No 14.
C.M.H. Eastbourne 25/7/17.

My Dear Mother,

I thought I would get started at a few minutes past seven, this morning, but now it is just eight. You see my sheets do not come in till 8 to 8.30 and there is very little to do before that time. This morning tho, I had to fuss & shine up, as I have to go up & visit the Col. at 9.15 and talk to him with tears in my voice about a little matter of a trip to Ireland, on August 4^th. I think I will get it, as the Capt. has O.K’d it. I had rather given up the idea of a pass for a little while, for one reason I wanted another camera, & now I have it, a perfect beauty as you will see by enclosed. Altho second hand, I had to pay £ 3/7/6 for it, but lucky to get it at any price. I have not disposed of the other yet, and am not sure that I will. Will see later. This rather depleted my bank acc, and as I wish to keep a little in reserve, I will call for more to-morrow if my pass is coming thro. I have £ 1/9/4 now & pay day to-morrow. Will also get some money for snaps to-morrow. By the way I can’t cable when I leave here, as they are very strict about this now.

We asked a man attached to this dept. for a list of his daily duties, and I am enclosing a typed copy of the list he handed in, rather good, I think, but he is Irish so___. I will also put in a little sepia print of a friend of mine, taken with the new camera. I had it up in the bath window while taking a bath & it is not just as good as might be as it fell down & the frame opened, but it is very fair. I don’t see Gladys any more, but this one turned out to be a friend of hers. She is a dandy girl – 27 yesterday & a good chum. I often meet her early in the evening for a few minutes but see her a couple of nights a week. I was to meet her this aft. on the pier, but it is raining. Too bad too, as our teams were to give exhibition games of baseball & basketball at a Fete this afternoon. One thing here, I can have almost any or every afternoon off here. Always have Saturday & Sunday from about 2 P.M. The mornings are busy tho, and some afternoons I have to draw supplies etc. & don’t get back till after five or later.

None of my parcels have arrived yet, have a box of chocolates coming from Mae. She is sure a decent kid & awfully good about writing etc.

If it rains to-night, I guess I will print, as I have about 6 dz of some of the boys to print. If slips are in, so I have to get very busy.

Well Mumsey, it is 7.35 of the 26^th now, and I will try & finish this to post to-day, very late tho. I worked till noon yesterday & after dinner, went down & met H[?]ie – her afternoon - & we went to the Fete as it cleared up beautifully. Our teams played exhibition games of base & basket ball against Seaford & won the baseball which was some game. Then after tea, we saw [?], quite a good play, the story (book) is also very good, I read it while in isolation.

 I did not see the Col. yesterday morn, so don’t know about pass yet. As I was dressed up, they used me for escort for the men up for office, and forgot that I was to be paraded. Expect to be up this morning tho, and will not likely finish this till after dinner so will let you know then.

O! Your box arrived yesterday, but I did not get a chance to open it till last night about 11.45. Everything was O.K., except that something had leaked out a little. Have not opened the can yet, but will one of these nights. Those cakes sure are grand, they were slightly harder than if just fresh, but believe me, most enjoyable & I would certainly like a little box, every other week, if you can. When you are doing down jellies etc, if you do them in small jars, you can send me some O.K., by putting about 1 ½” adhesive around (from Emerson) & dipping in wax after. Just a small jar at a time, as I have no place to keep much. You would laugh at that, if you saw all the space I have tho. Under my bed, I have two boxes on casters with covers hinged from centre in two compartments, boxes about 2 ½’ X 3’ then in the office part of a drawer and a locked box, in which I keep photographic stuff etc. Then I keep more chemicals etc, in the laboratory. Everything spread all ‘round as usual.

 Grandma’s sox were a little stickey, but I will have them washed. I was very much disappointed at finding a hole in one of

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