Telegraph Sent to Helen
1917 Letter 2
[1917]
Sunday Evening
Dear Mother,
You would be glad to look in just now. Don is here on 6 days leave and George and he are here for the afternoon. They and two of the girls are playing bridge and thoroughly enjoying them selves. I suppose your conscience will say "Oh how can they be so wicked!" but there isn’t much to do with everybody strangers to everybody else.
Don is as fat as can be and looks as young as he is instead of ten years older as he did before I left home.
George is sweet as usual and they are quite delighted at meeting again. The last time was in Winnipeg years ago.
I am more than proud of my relatives for the girls have taken to them at once and they are discriminating young women I can tell you.
Telegraph Sent to Helen
Don is staying at the Clarence Hotel where Eric stayed and comes over every day for tea and dinner. To-morrow night he is taking one of the girls in to the theatre, as I am still only allowed out only in the daytime. I could kill Bert Hardy for telling such a thing for I only saw him for a minute when I was rushing out of Claring Cross.
To tell you the honest truth Mother dear, there is nothing the matter with me. There is a perfectly rotten brand of "floo" around this winter and I got it just on top of the measles so you see it took longer to shake it off. Then I had a cough and strained my side a little – we call it intercostal neuralgia – and Col. Casgrain said in case I might have a touch of pleurisy with it I had better stay right in bed and get thoroughly over it.
To-day I went out for a walk and to-night I am still up and feel like a new woman.
Col. Casgrain went over my chest thoroughly and said everything was normal so I was relieved of any worry on that score. He has given me a tonic and I am taking 3 glasses of milk a day and stout and am getting fat. My cough is completely gone and now the weather is warm I know I’ll be all right.
Last week McCullough who is just home from the East came down to see if I’d go home on transport duty with her – but the Colonel thought I’d be foolish to go just now as it would be spring here right away while Canada would still be cold and wintery.
But as far as asking to go I have only to ask. So don’t you worry Mother dear. The Col also said he thought I was foolish to ask to go just now because I might not get back here again afterwards.
You can trust him implicitly because Mrs. Casgrain would make me do whatever she thought best, and if she thought you had any need to worry about me you may be sure she’d have the Col. pack me off at once.
The submarine menace is nothing to sneeze at either and transport duty very uncertain, so if you won’t think that I am trying to avoid going home I think I’ll wait until the weather and I are better.
You see transport duty is fairly hard and to go when I wasn’t feeling fit – I’d just be sick I’m afraid.
It’s no honour now to be sent so don’t think I have not the chance to go. And now I must tell you a piece of good luck that befell me yesterday. Andy and I were reading the morning Times and looking over a huge list of Sisters who had got the Royal Red Cross. Well we waded through the A’s & B’s and C’s and I found that Clint whom we left at Cairo sick (you remember) – had got one. Andy was reading on ahead and to my absolute amazement I was in the bunch too.
Well I’m too truthful to say I wasn’t pleased – most of all on your account. A lot of my greatest friends were in the same list, Ethel [Bonelbee], Peggy Rose, Hall and, Pense, and Kit Wylie all perfectly splendid girls and Jane Johnstone and Ida Smith too so we’ll all likely be invested at the same time.
All sorts of celebrations are planned to come off after we see "George" and I guess it won’t be too awful. Queen Alexandra is putting on a little show now after each Investiture when all the Sisters have to go to Marlborough House and shriek and bellow their names etc. at her and perspire freely into the bargain. After which she gives each one a signed photograph of herself and a book of sorts. So you see Mother I’ll be moving in quite respectable circles for the next little while and I do hope you are "awfully bucked" about it as the English say.
I will send you the list and mark the names of the girls and will get some extra copies of the Times in case you’d like them.
Don is very pleased and as I can take one person to Buckingham he will come up if possible and if not George says he’ll come.
Andy has a R.R.C. and I showed the medal to the boys in case I don’t see them after I get mine. You must think me a conceited thing but I now you’ll be interested in all the details.
I’ll send my medal home by hand if I don’t go myself soon. It’s one Florence Nightingale of blessed memory [ ] and has Faith Hope and Charity on it. The ribbon is red blue and red. There is no money to go with it so far as I know.
All the girls are nice enough to say they’re delighted and when I know how many are as much and more deserving than I am, it is very good of them.
Well the bridge is over and I must stop too. Don is having a lovely time and the girls are awfully keen to go about with him so I am just letting them. It will do him good and I’m scared to go to town in case I get more cold. He is going in to-morrow to the House of Parliament as there are wonderful debates on just now, and will come back here for tea and dinner.
Tuesday we’re going over to Hampton Court to see the place – it’s just near here – and have lunch at the famous old "Mitre".
If you could see how comfortable we are here you’d be so thankful you’d never worry about me for a minute and being among such good friends and having the Casgrains makes it too good to leave. But count on seeing me sometime this summer.
Lovingly,
Helen.
Feb. 25.
Her Majesty Queen Alexandra Invitation