May to David Beckenham Letter No 137 8.7.18
My dear David,
I reckon 15 minutes after lunch on Mondays belong to you, i.e. for your letter, and the whole of that time has been taken up listening to complaints. I ought to be used to them by now. Well, I must take another quarter of an hour for you, or you will be complaining!
Friday night I left at proper time and paid the butcher’s bills. I am honest sometimes, you will see.
Saturday I left at 12.30, could not get to Holborn on account of the crowds seeing the King & Queen (we are having grand times) so went to St Paul’s and on to Herne Hill and cemetery. Our grave looks lovely, at least the flowers do, but not the stone. Then watered Maud’s, and walked home, calling for my enlarged photo. The frame matches yours exactly. After tea finished the first pair of socks for the bazaar.
Sunday morning got up at 8.0 and caught the 10.40 to Balham. Took Peter to Common, where the young tinker took my character away. There were a lot of men being drilled by an officer. Of course Peter went to inspect their legs and boots generally. He pretended he did not know me just because I had my new dress on, but was busy looking for me amongst the soldiers, peering up into their faces as though asking them what they had done with me; or maybe he was looking for you. When he came to the bawling officer, and he was bawling too, his expression fairly said “What is the matter with you, sonny; don’t you feel well?” When I did get him away I took him straight home. Dinner was ready and we did enjoy it. Afterwards we went to Wimbledon and Putney, when we did some more weeding, but Mrs Taylor would not take the piece of saxifrage from the garden, so we shall have to go again. We left home at 2.45 and got back at 8.45. We did sleep well that night.
Maud starts to-day for Watchet. May it do her good! Just because I did not sympathise with her she told me she could see it was a crime in my sight to be ill in business. Guess I must look a dragon.
Must leave off now, so Goodbye once again.
May