Raven’s Croft
March 1^st/17.

My Dear Mother,

I was surprised when I looked at the calendar just now to see it is March 1^st. Sleeping days, you rather lose track of the time anyway and then February is such a short month.

Tuesday, I received your letter of the 6^th and had that of the 3^rd a few days before. Yesterday, I had from Dr. Holbrook, the dandiest big box of chocolates. A wooden box with fully 4 lbs of beauties. It was posted Feb 6^th. As I have had no letter, I will wait two or three days before I write them, as there may be a letter coming too.

Wish you would please send letter post my copy of Oculo Didactica, it is a thin linen colored book, I think. I want to make use of it while on nights, and would like to qualify for this work, before I go home, if I have time to study.

I am enclosing interesting clippings on “Women for France.” This does not look as if they expected the war to be concluded in six months, but it will let a great many men out, and bring the end more quickly.

If it is at all bright in the morning, we start out about 7.30 to take a walk thro some historical villages near here and make a few snaps. If it is not bright, we will go the first bright day.

You have certainly had a terrible time with your gas, hope it is better now that you have the coal in. We are getting fairly mild weather here, but still damp. My two pneumonias are both out of danger, thank goodness, and well on the way to recovery. I have tho two young boys, very nice youngsters too, with T.B, and I don’t think they are long for this world. Of course they may live years.

I suppose you know by this time that the sub. warfare is well in hand. A small percentage of the shipping to ports in the isles that experts thought it likely they would “get,” would run from 60 to 120 vessels per week, but they fell away below this percentage even during the worst period, but they got a big one the other day. However, they are not materially interfering nor do I think they will be able to unless they have something more dreadful.

We seem to be getting good news from all fronts, and most believe that the enemy retreat at Bapaume is due to a new shell we are using, to clear the way for the big noise. Another month or two at the most will see big things if plans do not miscarry. They have before tho.

Yes, someone said Uncle Fred was running. Hope he makes it. Hope Jean is on the way to recovery.

I think it best too to have the ten dollars deposited to my credit and will write Mr. Raynes to that effect when I receive his letter. I was seriously considering buying a stamp album and a bunch of stamps to send home but decided thro the night not to buy the book, but I will however pick up a bunch of stamps as cheap as I can. The war issues particularly are going up by leaps and bounds, one set of three, already bringing £1/-/- and another of thirteen bringing over £6/-/- of course I will not purchase any as expensive as this, but some of them will be a good investment, I think. When I return I think I will continue collecting, Canada and the U.S. tho only. It is a great hobby over here.

I am beginning to break out in little blind boils all over and believe it must be the food I am getting at night, as there are only three of us and the night cook, we get the best of everything. Steak ham and eggs etc., and it is all so well cooked.

I have Observer Feb 1^st, so there is a great improvement all round in the mail service.

(over).

Well it is just 5.15 and I must get shaved and washed as I have to light up and call the patients at 6 A.M.

I do hope you are all as well and as happy as I am now.

Lovingly,
Worth.