he has been having 1-4 to breakfast nearly every morning as he had to be at Kingston for drill at 8 o’clock, now there is to be drill still earlier so he has taken a room there, we expect him home to supper this evening but we shall not see much of him but I am glad he has been able to join this Regiment. I am sure he is useful having had a long experience with his “Lads” and I know Courtney thought their drill was “jolly good”. I wrote to Fred for his birthday and had a reply very soon, but not a word about how he got away from Brussels, I feel sure it was not without great difficulty, Annie Hodson and her husband, Charlie and Essie Irvine are still there, the other 3 children were at a seaside place when the war broke out and are still there and Fred says are in good hands. Ethelwyn has postcards from Courtney and so far all was well, but of course he must be fighting every day. Hythe seems to suit her boy, he must be a great consolation to her in her terrible anxiety. I was so grieved to hear from Charlotte how very serious Lizzie’s illness is. Marian must look upon her somewhat as a second Mother. Courtney’s regiment is the Royal Scots. Joe and Fannie have been to see us twice, they are now at Notting Hill, we expect them and Costia also to supper next Tuesday. Henriette is again with the Wrights near Derby as Governess. I am so glad as they pay her well and are very nice, kind people. Anna has not got any Belgians yet but next week she has to go to Folkestone on business and may find some there, at any rate she will take with her some clothes she has got together for Evelyn Gardiner’s distribution, he has use for many for them. My neck is still obstinate and will not heal, although it has progressed somewhat. I must go soon and take my daily walk in the garden. I am still obliged to have my hair dressed for me. I tried doing it a few times but the drop was too much upon my neck. Anna heard from Mary this morning, she was sending a parcel of clothes to Evelyn Gardiner.
With our united love to you all.
Your loving sister
Mary Anna Robinson
PS – We had news several times from Gus and his wife, they are very pleased to have a magazine about the war that Anna sends them, they get so little news.
