Your gay letter of the 23 – 25 October has just arrived & I must rush into print at once, so pleased am I. At the same time came one from Mother Anne of the 25th & from Grannie Hall too. A lucky evening. But tell me quickly, what for was the bucket in Stanleys that you looked at as a coal bucket that Eileen said wasn’t a coal bucket for coal ?

Your Italian songs are nearly right, I don’t know the first one though. And the Candibasket is good, Si ? Eyties all say they dislike Germans & dislike Musso but they made enough fuss of both for twenty years.    The more I see of Eyties the more I like Esquimeaux. Yes, my dear, Arc lights for ships ! JUGGINS.

                        So the wunderkind holds out his arms. My dear, believe me, if you came, en dishabille, to pick me up, I’d smile & say “Coo” & hold my arms out. He’s a knowledgeable young man. Of course he loves you. But there are 2 fiddles in this orchestra tell him. And I’m No 1. Grrrrr ! Bless the lad, he does sound pleasant. Mother Anne talked charmingly of “King Richard,” nicely Potty, she.

                        All the parcels back, being over 5 lbs. so I’ve repacked them & sent them off again. I do hope something arrives safely. I expect Dickie’s will be broken. It’s a gamble. The coloured eating irons will be all right anyhow.

                        As in Scotland they teach the children, when very small, to speak Italian here. So silly of them. They only have to learn English afterwards if they want to get on.

                        If I’m going to write small I must be legible. I’ll try. If Mother does come for Christmas I do hope she finds an escort. The trains will be very crowded. I can’t think of the answer unless one of the Firemen can oblige. If she went with Aunt Edie it would help, but can you house both of them ? And Dickie. It’s all difficult and I expect the answer is Christmasses apart.

                        Alas the China parcel has come back & one of the books the principal one. Wrapped in brown paper only it’s 5½ lbs ! The china I’ll repack, or keep one bowl out, but the book I can’t send. I’ll carry it with me or get a homeward bound ship to take it for me. That’s the best way. Anyhow it can’t be there for Christmas. Yet you own it at the bottom of my trunk ! Such pretty pictures. But there is time. I’ll bring it with me, or get the Navy to post it or the M.N. to bring it home. I can’t lessen the weight of one book.

                        Hooray! 4 letters ! Two from you, 21 & 29 of October & one from J.G.L. before visiting you & one from Mother. All happy grand letters. To deal with yours. This son of mine seems veritably to be of good report, gracious & lovable, & affectionate too. Please God let him be affectionate. I now believe, on so much vivid testimony that he is as I dreamed & I am bewildered at the blessing this is. From you he inherits his charm & warmth of heart. I’m proud & resolute & full of new wonder. You say he loves you & shows it. How moving that must be. I can understand your tears of gratitude. But of course he loves you, the sweetest & kindest of Mothers. I do, too. Yes, Christening. Go ahead & get it fixed up. Of course Honor & Gwen but he seems to be swindled a bit in his God Father. Both the rector & I are there anyhow ! Why not Julian Huxley, Mister Churchill, Lord Austin, G.B.S., Lord Stamp & Sir William Orpen ? But if RJSD & you think the Rector & I will do go ahead. Certainly don’t wait till he’s Chris’s age, we’d have to explain it all.

                        Mother was so very pleased with the apples  ̶  beautifully packed. You are perfect. I love you for your sweetness to her. Will you arrange emergency plans for you or Mother to go over if she’s ever ill. If she were seriously ill, I’d hate her to be all alone with no kith & kin & me so far away. If that happened (& it’s only a precaution) I’d like you to be there. Seeing Richard would help her so much. I leave it to you.

The 2nd letter has the illustrations of Dickie’s sleeping positions. Lovely drawings. More please. The thumb-sucking one was a dear one. Very good that the visit of J.G.L. & D was successful. He’s promised to write about you both. He’s a dear wise man. I’ll answer his World Affairs letter just received. Yes Marcus Crawford lived at Sorrento. I visited it twice, a lovely place.

                        “Oh !” – about the overdraft. But Peter says, in Army language – “Dickie will hand over one pair of silk pyjamas to his old man to wear when he comes home.”. So !
Gerald & the Christmas tree ! & Mrs Anderton at the Crisis. Dear folk in this world, all dear when infected by your sweetness.

                        Good, you accept the microscopic weekly challenge. But you’ve got mapping pens. And you can’t send money through the post, so it’s no good sending the Lord’s Prayer. I’ve read it anyhow.

                        Yes the  with the violet came & one with a drawing of RJSD, only it was crossed out & No ! Written at the side – so I didn’t look at it, loyally. I think all the AMIC’s have come. There doesn’t seem to be any gap. I partly live from letter to letter, my content gets run down until another winds it up again. Your observations on the Italians are very shrewd & fair. But the men annoy us by being Trades Union minded, babbling, being bone lazy & ingratiating, & because there are so many supercilious officers in ridiculous uniforms with three & even four rows of medals ! Also swords ! But I’ll be fair. The women & children are all right & the countryfolk, farmers & peasants, are excellent & courteous & have dignity even.

                        God be with you, good wife, & I still wonder at the marvels of our son. Let him be quick & affectionate & kind.

I’ve found my copy of the Escape Play of Bertha’s. I’ll try to BBCise it, & then let you have it for filing with the other Young Folks Plays. Love D.

Written at side of first page.
They say an ice cream shop is opened. And I saw an organ grinder. No monkey. Is he in German hands ? I send my love, not formally, to Mother Ann, Candy, Mrs Anderton & Marjorie  ̶  & Chris if there.

I love little Post scripta in the margins. After the letter is finished there’s always something else to read. So have little squiggly marginal comments. DID you see my LAUDABLE PUS remark ?

Written at side of second page.
Clark says he’d get the Christening done. He’s not sure.

I’ll write to Frank re the Nativity no Christening . Does he have to wear my uniform ? I’ll be so thrilled when it happens. And read the accounts eagerly.