1915 Letter 7
March 10, [1915]
My darling Mother,
Your letter written Feb. 15th just arrived - one written about
the 22nd having beaten it - by some days. That is the way with all
our mail and there still must be a lot tied up somewhere. I wrote you Sunday
or Monday that I am to go direct to France, but in case this letter may reach
you first I'll repeat a little. We now are run by the War Office and there is
some delay in getting accommodation for us on the channel boats. We expected
to go at least yesterday but there is yet no word. We are all packed and waiting.
Yesterday I had a letter from Eric which I am enclosing. So I went out to get
him his tabl[oi]d tea and sugar which is wonderfully good and very compact.
I also got him more writing paper and have more to send him at intervals - so
you needn't worry over that - also his Perry's Calculus.
I am glad he is feeling discontented and wants to study. It will surely help
him to get along. I also sent him a safety bottle of ink as his looks rather
watery - and a cholera band and a pair of mitts, with the instructions to pass
them on if he doesn't want them. There are special rates to the troops - a pound
goes for 1 s. and 3 lbs for less than 2 s. The book was 5 d. which is much less
than parcel post at home would be.
The letter you forwarded from the Dept. contained a cheque for $5.50 for expenses
from Quebec to Norwood. It will come in handy though I don't need money at all.
I am taking [out] some French money and will send Eric some too. All this
being covered by the $25 Papa gave me for him.
For goodness sake don't stop writing me all the gossip - I read your letters
about fifty times and then send them on to Eric. May certainly has cooked her
goose. She might show a little more dignity and not let people see how disappointed
she is. I am glad Mrs. English is Regent. She will be a much better one than
May ever was.
I guess it is about time the Canadian papers were being attended to. The papers
over here print no current news. To-day they announce the safe arrival of part
of the 2nd Contingent. The first news that any more troops were coming.
The Lord certainly watched over us and them too. The Channel crossings are quite
safe now. They are mostly always made at night - where there is no danger from
submarines and mines are not numerous now. I am not a bit nervous strange to
say. I who used to jump at anything. The soldiers come back constantly from
the trenches and cross and re-cross as in ordinary times. I have been adding
to my list - as I have heaps of room in my dunnage bag - tea - a few biscuits,
matches, candles, etc.. And yesterday Miss Elliott and I saw the dearest little
Japanese kimonas at Peter Robinsons and "blew" ourselves. My Jaeger
dressing gown is too big for my club bag and will pack quite easily - so I needed
a light one for travelling and got a pink crepe one lined with white china silk
- the design is birds in black and white and it really is a beauty for the equivalent
of about $5.00. Many things are much cheaper over here. Note paper especially
- I got a whole box of foreign note for 7 d. which would have cost at least
50 cents at home and envelopes for the same. Gloves are much cheaper too and
boots.
I had a letter from Auntie [Teese] along with Papa's and wrote her at once.
Poor old lady. I guess she does feel awfully blue, not seeing either of us before
we left. Spite at long distance is not worth while. I sent them both a snap
taken on the boat and this afternoon I am getting some regular photos taken
and will send them each one. Aunt Lauder still remains to be pacified. Her steamer
rug was the admired of all admiring on the boat. There were some pretty swell
rugs but they all liked mine best. I think I'll write and tell her so - and
that I'm really off to France. I hope Aunt Teddy sends the camera.
The general impression seems to be that our bunch is on the whole nicer than
the first lot. A chap at the Bank of Montreal said we gave them a lot of trouble
- our pay not coming in for a week after it was announced but that he liked
us far better than the others who got him and the rest so mad. They didn't care
how rude they were to them. I think they rather lost their heads for the time
being for Matron McDonald is much pleased with their work, and there are some
very fine nurses among them.
Miss Meiklejohn has precisely the same rep. as Mrs. B. over here and at home.
I told Miss West what we thought of them as she is from Quebec and she says
they are a very unpopular family, partly on account of their religion and partly
because of their supreme smugness and snobbishness. Mr. M. works in some
large wholesale. Her sister came over with the First Cont. and she says Miss
Meiklejohn was thoroughly disliked on account of the way she talked about some
girls not being her equals etc. So we aren't alone in our opinions. Miss Godard
is very much their type - I am afraid - and hereafter she goes by herself, for
one simply won't have her with us. Mrs. Spaulding was saying yesterday she couldn't
understand Miss G. She had taken extra trouble to be nice to her, but at times
Miss G. would scarcely speak though at other times she was most effusive. She
said she couldn't understand how a girl could be governess with the people she
was - and go through a training without getting all that snubbed out of her
- but apparently the spoiling she gets at home has counter acted what good the
other might have done her. Her accent is getting so pronounced that it is hard
to understand her and we have to request her to speak English, which makes her
good and mad, you may be sure. I loathe snobs, and yet I frequently fall for
them at first. Her family antecedents are about as dubious as the Meiklejohn's
when I come to find out. I have changed a lot of my opinions of different girls
and if I wasn't very friendly to some of them I have done my best to make up
for it. The Western crowd, I was right about - but everyone else thought the
same. They have been all mixed up - purposely we all think - and individually
we like them all now.
Even old Miss [Hornby] for she gave Pussy Spaulding just what she needed.
It is Mrs. Churchill she is related to - being a first cousin - but she says
"her cousin has more brains than Young Churchill - in fact she pretty much
runs the place". She will if she is like Sister [Hornby]. We have loads
of fun verifying all the boasts of the boasters. Every time they make an assertion
all the girls race to see who'll find out the truth first. Sounds catty, doesn't
it? but it's good for them. This world is too small to tell lies. Our chief
hot air artists are Spaulding, Miss Godard, Miss Dickinson "who belongs
to one of the best families in Canada" - and a few more less obnoxious.
Nurses who reach the age of 35 as 3¼ of ours have are not easily fooled,
and are apt to have travelled rather widely and met rather too many people to
believe all they are told. Miss Pierce & Miss Boyd are chums and very much
liked by every one - also Miss Taylor and Miss Gilleau and Miss Rose
and Miss Boultbee from Vancouver - and dozens more - as nice girls as you could
want for friends and [the lot] of them go to France. So we're sure of a lively
time anyway. Miss Taylor & Miss Gilleau go to Cliveden - they are afraid
and all one evening they laughed and cried by turns. We'll surely miss them
as they are so funny. Miss Shaw is older than the rest and white haired but
the dearest woman. Everyone goes to her for motherly guidance and advice. Miss
Dickinson - not the other one - is Scotch also Miss Dunne - and both
very nice but as sarcastic as only Scotch people can be. Miss Smellie is popular
too, and Miss [Hegan] and a lot more.
Miss Rayside the other Matron, but the one who goes to France with us - went
to Queen's with [Theresa] - so she told me one day - but you needn't mention
the fact unless you like. They might all start writing to her. She is a very
fine looking woman.
Well Mother dearest - I am afraid my hand is tired and my brains are numb.
Heaps of love, and rest assured that I am well. I never felt better and eat
enormous meals and sleep awfully well. We'll likely get a lot of mail to-day
that would come over with the troops.
My letters from France will all be censored so I'll stick to personalities
- and not too many of them. And I'll keep in constant touch with Eric and George.
Love to Papa -
Yours always,
Helen
Kind regards to the I.O.D.E.