1 I must send
Rex a line or
two. I'm so
glad to hear of
Julie's renewed
health & wish
she could have
paid "us" a visit,
a pleasure deferred to
when and where? I have
heard from
Coachman
rather a miserable
bitter poor fellow. Good bye to my pr
from the bw
who is always hers You can strike the
3 Trench Mortar
battalion out of
your list for
comforts 13 Dec My pr I expect to hear that there is a rather aggrieved little pr
at having nothing to feed upon except some buff leaves & a 2nd
hand roll - rather stale sent via Mater - especially as she sent
3 on one day to feed a hungry wolf. Well he was busy
foraging, & tho' he would gladly have written more after being
up all night, he really couldn't find the time. I am most eager to hear about the result of the flat
whether the pr has succumbed & given up 5 little guinea pigs,
or whether her attractions & persuasions have got a reduction to 4 1/2
or perhaps even 4 gns?? Any-how I shall expect a very very
good letter pr if it is 4 or over. Letter just came telling of your
distractions about the flat. I hope you have settled as of course the
bw does not want you to worry yourself to death trying to save
a few shillings. I agree with you that you must be near your
work & you had better get a house than a flat if it is one you
can manage so easily. You had better make certain that the option
of leaving rests with you ie that they cannot turn you out
or demand higher rent 'in the season". The agents might have
agreed to a reduction in rent after so many weeks occupation. The enclosed from Rex makes me anxious especially if it
means his going to the 107 Bde now in the trenches tho' I under 2 stand the details are often
kept at Havre for some time, & by then the 107 Bde may be back. I asked the Brigade Major of the attached Regular Bde what
he thought of the 14th & 12th, which have been attached to him &
he replied that the 12th was a first class battalion, but the 14th
had no officers worth anything and very few men NCOs , & that tho' the
men seemed a good lot, they were little more than a rabble now
This after 15 months is pretty disheartening, & is a fair condem—
nation of Gen H..W who however in other respects has shown
himself quite a useful Brigadier Kene & very active, but he is a
clever chap & plays up to our Gen's whims in a way which
I suppose exemplifies the "good politician" of the past, but please
heaven not the type of the future. Henry hopes to get leave for Xmas so if things go well I
may get away by the End of January. He is being sent
partly on duty. R & I We had a great success yesterday. Comyn came in & asked
if R & I would help with the entertainment as A was so busy. I
said we should be delighted if Singleton took a turn. C hesitated
& said he was very busy but that he C would take a turn. I
absolutely refused on those conditions & pointed out that old S was
in the office less than any of us, had Cursons to help for him,
& finally that at the beginning of the war I had done DAA
for 2 months for 40000 men without any one's help & also
without a DAQMG. This clinched the matter & old heavy weather
was up from 11 till 8 AM this morning so the ice is p broken & all
is now well. S will try & get back at me probably but that does not
matter, & C is probably glad to have had my ultimatum to stiffen his hands.