1915 Letter 50
[1915]
[7 pages missing, as this letter begins on page 8]
I have never written much about the girls have I? I'll start with Miss Boyd easily the most striking and stylish. Then Miss Gilleau & Miss Taylor - known as the "Gold Dust Twins" from their caps and sweaters on the boat - Miss Sheperd - young and foolish - very pretty and crazy over the boys -
Miss Boultbee from Vancouver - a very nice girl and Miss Rose who trained with her. They are both quite fat and pretty - Miss Rose and I are indistinguishable according to one of the other bunch - We are really no more alike than day and night. Everyone thought it a huge joke and we are both called "Dub" most of the time - Miss Pierce is Miss Boyd's friend. She is engaged to a sailor second in command on a battleship. He is on leave to-day and very good looking. We all like Miss Pierce.
Miss Smellie from Port Arthur is another very nice girl - Her remarks are all quoted - her table disgraces itself at every meal over her descriptions of what she has seen.
Miss [Lonergan] is an Australian and rather peculiar but she goes with the crowd.
Miss Shaw has white, white hair and absolutely no regard for her personal appearance and wears huge English boots - but I think she'd win the popularity vote. She has travelled all over and is a most delightful woman. She has sort of adopted us and has been awfully good about taking us around.
Mrs. Spalding our thorn in the flesh. Her father used to live in Cobourg. Col. Smith - Her sisters keep a girls' school in Ottawa. She puts on a great deal of "manner" and has absolutely no tact. Consequently she has few friends. She was over in England all fall and thinks she knows everything - She hangs on to poor Miss Shaw - and Miss Shaw can't stand her. She is a dreadful gossip and is using every bit of influence she has to be made a Matron. Lord help us if she is - She knows Mrs. McPherson and she told me to-day that Mrs. Hardy left for Canada two weeks ago - so I won't see her at all -
Miss Hegan is a classmate and friend of Miss Boultbee and we all like her. Miss Godard was sea-sick all the way across and we got to know her little failings as we didn't in Ottawa. She is a spoiled baby and makes us absolutely weary with her fault finding at everything. She is very nice in some ways - but we see as little of her as is possible - though we three room together.
Miss Elliott is a good deal like Holly - and we get along very well together - The others will take us in but few of them like Miss G. who is too much like Mrs. Spalding. Miss Hubles - though very ungainly and not interesting at all - turns out to possess a most amazing [bump] of location and is quite an authority on how to reach all sorts of places. This is her first visit too to London -
There are many more but we don't know them so well. Miss Hornby is a cousin - so they say - or some relation to Winston Churchill. From her abrupt manner, she has won the name of "First Lord" -
Miss Dickinson "who comes of one of the best families in Canada" to quote Miss Godard - is known as the Duchess - or Tipperary or Tip - because of her mania for green veils etc. She is not popular.
Well - I must write to Eric so will close for to-night. The mails for New York go Wed. & Sat. and I'll try to have a letter for each. I am feeling fine and never enjoyed anything in my life as I've enjoyed this trip so far. We may not be in London long - they are anxious to send us - trained ones - to work as soon as possible - where I have no idea.
Good-night now - dearest. Supper here is not till 8.30 Sundays and we are simply ravenous - Afternoon tea at 4.30 isn't even a memory. It is 8.20 now - so I must go and fuss a little. No one dresses over here and Miss Boulter has ordered every one to dress as quickly as possible, so I am not buying any more clothes - though I certainly need them. Miss Boulter is just the best kind of a matron.
Love to Papa and every one at home - I simply haven't time to write to them. Tell the "Daughters" I gave Hayes a pair of socks - and thanked the Lord - and them - that I had them to give - Poor Hayes - I wonder how he is. Do tell me if you have to pay extra postage on my letters.
Met Dr. Gilmour and his wife and Mrs. Corrigan - both graduates of Grace - at the door of the theatre last night. They have been abroad since April, as the Dr. is doing postgraduate work. I surely was glad to see them.
This must be the last for the gong has rung and I am very hungry.
Heaps of love - Mother darling - and don't worry about me - I never felt so secure and in the Lord's hands as since I left home -
Yours always,
Helen