1 22-10-16 My Dear Jim Thanks for your long and
interesting epistle. I am delighted to hear
you write so frequently to the boys in the camp.
With a small number of exceptions the experience
of all here has been that they have been almost
completely forgotten by their friends who left them
and went home and some of the boys feel very
sore over the neglect of their friends — you
know how much a letter now and then is
appreciated by all the lads. For my own
part I have no reason to complain. All my
particular friends — or nearly all — have been
kind enough in this way. I am sorry to hear that the yarn
about P.O'C. is founded on fact. I laughed at it as a
great yarn when A.G. told it to me first. Is it true
that Mr. B. goes out to Poulaphuca once a week
to see the lady and present her with flowers? How
agreeable and kind of him! By the way how
are the Grogans. Strange to say I never had a line from
himself since long before Easter. I suppose they
like being back in the old neighbourhood. Padraig was glad to hear your 2 2
account of things in his county.He was
greatly pleased with the complimentary refer
ences to his prowess as a card player. I
believe he fancies himself some in that line.
It is one of his weak spots and he is quite ready
to swallow any quantity of praise. You should
hear Nicholls or P.J.D. on him when they are
playing together. It is very rich sometimes. I
should be interested to see a game with your
self and himself on opposite sides. I believe
with all his notions of himself you'd clean out
his pockets quickly. We were all glad to learn
the West was so reliable. Have you decided on the Hallow Eve
for the kick up at the Widow's. I think even I
would be quite willing to be tormented by being
pestered to sing by herself and Jane B. for a whole
night now. In fact I believe I should enjoy the
experience which so often made me swear bad.
We have decided to arrange some kind of joint
spread for that night too and I have had the cheek
to ask the widow to send me on a cake for the
occasion. I would not be surprised if some of the
camp men were home before long. While I don't 3 3
credit the newspaper stories about wholesale
releases I feel almost certain that they cannot
keep the great bulk of these men very much longer.
As to ourselves I don't believe there's much likeli
hood of our being home in time for the Christmas
dinner. I shall be agreeably surprised if we
are — or at any rate if I myself am so lucky. We had Mrs. D and Brighid here on Thursday
and of course had all the latest news and gossip
from them. Tomorrow I hear the Dalys are coming.
I don't expect I shall be able to see them but
I'll have a try anyhow. On Tuesday I expect to
see Seoirse G Duffy. So you see we will be
kept fairly well up to date with the news. I had a long letter from Thunder yesterday
to tell me he had at last succeeded in getting the
promotion and increase of salary he had been
expecting for the last two years almost. He is
greatly elated over it. He has £60 or £70 back
pay to draw and intends doing himself well at
the end of the month for a few days. You
ought to ring him up and congratulate him. You
should be well able to deputize for me in whatever
is going! I believe his brother P.J. is marrying the
Galway girl some time in January next. 4 I need not tell you anything of the visit Nell
paid me. She has told you all there
was to tell by this. I suppose she is at
home enjoying herself and cheering the
hearts of the old folk and all her old
friends and neighbours by this. O'Reilly I believe wrote to you
recently. Ginger, W.T.C., A.G., P. Mór and
all of the other boys are in A1 form. I hope Phyl. and 'Baby' got the
letters I sent them recently. How would
you like to give them one each for me. Do Bhuan Chara S.T. What has become of May Codd. I never hear
a word about her now. Has she taken up
a post or is she doing a post graduate course?
I am often reminded of her when shaving S.T.
and using the mirror she presented to me
in Richmond.