The House, No.8. Wharf
North Wharf Road
Paddington W
London.

May 10th 1916

Dearest Mother,

Harold sent me on your very nice letter. I am up in London being nursed at home. as I have a very bad tonsilitis throat & the doctor sent me to London for special treatment. So I shall be here for some weeks. Of course my Darling did all he could for me & brought my meals up to me when he was home on the Sunday & I stopped in bed. but he of course doesn’t understand me when I am ill like Mother does. She has been very good to me although she was surprised to see me arrive bag & baggage I am lucky to have a good home handy to fall back on. I know Harold is being well looked after as he is back at Mrs Wright’s with the boys. Only I guess he is a bit lonesome sometimes, I am feeling very ill all over. My shoulders & neck are so stiff that I can hardly move them. But I felt I must write you a line as you offer to be so kind to the poor little innocent when it arrives. It is most kind of you all to offer to do so much & of course I shall use anything which you send. But an aunt of mine has given me the loan of all her baby clothes & also a friend of mine who had her first baby in March has offered to let me have anything of hers if I haven’t enough. We thought it better to have the loan of the long clothes as the war is not likely to be over just yet & even if it does end in October I shouldn’t be able to travel & anyway I don’t think I should be fit for such a long journey until baby was out of long cloths & it would be so much less luggage. So that it seems that it would be more useful to have the short clothes that is of course if the little animal lives.

Of course that has all to be chanced. I don’t want to hurt your feelings over it in any way but will just leave it for you to do as you like best. Mother gave all the things which she was saving for me which I wore when I was a baby Robes & nighties with real hand embroderies on, to my brother’s wife as she cannot do needlework at all & they were badly off & needed the things. Then when they came home for a week. We all got to work & shortened the little fellow. He is a dear little chap nearly two years old now. With fair hair & big brown eyes & the cutest little mouth & face. They gave me a large framed photo of him for a wedding present. I have had it hanging in our bed-room (for a pattern I suppose you will think). It is a good thing that the little darling isn’t troubling me at all yet, but is keeping very good. Although it made me feel bad the first month. I received a parcel from Harold this morning containing my half of the spoilts. I must write a line to Greta to thank her for the cushion square & also Hazel for the very cute little pin. So must close now as I feel tired & my throat aches so. I am a bit weak as I can hardly swallow even milk. With Love & Kindest regards from Mother.

I am

your affectionate daughter,

Florence