1 22nd Feb 1916 My very dearest Mother, A thousand thanks
for your letter dated the 7th
Feb: I am very sorry indeed
to hear Tommy has been warn-
ed & sincerely hope it will
be sometime quit before he is
sent out I know how much
you will feel him going
away again but I am glad
to say they do not seems
to be doing much fighting
out this way & he will be
so much happier with his
own regiment. I was very glad
to see so many Connaugh
Rangers mention in dispatches 2 I think Captain Massy deserved
all he got. I am disappointed
not seeing Charlies name, by
the way I never received Major
Whytes letters you all mention how
well he did & that he has been
recommended for L.S.O but for
what for I have no idea. I
suppose that letter has gone
astray, worse luck. I do wish
you would hear something different
soon & that we could get into
communication with him. It cannot
be long now before we hear.
I have not written to Mr. Farrel
yet. I never seem to get time
to set down & write a serious
letter by the time I keep my
clothes together etc the time seems
to pass away & I have done
nothing I meant to do. We have been very unsettled 3 lately nobody seems to know
what is going to happen to M
Georges. All the Private Sisters
who are being paid £2-2-0
a week have been sent home
to-day they were terrible sick
over it & all the Sisters sign-
ing on for another are
getting 6 weeks furlow so we
are quite a small staff but
still too many for the number
of patients we have. I have
for the past couple of days
been in charge of this ward H.5
with only 8 Patients so there was
no sister with all the changes
now ofcourse we have one again
as we are a little more
settled. All the M.O. are getting
6 weeks leave too so eventually 4 they do not expect to be busy
for some time.

There was a notice put up the
other day for all V.A.D.'s who
do not wish to resign for another
6 months to sign & as we have
still 3 months to go we thought
it rather, if our time expired
now I would not hesitate
in saying I wanted to go home
as we are so slack & doing
nothing. We could do much
more at home but ofcourse
if it were like when I first
arrived I would consider it
twice. So I & another girl
went to Miss Holby ( Matron
in Chief ) & explained we had
not made up our minds
yet & also we had not consented 5 ed our people she was charming
& said ofcourse I'd wait till
it came to nearer the time
& find out what our people
would like, ofcourse most likely
if things continue as they
are we shall be sent back
home without being asked
What do you think about it ?
perhaps it would be better for
me to go home for a bit &
then try & get out to France
or some other work in the Sum-
mer. Ofcourse naturally we all
felt very homesick to-day
seeing all the Leinsters going
home but at the same time
I would much sooner finish
my time out here & then
go back. a good few of the 6 a lot of V.A.D.'s are going home
next month their seven months
being up. So just let me
know what you would like me
to do . I ofcourse am very
anxious to see you all again
but would not like it if they were
terribly busy to do the shabby
thing you know my feelings
I personally think it would
be better to go home & stay with
you all for a bit & I can
always do something later on
Tell Beatrice I read a most
interesting & amusing letter
from her to A. Lily yesterday
I do wish she would write
some to me if you could only
see how it cheered me up
& made me laugh she would 7 been put on the home that's
the worst of this place one
has to be ready for everything
& anything. They do not consider
people in the slightest, however
I hope it will not be for long
there are a great number of
new notices up about the
V.A.D.'s, they are all to be
treated as Probationers in
Hospital as an army Sister
remarked when she read the
notice, I pity the poor devils
& others refused to lecture the
V.A.D's they say we have
all come out to do our bit
& let us do it cheerfully
together, another is that V.A.D's
are to doing nothing but
cleaning & any extra nursing 8 write very often. Please thank
Ethel for her letter dated 12th
Feb. How constant she is to
her work. She observes a V.P.
at the end of the war.
Tell Bee she need not bother
sending me the thinning cure
as I am getting much thinner
& feel much better for it
I do not think that extra
fat was healthy for me as
I always felt so like as if
I were blown out & it seemed
to make me breathless but
I am really normal now.
& feel A1. I saw A Lily on Saturday
for a few minutes, she
is very fed up as she has 9 is to be done by orderlies.
The notice has not reached
here yet but I am afraid
there will be some work
about it if it does as
they all say we do not
care what we do when we
are busy scrubbing etc. as
we have done but we will
not have an orderly handing
a patient a drink whilst
he ( the orderly ) is watching us
scrubbing. However I do not
think it will come to any
thing myself & if it does
well it is evidently the
way we are wanted to
help & so be it. 10 It will be very nice seeing
Tommy on his way back
He will have all the latest
news of you dearest Mother.
I hope it is not true what you
say about getting old. I hope
you are taking good care
of yourself & not worrying
too much. Give my fondest love to
everyone at home. I have
heard nothing from Gerald
since the 10th Feb. I hope he
will get leave soon again.
What has happen to Loclin
& Irene I have not heard
of them for a long time ?
I shall write to morrow again
as there is a mail going out 11 to-night & another to-morrow
with every loving thought
& good wish, Your most loving &
grateful daughter Marie