Your voice is clear, musical, attractive, exciting & charged with intelligent character. It was lovely talking to you this evening. I’ll try again on June 3rd. I do hope that picture is right. I had in mind a good print of Gauguin or a river scene, but that picture spoke to me as soon as I went in the shop. I tried others but every time I came back to this one. It seemed to have qualties expressly for us, a colour, a young vigour, a splendour & a courage which matched our life. I am no connoisseur, I cannot assess the quality of the picture, maybe its commonplace, but for me it seemed good. I hope you like it. You’ll like my love that goes with it, that I do know.

                        This should arrive on our wedding day. Next year we’ll be together, & we’ll get someone to mind the baby & go to the Mitre. If we can leave Dickie Ann we’ll stay the night. Let this picture remind you of the past & promise the future. If it’s not next year it’s the year after. This war goes well.

                        I got a new pair of spectacle frames this afternoon, the others had a wobbly side, & one may as well have a first class pair. I also bought a little leather picture frame, for pocket or bedside, in which you & Candy & Mother sit smiling at me !

                        Oh, if you post the packing case the picture came in to the Medici Society, (I think Bond Street), here, you’ll get the change from 3/6 after postage. But maybe it’s not worth it. As you wish. If you do put the money you get into Dickie Ann’s box.

                        Dickie, or Ann ? Dickie, to be gay & nicely  , full of suppressed energy, straight limbed & with the questioning spirit & a soul of his own, to love you as boys do love their Mothers, to have adventures in friendship, to discover the joy of using his muscles, the pleasure of strength. Ann, to be the same except for a different grace & a spot more affection perhaps for the father, who will find it very difficult not to spoil her ruthlessly, growing gradually, gaining poise & dignity & . . . . But we’ll wait & see. One thing is certain. Being your child it will be lovable, loving & loved.

                        I have been numbering our friends, Marjorie & Christopher, Uncle Jack, Jack Lawrence, the Brooks & the Sadgroves, Eileen & her mother, Honor & Aunt Ame, Auntie Edie & Uncle Fred, your Uncle Fred, Peter Jeavons, the Sunderland’s, the Thoms, the Rev. Brash, the Hansons, Fitz & Jim Jeffs, Bertie Wright & Chip Lloyd, – a gay nice lot. There are others, too.

                        When the Blanket of Silence descends, do write to Mother at Kettering & give her our news. She’ll not like my going. But if she is sensible we’ll all be together again & not long away that day either. I’ll write to the last & letters will come after I’ve gone away. They’ll be inadequate, of course. They needs must be.

                        Tel Uncle Jack I was sorry not to have popped in on him on Monday morning. But time was so short. We could have taken Candy with us, only she was so reproachful. Didn’t even offer to come. It’s for more bones I go away, do tell her. She’s a little unreasonable.

                        Tomorrow, Tuesday, I expect to start being busy. Today was full of meeting people until lunchtime & looking around.

                        When Dickie Ann arrives write to : –

                                    Officer i/c Army Pay Office :

                                                (Officers Accounts)

                                                            Stockton Road

                                                                        Manchester.

Tell him your husband is overseas & you have a baby, or a baby coming if you write before. Ask him to send you a form for applying for the allowance. Attach the birth certificate & send it off. The book will follow, immediately. I attach a sample letter. Put it in the address book safely. Then when the B/C. comes back, send it with the form I sent you to the Income Tax wallah. O. K. ?