Hullo, my little wife, and my child’s mother. You ask if it is important, this child-bearing. I consider it the most important, most vital thing I know of, it is the only thing which can take level place with the love we have for each other. We are to be a family. Only I worry sometimes, about you and the ordeal through which the great happiness has to be bought. It may be trite to say so, but it does seem unfair, that you should have the suffering. Yet I should not even think of anything but a straightforward affair, I’ve not mentioned it before because we must be sensible and you are so sound and natural a person. All will be well, I must not worry.
A ships captain with whom I drank beer this morning in his cabin, captain of a large C.P.R. ship, a benign cultured man, and composer of popular songs, became yesterday and grandfather of twins and his daughterinlaw’s two grandmothers bore twins.
Deardeardear . . . .
Tonight I’m staying strictly in, so I shan’t have telephone to tempt me to ring you. I must have you with me as an imaginary voice and not a real dear and chuckly one.
I’m smoking a pipe quite regularly now, a good boy.
Oh, information about Movements of troops is not to be divulged, but despite that I have an awful journey, with twenty men, one C.Q.N.S., and one sergeant, Leave Liverpool 00.15 hrs. Monday, arrive Glasgow 0751, leave Glasgow 12.15 and arrive Dalmally 1645. All night in the train ! The rest of them come up on the twenty fifth, and I have to arrange everything for them, rations, quarters, training, and so on. Quite a job. Then we stay there five weeks. Oh dear, but if one approaches it correctly its grand training and grand fun, yet further from you. But out time will come. I must make enough money to let us live as joyously as we wish. Joy making money for you and himher.
There is great happiness and friendship and teasing and high spirits in the Mess now. Me in bounding health, Peter reacting brilliantly, Allan gay and frisky, Harry the benign O.C. (the O/C is on a course), and Jack smily and fun. Ham is the only odd one, but he tries to play. Great teasing, ragging, romping and wittiness. But we have our wistful half hours, Peter and I often.
You ask for news always. I have no news, but there are strange rumours of a splitting up of our company for the formation of new ones, which, if true, does not seem to imply embarkation in the near future ! Mind you, I don’t know, but there’s talk. Maybe idle, perhaps careless, perhaps, even, dangerous. If only I could be with you in in August, but that is too wistful, and to wish it is shirking my responsibilities as a man.
A balmy day at the docks today, not night working as I thought. We have three loaded ships to train men on and I went to my Micky and did wire rope splicing. Warm sun and no wind. Like May it was. Micky is a dear and so fond of me. He’s sixty three next month. You’d love him. Full of Navy sayings . . . “Attitude’s the art of Gunnery and Whiskers make the Man” He gave me long accounts of shortening the T’Gallant Royals in half a gale and drawings of rigs with his thumbnail on a wall. The world is full of great men who have no memorial.
Barchester Towers goes well, and pulls this evening, but I must do some writing, we have a concert tomorrow night, so that’s mucked up, and we entertain 1028 officers and some groupists on Thursday, but I’m orderly dog and can take it easy, Friday there is the Sergeants dance, to which we are invited and it might be beery. I think its very likely. Sergeants dances are like that, I fear. As you say, the duties of an officer are manifold.
Now fare thee well, and never be anxiou about me and you and dickie-Anne and Candy and the million very fine-spun ties with which you have made me fast. No Grannie’s in those lashings, good seamanllke ones, unshakable by storms blonde, brunnette or piebald.
Bless you dearest one. . .
Ever your own….