1 Sunday
Nov. 1915 Dearest Mamma Thank you ever so much for the
handkerchiefs and your nice long letter, the
handkerchiefs are darling, far too dainty for
here, the only little bit of dress I sport
here, as I am seldom out of uniform ex-
cept on my half days. I have had
my evening off to-night, and as usual have
found a good many odds and ends to do,
washing to count and mending, and have
just been making myself supper of
bread and milk, toasted bun and ginger
biscuits. You must be kept busy
writing us all letters. I suppose Ruth is in-
stated at the hostel. I wonder how she
will get on with the girls. 2 I was sorry not to see Terry before he went, I
am glad he is going out on the staff, and
that it is France not the Dardanelles. It is
really something to be thankful for. I am going to the Sanelts on Wednesday
night, and will spend Thursday there as I
am having my October day off that day. I had a card form Mrs. MacLeod, so
must go to see her some day when I have
time. I have promised to spend my next
half day with the Tillinilp at Sydenham Hill —
I always seem to have lots of people to go
to, and only wish I had more time. I spent last half day with Mrs. Harker,
Hampstead is much more party town than I
imagined, I always thought it was was further
out.. I always go by bus instead of
train; it takes longer of course, but I like
seeing about me. One of the girls came a good
part of the way with me. I find Mrs Calde-
cott in this house is a cousin of the
Charleys; she comes from Dundalk— Mrs Cecil Smith was asking especially
about you, and wanted to know if you
looked as young as ever, I thought her a
good bit changed and rather sad—
this afternoon I spent, cleaning out the
doctor's cupboard, arranging all the flowers
as it was visitors day, sewing a new
cover for the sterilised water jug, and
getting teas. The busy time is after
tea when all the treatment begins, especially
if it is a concert night, and the men don't
come back from the Recreation room till
late. They always have concerts twice or
thrice a week, arranged by different people. 3 We get a good many who haven't been to the
front yet, who come to have adenoids or
tonsils removed as soon as they join the
army. Some of them are just like schoolboys,
I am sure one boy we have at present
isn't more than fifteen. The Australians
are very breezy people and great talkers,
and not nearly so disciplined as
our men, we have had a good many
of them lately. I have found some rather nice things in
the new Irish volume Ruth sent me for
my birthday, it is better than Padrig
Gregory's collection. I am going to send
Emma low regulation collars for her birthday,
the foreign detachments are now allowed to
wear them, and I am sure she will
be thankful for them in the heat. Best love
Ever your own Celia