1 3rd London General 24 January Dearest Mamma Thank you very much for your
letters, it is nice to hear all the home news,
and I have little news to give you in return.
One good thing, I am on day duty again, as I
find seven weeks of night work just as
much as I want. I feel half alive all the
time and haven't the energy to do anything
but get into bed at the first opportunity —
Also the men were getting very hard to keep
in order, as most of them were feeling
absolutely fit, being convalescent enteries, but
not allowed to mix with the other soldiers in
camps or places yet. They were all consequently
very bored with life and ready to do anything
for the sake of some amusement. When I
came on in the evening, I used to find 2 them all in the wrong beds, or a carefully
arranged pillow in one bed and two men
in the next. I generally managed to get them
quieted down pretty soon, but the other night,
just when I thought they were all settled down,
there was a sudden loud whistle, and all
the men who were able suddenly jumped
out of their beds, each armed with a
pillow and rushed into the next door ward.
All the men there were soon out of bed too,
and there was a regular free fight. The
sister there could do nothing but wait
till they had finished. I was thankful
when I got them back to bed again, as
if any of the authorities had come in,
the ward and the nurse in charge would
most likely have been reported to the matron
and there would have been no end of
a fuss. Unfortunately I am
back in the ward where I was once before
under the dragon sister McIntyre, and
the nice staff nurse is gone, and a
disagreeable creature in her place. After
being allowed to do practically what I
liked in my last day ward and being
under a nice sister, it is horrid being
ordered about all the time. She is the
kind who has all her favourite patients
in the kitchen to drink tea with her,
and yet pulls you up if you dare to
speak to a patient. I have only been with
her for three days but expect we shall
fight before long as I don't intend to pay
her any attention. Terry seemed very well, I think he is
lucky to have that job. I didn't like
his moustache, but I suppose it is 'the thing'. Surely Aunt Elizabeth Hincks will have left
you some sort of ornaments, it will be most
3 disappointing if she he hasn't. I didn't get your letter in time to meet O.
but anyway don't think I would have had
time. You seem to be having an unlucky
time with your cooks, what a nuisance servants
are. By the time I leave here, I ch shall be
a well—qualified housemaid and think I
ought to apply for the post at Dunowen. I went home for breakfast with Miss Gosse
the other morning when I was doing nightwork,
and met her people; her sister is much younger
and a pretty girl. They live not far from
Miss McNeils' house, who asked me to go to
see her, and I have never been yet. I was
speaking to Frank Dalziel down the telephone
this morning, poor Norma has had to go into
a home for a rest cure, evidently a break down. Please thank Dorothy for her letter, I shouldn't
advise her to start nursing, but wait and see
if she can't get some of the Post office or clerk
appointments in a hospital, she'd like it much
better and lots of VAD's are doing the work — I
shd apply for that. Best love, dearest
from Celia.