Friday, March 20th, 1942

Darling Joan,

This has been a really great week, we had one letter on Wednesday and another on Thursday. Wednesday’s letter had taken 40 days to get here, and Thursday’s letter had taken 21 days, which is an awfully long time, isn’t it, for air-mail letters.

In the first letter Auntie Mary gave a list of the marks you had got, and we are ever so pleased with you, Joan, and very proud. I like your letters very much too, and I think they are very well put together.

You were brave about your teeth, weren’t you, my dear. Your Daddy was always an awful coward, and I would never go to a dentist when I was a boy, except to have a bad one out. You will be glad when you grow up that your teeth have been well looked after, and you will have to thank Auntie Mary for it all.

I am glad you can remember about the First Aid practise we used to have together. I shouldn’t have thought you could. The bandages were always so big for a little girl, weren’t they? (And Mummy was always too busy to be a patient and wouldn’t be practised on, but I remember you enjoyed it.) I am afraid I have forgotten most of it now, so perhaps one night for fun I’ll try some out on the twins.

Yesterday we found our tortoise in the front garden, so he has come through the winter safely, and it has been a very hard one. He seems as agile as ever he was. The twins were glad to see him and very excited about it.

I would love to see you in that new frock, the one that made you look so pretty that Teddy, came up and kissed you. Tell Teddy I am jealous of him.

I can well understand that you are tired of the snow, and are longing for the summer. We also are looking forward to it, but so far, except for an odd day or so, it is still dull and rainy.

Don’t forget to let us know how you got on at the Kodak⁽¹⁾ medical examination. You certainly seem healthy and happy to us, your letters tell us so.

What a lovely time you had on St. Valentine’s Day. Lucky girl.

Cheerio⁽²⁾, darling, lots of love from
Daddy
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