1 11 Feb 1916, Friday Dearest Mamma I have just finished counting
my washing and will have time
for a letter home before going back to
hospital. Yesterday I went home to
Ealing with Marjorie Monaghan and
had tea and dinner there. We
didn't do much except sit and
talk over the fire. She hashad
a new hut now at the hospital
to cook all the orderlies meals
at. I think it is awfully
clever of her. She and one other 2 girl do all the cooking for 60
orderlies. The detachment quartermas—
ter arranges all the meals and
orders the supplies and she does
the cooking and sewing, with
nobody to help, except scrubbing
women who do the washing
up. Mrs Monaghan and the
sister were there; the sister is very
pretty and is busy working at
one of those depots for supplying
hospitals with bandages etc Mrs Caldecott is still invalided,
I went to visit her the other day
at a nursing home in Henrietta
Street. She has strained herself and
the doctor says will have to lie on
her back for some time. She is
very depressed at having to give
up her nursing. I went up to town with the
Lecky girl last Saturday and
looked in at Raemaekers cartoons
in old Bond St. They are awfully
clever but most of them very
ghastly, and all about the
war. We had tea together at
a nice little shop in Oxford
St. and then I went back
to Putney for dinner. Mrs 3 Lecky is most kind and affectionate.
The girl does visitng connected with
Board Schools and is kept pretty
busy. I hadn't met Mr Lecky before,
he had great enquiries to make
about his 'fat old cousin', as
he calls Mrs Sinclair. He is
evidently very well read and
clever, and interested in monu—
ments, old castles and things of
that sort which I know nothing
about. The other pro: has been removed
to another ward, so which I
am rather glad of as I didn't 4 care much about her, and although
it gives me more work, it is
really more satisfactory working
by yourself, as you know exactly
what has to be done. We have a funny old Italian
chef in the ward, we always
call him spaghetti as no one
ever remembers his real name.
I can't think how he got into the
English army, and he tells
the most awful lies about all
his doings. Then there is a
very swanky sergeant—major 5 who reigns supreme in the ward, and
a funny little mousy boy who
spends all day smoking cigarettes
and playing with the gramophone,
then there is an amusing old
fellow who talks strong cockney
that I can hardly understand
him, and a nice boy whose
father is on the war office staff.
So you see we get a funny
mixed crowd in a hospital ward.
At the far end sleep two
jolly boys who have both had
operations for appendicitis and do
nothing but giggle all day long. I am going to make myself
a cup of your tea. I hope
your cook will be a success
this time and give you no
bother. Best love
from your loving Celia