Nov 11 1918

Reading

Dearest Mother:-

Just as I got the address written at the top I heard the whistles started to blow all over Reading and then the church bells are now ringing like mad so it must be peace declared isnt it just too good to be true.

Now before I go any farther I must tell you that I am convalescing after my attack of influenza at a Miss Montzamberts a Canadian who lives 2 miles from the hospital. It is a beautiful old English country home and I am having a beautiful lazy time. Miss M. visits the Canadians in the hospital & has often offered to have V.A.D’s here. They used to live in Quebec and Kingston and knew the Carruthers in fact Kathleen Carruthers has stayed here. The family consists of Mrs Montizamberts old and deaf the daughter Miss M and a companion Miss Buchanan, she is a trained nurse but had to give it up owing to ill health.

Since I started this I have been down to the village to see the excitement I would love to have gone into Reading but it is over a mile to the car line. Had letters from Stan and Sem yesterday Sem has been in no.20  General Hospital very near Stan with an attack of nerves but now that the war is over he won’t have to go back to the battery & I expect he will soon be back in England.

I didn’t know at all that Atwood was back in France till I got Stanley’s letter. The young beggar has never written me.

I am really so excited I had hardly write I am sorry I wasn’t in the hospital to see the excitement among the men. They will go absolutely wild I am sure.

There hasn’t been any Canadian mail for some time, but now the boats won’t have to think of submarines.

I wonder how soon we will all get home, of course we will finish out 6 months contract here anyway. It will be up the 2nd of February.

I have heard that the married men are to get home first. I could just imagine you and father this morning when you got the papers, for it must have been in the Canadian papers this morning as the papers were signed at 5 & that would be the middle of the night with you. I wonder if all the school children got a holiday,

I never get up here till noon nobody does, we all have breakfast in bed. I think I will get back to the hospital by Wednesday as I am quite all right now. Tomorrow afternoon we are going in to Reading & I will see the matron and hear what she has to say.

Mary just telephoned me, terribly excited of course. She was down town when she heard & such excitement she said she never saw. I would liked to have been in London.

Do write and tell me how they took it in Canada.

I must get a letter off to Stanley so will say good-bye.

Got a sweet silver vase from Elise Stetson the other day. It came from Mappin & Webb’s in London. She must have written over for them to send it to me,

Well we will all be home before many months are over now. Take care of yourself till then.

Lovingly

Nettie