Reading

Dec. 8 1918

Dear Mother :-

Your box arrived in fine condition a few days ago. I am keeping the cake for our Xmas supper that we will have at midnight Xmas eve as I will still be on night duty. By rights I should come off to-morrow the 9th as it is two months to the date since I went on by I am making up the time I lost when I had the “flu” so won’t come off till the 28th Dec. then I have four days leave. Crocket comes off the same time and we are going to London and will stay at 66 Ennismore Gardens (the rest home for Canadian Sisters and V.A.D.s) You can stay there a week for nothing, just tip the maids when you leave. Mary said it was lovely.

I am going to get some of my trousseau then, a nice suit anyways as Semi expects to come on leave the first of February for two weeks & I will be finished here the 2nd so can get away with him all right and I want to have some nice clothes. I have got an evening dress already black and silver. The main part of the skirt is black satin with a black and silver tunic effect the top is mostly black net edged with silver and the sleeves are just floating bits of net ([?]) perhaps I can draw it.

Now that the war is over evening dress is being worn everywhere in London again. Mary got back Tuesday and had a wonderful time. Thinks Scotland is perfect. Peter went back to France the same morning.

I didn’t finish telling you how much I liked the box. Everything was most acceptable. I sent a wee parcel off to you the other day hope you get it safely and like what’s in it. I also send gloves to Hazel and Freddie. They were the easiest things to send as we have so little time for doing up parcels & things here & you can find any paper or string. I am sending you & father a photo of Semi also a little book of views of the hospital. Hope to get it off to-morrow if I’m not too sleepy. Hazel wants a photo of Semi too but I will have to get another one finished for her.

I sent to London for one of my large photos to send to Mrs. Mackay but it hasn’t come yet. They do take so long for things here.

Eva and Dennis are sailing for Canada the tenth of this month so will be over in time for Xmas. I wish one of us could have got back. Haven’t heard from Stanley for quite awhile and have given up hope of ever hearing from Atwood again. The parcel you sent me for him still reposes on my cupboard shelf. I asked Jack Fairweather if he knew what he was back in France with and he said he thought it was the trench mortars, but I hardly know whether to risk it or not. 

I wrote & asked Stan, but he couldn’t seem to give me any information so what more can I do. I plead with Atwood in a letter I sent to Witley to go write & let me know if he got the first parcel, hoping that it (the letter) would be sent on to him in France, so surely if he ever got it he would have the decency to write and let me know. All I can do now is to send a note to his old address in France 3rd Divisional Trench Mortar Brigade and see if he answers it. I am so busy myself that I haven’t time writing all over to the country to try to find out where he is & besides one never knows if he does get your letter for he never takes the trouble to write and tell you. I am about fed up with him.

I got a lovely box of apples from Hazel [?]. They do taste so good and we are more than enjoying them. Doris Taylor also sent a box to Mary and me. Such a box as it was too and so beautifully done up. Two sweet little hankies for each of us, 2 cakes, candy, sugar coffee dulce and bars of chocolate. Wasn’t it sweet of her.

Catherine sent a lovely box too while I was in the sick hut.

Can’t make any definite plans yet as to when I will be home till I hear what Semi has to do and up to now they can’t seem to find out how long they are to be kept in France.

It is quite mild here now for December, but thank goodness as there isn’t a scrap of heat in our quarters except a grate fire in the mess room and the kitchen fire.

No Canadian letters this week at all but lots of parcels for all of us. Mary and I are each doing a luncheon set while on night duty as we often having odd moments during the nights. Just square ones with a little paint edged. I have got 3 of the bread and butter plate size done already.  

I must write and tell Hazel [?] I got the apples all right. I had a letter from Uncle Ed saying he had sent you a cheque for me so I wrote and thanked him immediately. I hope you didn’t deposit it in the Bank of B.N.A.  as I don’t want to draw on it over here asthat's all my credit is good for and no matter how much more you put in for me there I can never draw more than 50L.  The only difference is father wouldn't have to care so  much as I would have the amount in the bank, and if you did it would be counted in the £50 credit that I have. You see I can never draw any more than 50 £ here. My $125 I had in is included in the 50 £ so all I could draw on father for would be 25 £ unless my credit was extended & I didn’t need but I just want to explain matters and if you put Uncles check in whatever it is (he didn’t say) that would be counted in the 50 £ too and father would have that amount less to cover and I don’t want to use uncles money for clothes. I want to buy something for my house with it. Well I must stop as I have a lot to do. What a quiet Xmas you will have unless Hazel [?] come down or you go up there.

Lots of love

Nettie