1 1 Dec 15 My p r We are I suppose settling in, but I am rather restive, partly
lack of uesful work, & a feeling of staleness which pervades the whole
division & for which one has to make allowances in other people. Preston is getting trying sometimes & when mistakes are pointed
out takes them as personal reflections on him as a senior officer. He
is another of Gen P's mistakes, & he has made a good many. Im afraid we shall lose Richardson for good, & shall miss
him very much. A course for budding GSO 2s is to start
on the 15th to which I have strongly advised him to go, &
I don't think he will come back after it. He is too good a chap.. It shows what I had begun to suspect that GSO 2s
are getting rather cheap now, tho' he will be one of the best.
I don't know who we shall get in his place. Farnham would
do but I don't suppose for a moment he will be allowed to
take it & I certainly do not see another Major Domo in his
place with our GOC. Our chateau has parts of it very old including a ghost,
but the part we live in mainly is I think 250 years old.
There are signs of stone bullet marks on the towers. Certainly the French have no idea of home & yet this
could be made so nice. However I had better reserve this for a
general letter. 2 I am not sure on thinking it over whether my suggestion for your
War loan scheme is not too difficult, & it might not take on with
these independent people, tho' it would be the truest form of charity to
make them learn thrift for themselves. The Government could have much
on offer of warloan in part payment of Navel & Military pay which would
have been attractive if well organised, but I'm afraid they have tied their
hands by saying that all future past loans will get the same terms & interest as all
future loans that may be required. Before we subscribe I ought to see our pass book, but so much depends
on Carnsmerry calls to think we shall soon owe £210. Perhaps the best
thing would be to put this amount on deposit in case it is made &
to see what else one can do. I have not received any report of the
Castlefull meeting but perhaps it has not been circulated yet, or may
have been sent in newspaper form as they sometimes do. The rubber shares are giving a return of per cent on their present prices, so
apparently the Stock exchange does not expect them to continue these
kind of dividends after the war. At the same time it does not pay us
to sell out so the only way to look upon the dividends is as being
temporarily much above their future average. I wish I wasn't such a dull dog today tho' I'm sitting
by an open window, with rather a shabby look out it is true, but
an open window in December is a blessing to be thankful for if
it does not mean a cold. I find the best way of going to sleep is to hold an imaginery
conversation with you, & I do this now every night. Tho it has good
results it is rather an empty kind of pleasure. Letters are again getting
blocked due to a railway breakdown I believe. At Xmas one will be
lucky to see them at all. Best love from a rather dull bw, but still yours WBSpender