21. Have you no sugar at all there?

Elsinore

27 Spring St

December 15 . 17

My dear darling Norman,
Another letter although it is not Sunday. I just received the last of your yesterday. I got the card from Halifax on Wednesday then your other two cards on Thursday morning and two letters Thursday morning and two letters Thursday evening. So you see how they come. Mrs MacKay? got her letters on Wednesday. I was two days behind.

Well old boy I was glad to hear from you and know you were well and having a good time. You should have more of my letters before you wrote last. I have written every Sunday since you left. I hope you get them all. There were two mails lost in the Halifax disaster, one coming and one going, so some may have gone in that way. That was a terrible disaster wasn't it? A good job your boat had left there or it might have been blown to pieces.

Well Norm, how do you like doing without sugar? Have you no sugar at all there? I guess the big fellows have it. I thought you were there to be treated as on Officer - do you have to pay for your meals or how do you do? Have you any butter? I think I will send you a parcel, some butter, sugar, cake and Xmas pudding. It doesn't matter if it is after Xmas, it will go down all the same. and perhaps a few sweets to sweeten you up.  I suppose you have seen nothing of Ruth Bucknell yet. They have never sent me her address yet.

Winnie McClean? is to be married tomorrow. Jack is to be in tomorrow evening and they will be married at night by the Wesleyan Minister at his manse. I told Winnie she should be ashamed of herself. She ought to have been married at her own church. They are going to Manly for a week and then going to stop with her mother. They have taken the front balcony room of course. Jack will be away most of the time and it is better for Marnie to be with her Mother, she could not live alone. I don't know when the other one will be married. I suppose some time.

Oh Norman we had such a lovely organist last Sunday, a Miss Wilkinson. She used to play in the Cathedral. She played the Death March something lovely, it was a very sad service but very nice all through. Mr and Mrs Tring and Daphne were there both at morning and evening services. Mrs Tring seems to feel Stan's death very much. Mrs Cox and Mrs Borthwick are going to unveil their boy's photos on Sunday next. That will be five in the Church.

Well Norman, I am sending you a draft for 10 pound on the Bank of NSW. I could not go over to town so I sent it from here. I paid 1shilling 2 pence for the stamp so you will have nothing to pay on it. Don't go short of anything my boy. Let me know what you want and I will send it to you. I have the duplicate. I will send in a few weeks time so both of them won't be lost surely. I think I will register it. I have to go up to the Post Office.

Mr Gooud came in last night for a while and read your letters to me. He seemed very down. The boys here are getting terrible at throwing stones the last 4 evenings. They have been throwing them here and have been brocken one of the windows on the verandah yesterday. They have been down at Mr Briklogg?( indistinct) the same. So Mr B, Mr Manning and your Pa are going to write to the Police Office about it. I believe Ethel Emerys' husband is coming home, you remember him. Jimmy, that was here that evening you and he went for a walk around. You may have seen him in London. He has been wounded I believe. Mrs Noble says you could always see the list over there of the wounded and where they are. I suppose they put up the list. I sent a Balmain paper last week, might send another this week.

Now my dear son I must draw to a close. Xmas is near and so is your birthday but it is no Xmas to me. I wish you many, many happy returns of the day and that you may be with me for your next birthday. Dad sends best love. Illma and her family are well as we both are with best love to my dear son,
from his loving Mother.