March 4th, 1944 | Home | March 26th, 1944 |
Darling Joan,
Yesterday we got two lovely letters from you and there was great excitement by the twins because you had written a little note on the end all for them. They were pleased, I can tell you. And although you had written it in grown-ups writing, Anne was able to read it quite easily. What you said applies too from them because they think of you a lot, and hope you will be coming back soon. And so, of course, do Mummy and I.
Did I tell you that the swing had tumbled down, and that the children and two little friends had had a narrow escape from being seriously hurt when it fell. It would have been terrible had it hit any of them, wouldn’t it, because it was such a heavy swing. It has been up about ten years, and in all that time I don’t think anyone has enjoyed it more than you and Margaret Buchanan used to do. Can you remember how the two of you used to stand on the seat face to face and go up so high that your Mummy and I quite feared for you. But you were so used to it, that although you were only very little children you never had any sort of accident. Well now that it is down, I don’t think it will ever go up again because materials are so hard to get.
It is so kind of Auntie Mary to fix up a party for you, and I do hope you will soon be writing to say what a jolly time you all had. I don’t think, Joan darling, I should worry too much about being popular, so long as you have one or two nice friends that you can rely on.
What a lot of pictures you seem to have seen lately. I am afraid we shan’t see them because we so seldom go to a cinema, although as I told you in my last letter we did go twice lately to see “Jane Eyre” and "The Mutiny on the Bounty”, and I must say we all enjoyed them, but we haven’t been since and now that some warmer weather is on the way I don’t suppose we shall go again for quite a while. We shall all be kept busy in the garden and on the allotment(2), what little spare time we do get.
The crocuses this year have been lovely because there hasn’t been any rain to spoil them, and soon the daffodils will be out, and them we shall know that spring is really here.
We were so sorry to hear how sick everyone had been and pleased to hear that you were able to take care of them. It is when there is sickness in the house that mothers are pleased to have girls about, because they are so much more useful than boys, aren’t they? I know John is difficult to get to do anything although he is quite able to do things, but he needs constant reminding. Anne on the other hand will often get busy helping without being asked, and that is always so much nicer.
What a very funny dream that was that you told us about in your letter. I am glad you were able to recognise everything in your dream except the silver clock set with diamonds. That wasn’t very strange, because we certainly haven’t a clock like that or are ever likely to have, I should think. But it must have been a lovely clock all the same, and worth a great deal of money. Anyway our clocks never are right, except the electric one, and that is the only one we really ever use, because it is never wrong as it is controlled from the power station. Do you have electric clocks of that kind in America?
Heaps of love, Joan darling, from
Daddy
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