I’m, a Fraud.  A downright Fraud. The temp. was 90-whatever it should be this morning  & I feel grand.  Good night, sweet sleep, dreams of you, & all fine-o.  Then at 10 I dressed, & Capt Vincent & I travelled here in a vast new ambulance, all streamlined and soft.  Then he passed me over to a she-doctor in white & smiled me a sweet fare well.  The she-vet took down my particulars, (one has no privacy) (I’m used to having my particulars taken down) & I was wafted to the Haldane Ward.  I had a luxury bath, & discovered a healthy appetite, the first for 10 days.  Then I was put to bed & given a HEAVENLY dinner, superbly cooked.  Rst. Beef, (English) spuds, greens & rich gravy.  Then I flagrantly seeped charm over the sister & had a second helping.  Then creamy rice pudding & CREAM !  A small boy named (of course) John, was an up-patient & he, after secret whispering, brought me more R.P. & the Cream Jug, & poured it all on !

It’s a lovely place & I, feeling fit, am ideally set up to appreciate it.  Its very new.  Imagine a hospital in the USSR designed by Gill & managed by H.G.Wells curves & subdued lighting & a lovely green for the curtains & oval ceilings & BBC clocks. It’s super. Earphones by the beds,, Ritz bathroom.  Actually its as I imagine the Queen Mary to be.

A doctor has just visited me, intrigued with the Malaria.  She’s allowing me to be up this afternoon to see the results.  She wants to take a Blood Film  & cure the Malaria !!  How is it that things happens so oddly to P.O.D?  Anyhow, here I am, full of life & spirits, & a luxury hotel to live in !  Most odd !

And to cap it all as I left the barracks your parcel was brought by the Postie Rock Cakes.  Just what I wanted.  I’ll have 2 for tea today & 2 for tea tomorrow.  The only snag is that they’ve got their times wrong here.  They call you at 5.30 & make you go to bed & sleep at 8.30 !!!  Queer world.

I proof read all yesterday, & d’you know, I wept often because it was so nice, & I laughed once.  I’m full of wonder at our achievement.  If only the beginning was quicker & tauter. It drags, darling, honest. But for those who persevere, there’s much that’s good.  And through it all I see your hand, your spirit, your wit & your candid love of living.

I lay it out at your feet, prouder than any Penguin.  Bless us both.

As soon as your version comes I’ll post it to Johnnie Cape. I fear that your letters may float between the Barracks & here.  Its not worth your writing here as I may be sent back of a sudden. Eh bien, ’twill solve itself, this problem.

I do hope they’ll let me loose before “the twelfth”! Quelle thought.

Several of the men here are mere civilians, three of them children.  One is an up-patient & dashes about lighting cigarettes.  Matches are short, so if one wants a cigarette one calls John & gives it to him, he takes it to a smoker & lights it by contact & selection back to the starter, lighting others en route.  At 11 John smokes well.  As one of the others is a very bouncy 8/9 year old & the third is 12ish & is pretty ill.  He lies & looks wan & pale & says but little.  The rest are four soldiers (no gunners) & civilians.  One has a beard & two gold teeth, & very stripy pyjamas.  This is a medical ward.  The Graham ward underneath is the surgical one.  We’ve maternity wards & all sorts.  Its a huge place on a hill – top.

Nice letter from Auntie Edie this morning.  They’re all well.

When does Candy’s granny-Annie come to Gt. Alne ?  No news of her for a long time.  And how’s Aunt Jess & Uncle Fred.  Explain my absence of letters by (a) Hard work (b) Proof work (c) Lectures (d) Hospital routine.  But I’ll write before long.

I’ve found lots of word & phrase changes in the book.  I wonder what you and Eleanor have seen the that I missed ?  And I wonder what the cover is to be.  You must come up for Publication Day.  Oh, when you get your ticket to come you take your P/O pay book & then you’ll get special rate, soldier’s wife

ANYTHING DEFINITE YET ?
Don’t fret if not.

                        Funny sort of soldier, me !  Send back the letter for Evelyn Gibbs, will you.  I’ll want it for my smashing report I am drawing up about non-listening at Training Regiment.  Oh, such a report.

(I wanna write another book)

            And now, all my love, dearest, I’m fit & after all, I’m not cissy, am I!  I often wondered.  Thought you might get a complex because of my inadequacy !  Bless you, I’ll always try to be adequate.