Maida Hill W.9.

April 12th. 1917

3 Oakington Road,

Dear Markle,

I was very pleased to receive your letter, which arrived before Easter, and was so pleased to hear that you were safe and well.

What do you think of the weather? It's enough to drive anybody crazy, having so much snow so late in the year; in the Paper it says this is the worst April weather that we have had for sixty years, and I should think so too!

It caused a bit of fun when I tried to skate, as I cut some most peculiar figures, and managed to pull Dadda down once; but at the time I wished and longed for you and Cam. to be with us.

This Easter we went down and stayed with some of our Cousins at Belvedere, the other side of Woolwich. We had a very nice time there, but it was so very cold that we felt more like hugging the fire than going out.

On Saturday afternoon we are entertaing [sic] a hundred wounded Soldiers at our Sunday School, and there would be some sense in it if you were among the number, as they are not very seriously wounded; if only you could come over, it would be too good to be true wouldn't it? but still we must hope for the best. We all keep on thinking about you, wondering how you are getting on with all this fighting going on; and we are always looking for news of you, if it is only a Field Card it is something. We had a letter from Fred Buddy on Monday & he said he was getting ready for the Big Push. We have received a Field Card today to say that he has been wounded, but we do not think and hope it is not serious.

I have not heard anything further from Dorothy, only the one letter, I imagine that the mail Boat has been sunk, as Dadda heard from your Father about a month ago in answer to his letter, which was sent in the same envelope as mine to Dorothy.

We all hope that you will hurry up and clear off all the Fritz's and come home as quickly as you possibly can. By what the Papers say we are pushing forward with big strides & we all hope that it will all soon be over.

We had a very fine concert at our Church on Tuesday night, given by a section of our Sunday School Prize Choir, which has formed itself into a Junior Nigger Troupe. The first half of the programme consisted of Action Songs and Solos, and the second part was a Plantation Scene, and they brought in all the popular Songs & Choruses, and asked riddles, and played jokes in between. One of the riddles was - 'When is a soldier not half a soldier'? - 'When he is in his quarters!'

Mother & I have finished your socks and will be sending them out to you in a few days time. I shall let you know which one I have made, and I hope they will fit you.

I do not think that I have anything more to tell you; if I have omitted anything Mother will tell you in her letter.

I remain,

Your loving cousin

Madge