19. What sort are the English girls?

Elsinore

Dec 2 1917

My dear darling Norman,

Another Sunday and another letter. This is the 17th letter I have written.  I hope you get them all. Well my dear son, how are you getting along? alright I hope. I wonder where you are now. Your diary is moist interesting Norman. I have read it over 4 times and a lot of others have read it and more want to. Are you keeping another diary or not? It would be nice if you did. I am sure it would be interesting, but perhaps you have not time now.

I guess you are glad to get our letters dear Norm. Mr Gooud was here the first day I wrote, so I got him to address my letter and the next I got Dad to address. Do you get the papers? I am sure you are having a great time in London. What sort are the English girls? Not like our Australians I guess and what sort were the nurses you had over with you. They were brave to go all that way were they not?

Well Norman we have had a little bit of excitement the last two day over this Bazaar. I think we done pretty well. I don;t know how much we took last night but the night before we took over 20 pounds. Mr and Mars Cakebread were out. Mrs C opened the Bazaar. Mr C was asking me all about you. I think he said he had a couple of letters from you. I can't remember things now my memory is getting so bad. We had two very pleasant nights. Such a lot there too. Not always the way everything is left to one or two. I am sure poor Charly Orr won't want another in a hurry for he and your poor dad had all to do. Putting up the flags that had strings of them from the school to the Church and they looked very nice. Mrs Irwin as usual too the leading part and had a lot to do and all the teachers took their part well. We had a gift sweets evening on Monday Ada Dadd got up for her stall (I take it that they got together to do some sweets cooking?) but as usual St John's weather - raining all the time but Norman it has been raining here for nearly 2 months. I never remember a November like this has been. So cold and wet. This is December and it is more like winter, raining away today. I think it will finish up with a big flood. They have had floods in Albury and Wagga and other places. It would be terrible if it came one now. Poor George would lose all his labours again. He has a nice crop of potatoes and different things now and they would all be spoiled if there came a flood but we must trust in God. He doeth all things well.

I think they are going to have their Picnic the end of February or the first of March. Dear Norman you know those lollies you had, well I had a look at them last week and they have gone all soft, so I told Mr Gooud about them and Ada Dadd. I told Ada she might as well sell them. She said she would have wanted the but she said she had such a lot of lollies given to her but if she wanted any more she would get them, but she did not come over for them. She had plenty to do, so they might last now to the Picnic. 

Clarry Orr makes a good Secretary, he done well for the Bazaar.

Well Norm, Eileen is here. She has been in bed for a couple of weeks and the Doctor said to send her up the mountains for a change and if not then send her to Sydney. So Illma sent her down here for a week or so. She is fine now. Illma is coming down herself for a day or two. 

Aidie? Cowell is playing for them today. Mr and Mrs Thring? couldn't or wouldn't be expected to come for you know they have lost poor Stan. He was killed some time this month. They got word last Wednesday. Oh Norm it is terrible so many of our boys are getting killed. There will be none of the left soon. I hear dear Bob Bidder and Meg? Hancock are coming home. They have been sick poor fellows. I feel for the lot of them. Mrs Sharp told me to tell you her boy has enlisted, don't know when he will be going. Mrs Porter told me to remember her to you when writing and Mrs Cox wants you to give word to give Charlie's things to some of the poor fellows over there but to send them back. She doesn't want that. She thought you might be the best to do it. That is the pencils you took you need not trouble about. Tas? Vale, you know they got word that he was killed.

Well my dear boy goodnight and excuse my bad writing. I have a sore finger. Pa wrote last week. I hope you get it. Sends bet love and Eileen and same for my darling boy from his loving mother.