1 3 April My p r I am writing in the middle of a move & am
rather glad of the hustle . As you can imagine, this
waiting period is rather trying for R & for me too
in consequence as I do feel for him. He is such a
gentleman & tho' he is not too strong in character —
he would have done splendidly. News just come The new man who
comes here is a Major Place from the 19th (new)
Division where he was GSO2. He was a sapper
but I do not know what he is like. I fancy a
good deal younger than myself but I shan't mind
that if he is really a useful chap. He will have
been out here 2 or 3 months longer than I have
been, & has probably seen much more fighting. 2 K has been about these parts and is reported
to have said that the war will be over in
August which if true as being his remark is
certainly astounding as he is not supposed to
be an optimist, but he may have come straight
from Verdun & got infected there. If this is the
case I hope Carson will play up & be quick, othe r
wise Squiffy will hang on to get the credit ! I wonder where you and I will spend the autumn
if this proves to be true — looking for houses in the
West? another furnished house in Ulster ? — or
staying in town — probably none of the 3. It may
be advisable for one to have a paid-a-term in town
in order to be in touch with what is going on, but
I expect you & I will want to hide our diminished
heads somewhere away in the country. However there's a lot of work to be done first. 3 I enclose a letter from Blakers' . I suppose I must
accept yet another Godson in his case tho' I have
repeatedly refused others. I am so glad he seems to
have been given a chance at last, & that they
are doing the right thing in employing him away
from Europe where there can be no question of
French mistrust. I am meeting such a lot of old pals
mostly Generals including a Divisional Commander
whom I last called a "dark green landlubber not
fit to steer Noah's ark"! This was at a sailing
race in Malta where he Gen' Couper fouled me badly. He
was in the Rifle brigade hence the dark green epithet
I forget what his terms were to me but something
much stronger no doubt. I wish I could see our Army Commander's face
if I told him that you had been stopping the week end
with the future prime minister. I fancy it would cause 4 him an acute pain for the moment ! I don't think our new plan will be so bad in the
Summer which now really seems in the air, if the
birds are true prophets. I rather wish I had asked Douglas
to bring out my medium vests but it was not
indicated when he left with snow on the ground ! beat the Gen' in his row, & to tell the
truth the latter has so many enemies now that
he cannot afford to make any more big ones;
but for his temper he would have done better as
there are elements of greatness in him. I am just handing over to Col Fuller GSO1 of
the Division coming to our HQ. I handed over
to him once before many years ago at the War
office. It is a lovely day & the birds are singing
merrily but I want to hear the songs of another
litlle animal which is not supposed to be anything
but a squeak which shows my bad taste. Your b w WBSpender