1 15thGen. Hosp. Alex. Dec. 29/15. My dearest Mamma Your letter of the 15th & Helen's have just
arrived! I am writing this in bed as usual in a hurry
before settling down. Celine Russell went off today &
Matron let me go down to see her on board. Poor thing I
feel so sorry for her, & will miss her very much. I am still in my tents, but hear there are to be some changes
soon so may get moved. We had a very strenuous Xmas
day, amusing patients all day & at an orderlies' concert in
the evening. I wrote to Ruth yesterday & told her I think
all my news, but your letter must be answered, you are so
good about writing. We had a wet Xmas day, rather
unfortunate in a country where it so seldom rains! The poor
men look so wretched holding up their petticoats & wrapping
newspapers around their Tarbouche to keep the red from running.
The Col. & M.Os gave us tea in the mess on Xmas day, and
the manager of the hotel here gave us a Xmas tree with a present
for each of us which I think was noble, and had an orchestra
to play as well during the dinner. When the plum puddings
came in the lights were put out & it was funny to see the
servants tearing in each rushing to his table to get the pudding
there while it was still lit, unfortunately they had mixed a
little methylated spirits with the brandy with great effect as 2 2
regards the flames but not improving to the flavour.
We had strawberries, think of it, very few & very small still
strawberries! Molly & John Carson asked me
to spend Xmas there but that was out of the question, they
gave me a pair of silk stockings. Talking of
Carsons I am not in the least surprised to hear Capt.
Carson's people are , he is quite a common man,
though amongst the English people here I have no doubt is
consideded a gentleman, I never believed he was a nephew
of Sir Edward's, I was told he was, & asked him & he said
yes, but you can take nothing he says seriously, he would
tell you the next day he had never heard of him. I am
amused at your enquiries. I am sure you were afraid
I was interested in him, if you saw him you would not be
alarmed, he is a typical common North of Ireland
man very amusing, & they say very clever, but I would doubt
that. He asked me to go to tea with him & I refused and
at present he is sulky & Won't speak to me, I tell you
all this because I can read between the lines that you are
alarmed, things written in letters often give a wrong
impression and after Dorothy's affair I suppose you are in the
qui vive. By the way I am sure you are worried about
her. I am afraid it does not sound very promising. It is awfully good of you to send me a blouse dearest it will be
most useful. By the way I have spent all the money you sent