David to May                     Sheerness                           Wednesday [26th March 1919]

My Darling,

Wednesday & still nothing more is heard of demobilisation. I do wonder how much longer they are going to hang about.

So you couldn’t get Days to promise you your dress by Saturday. They seem to be taking their time over it. They have had it three weeks haven’t they?

Is April the second the day that your big job has to be finished that Lutt is so keen for you to stay until then. That brings us up to Thursday. I do hope it’s no later than that don’t you Darling, that is of course, always supposing I am out of the army & at present I can get no sort of hint as to anything doing in that line at all. I hardly know how to contain myself, sitting about down here & hearing nothing as to it getting any nearer.

So Maud has got a job & as you say is in heaven, at a small salary – very small I expect, but still, I suppose as she likes it it’s alright. As you say, she will be in her element to have the affairs of the parish under her thumb. She is funny in the way that she thinks people in business are desperately interested in her affairs.

This morning having nothing to do of course, I went for my usual walk & bought a book on the way “The Children of the Forest” by Marryat.

I have finished “The Canon in Residence” and think it quite good and as it isn’t possible to get anything to read down here, I was forced to buy another book for myself.

I am down to be orderly officer tomorrow, so that should leave me clear for the weekend if I am still here.

I shall of course try to get leave for the weekend and if I can’t shall come up on Sunday. May it not be necessary and may I be there for good.

Again you say nothing about yourself or how you are. Have you been able to sleep decently or only for a while each night.

6.30

I have just seen the demobilisation officer who told me that the details had gone to Rugeley, so they ought to send them back here soon, so I might get out this week after all.

A gleam of hope as the papers would say about the strikes.

I have been for a walk this afternoon with a fellow who was at Holzminden with me and who gave me quite a lot of food when I was first there and had nothing. He has been in Holland and is only just back from his 2 months leave.

Now don’t get working too hard and knock yourself up.

Goodbye Darling.

David