1 3rd London General Tuesday Dearest Mamma Here I am busy at work again
and feeling quite fit after drinking
a bottle of some awful mixture
that tasted like strong ammonia.
It was snowing here this morning and
very hard to drag myself outsi of
bed in the dark. I made an
expedition into town and ordered my
winter coat at Harrods yesterday. I had
to have it made as the ready-mades
were no use for me and it only
cost 2/6 more. Don't dream of
sending me any money for it, I have
paid for it, and don't want any 2 more, thanks all the same ever so
much for offering. I have also
bought the black winter hat which
is quite becoming. It is splendid your having collected
all that money for Emma, she will
be delighted when she gets it. It
must have kept you quite busy
acknowledging all the letters. Our
men are quite well-looked after,
but at present their breakfasts are
very dull as eggs are too expensive
and they never get anything but
porridge and bread and butter
every morning. We are each
giving a shilling in our ward to
get them sausages some morning
for a break. I had a kind note from
the Miss Bruces asking me to stay
there and get convalescent, but of course
I got no leave, and the Tillings
were ever so kind offering to come
and bring me anything I wanted
until I was well enough to go to
them. I couldn't help laughing as
I got their letters when I was back
at work again. My sister was
very kind and looks after me. One of the patients in our Ward
took poison this morning; one of the
men came and told me, and
we had quite a time trying to
get him right again. He took
it on purpose, poor thing, because
he was leaving hospital to-day.
It was a mixture we use for
syringing ears, and was marked 'poison'. 3 The doctor and sisters made him
very sick and gave him oil and
whites of eggs, and he seemed all
right when I left. He seemed quite
a cheery sort of person, but evidently
was depressed because he got giddy
sometimes when he tried to work. I went to tea with the Halls.
Bonnie had been seeing Marcia
at Eastbourne, and says she has
grown very fat indeed and the
baby is very pretty. I can't imagine
her fat. A friend of Lady R's came
in to tea, rather an amusing person.
London is so dark, one always has
to get back early these days. Thanks so much for the nice par-
cel from Malcolmson's. Best love
from Celia