1 Mater
Rex
Edmund
Mab Please return finally to Lil. 17.Nov. My dear folks I am a little nervous ofthat the effect of these
constant letters but this one I think can well be reserved
for "one" of the folks may lead some of you to expect them later, when I am more busy. No mail again & I am not surprised
as the roads must be like glass as after a bit or a thaw
it is freezing hard. Mail came with nicest letter from old Mab & one
from Mater in which I expected to find another but.. Our move to Z is likely to be postponed
a little as the storm must have delayed our the journeys of
others on whom our move dependsto some extent. There is a bit of staleness in the air. The GOC
does not encourage one to do much in the way of training
with troops so that Richardson & myself get far less of
this than we did at Seaford, & tho' we could certainly
not have learnt what we have picked up here, had we
remained in England, we could have put it into practice better. 2 I think on the whole I am glad to have a move tho'
I fear it is to be to another valley where there is a hilltop
asking us to come to it. I fancy our position is to be somewhat like it was
just before we left England ready for anything that may
turn up. The men who have been getting ready their
winter quarters will I'm afraid not believe it worth while
to begin it again for the third time for other people to
get the advantage perhaps, & yet this ought to be the spirit
of the army so that all may help each other, but it seems
agin nature, & I wonder if the Ulstermen can give a
lead in this form of Self Sacrifice. If only the English could hold the view that
outsiders like the Greeks & Swedes really think that Germany
is going to win they would make any sacrifice, but our
island home has the advantage of making us rank
optimists. There is no reason for pessimism if we face
the facts, but our wild optimists prevent our doing so. 3 Every one of us ought to be ready to give up half his
capital & to face the future with that prospect. Everything
is relative & I see nothing terrible if all ones' fellows do the
same. Carson has again given the lie to the Government &
I can't now believe that Grey is the honest man we have
thought him. He declares 1) that the Government did not
come to a decision about Serbia before Carson's resignation when there is
no doubt that it did, tho' there is probably some technical
qualification which he can pretend sustains him, & his
explanation of Britain's unqualified support of Serbia
which he pledged in what to the plain man is as
clear as daylight is the lamest thing I have ever seen. He is tarred with the same brush & I can't
help fearing that Bonar Law & Balfour are learning
tho inwilingly the tricks of their associates. If things get really black I believe we shall go
in for a government of 2 men K & Carson & they will
pull us through. 4 Tomorrow & the following day I shall be
fully busy & may only be able to write scraps. I am sorry Walter is going through the unsettled
stage. It is bound to come some time, & probably next
year he will be as keen about his school as we all
became in time. I will try & find time to write
him a letter later after I have been up at the front
again, but he will not appreciate one from the back of the front. I return Mab's jolly letter for circulation &
hope others may be as particular ! Best love. Wilfrid BS