April 12, 1916

Dear Father,

The lines have fallen to me as usual in very pleasant places. Cousin Louie is a dear; and she has a beautiful home - not unduly large, but very tasteful and elegant. I caught her in the tail-end of the spring-cleaning; but she makes me feel as though it was rather a favour then otherwise to do so. I had to come without more than a few hours notice, as the time at my disposal is quite uncertain. We may get orders any day to proceed to the school, - locality as yet unknown - and once there it may be difficult to get away. I shall probably have three of four days here now.

Have not seen Louie's husband yet, as he is away on business for the day; but he will be home to-night. Louie assures me that he is just about all right. A good deal of our two days in London was spent in official waiting; but we managed to look around a little. Yesterday afternoon Porter & I, after leaving the War Office, had lunch at an A.B.C. shop in the Strand and started in to see the sights. We went first to the Canadian High Commissioner's office on Victoria St. for Porter's mail; then slipped into Westminster Abbey. Our stay there was slightly curtailed by an approaching service but we saw the poet's corner, which was what I most wanted to see anyway. From the Abbey we walked down past the Houses of Parliament, crossed the river, strolled back along the other side, recrossed by Westminster bridge, paid a penny to look at Big Ben through a telescope, wandered along the Victoria Embankment past the national Liberal club, through Scotland Yard & back to Trafalgar Square. Then we made a new tack down the Mall, through St James' Park to Buckingham Palace, then up to Picadilly, through Leicester Square to the Strand, where we caught a bus for Russel Square.

I left London at 10.00a.m. to-day, and reached here in time for lunch, after a very pleasant ride by the Midland. The country is quite up to my expectations. The cities are not a bit as I had imagined them; but just as interesting. Of course I have not yet seen much of Leicester.

I found Marjorie's letter of March 22nd, yours of the 24th, & Mother's of the 26th with Mr. Thacher's enclosed, waiting for me here. I am afraid you may have been a bit worried at the length of our voyage. They kept us in Halifax Harbour until the first of April; and, of course, did not allow us to communicate with our friends. I shall be sending you a sort of diary in a day or so.

Louie asks me to send her best regards to everybody, and to say that she will write herself shortly. Oceans of love to all of you

You know by your own hearts what is in mine.

Bernard.