Jun 281944
 

Wednesday
Dover
Dearest,
I’m jumping flaming wild! I wrote a letter to Wendy yesterday to enclose with the chocolate I mentioned and when I came to look in my case for the chocolate, just before I went ashore, I found someone had been there before me and pinched it! There were only four bars (a fortnight’s ration) and one extra bar I’d managed to get at one of the clubs here – a rare achievement these days. I doubt if I will have time to write another letter to Wendy today so will you explain to her what has happened, please, so she won’t think I’m neglecting her. Mean things like that annoy me beyond words.
Yesterday I had an airmail letter from Jane written on the 13th, which means that it has reached me almost as quickly as some of yours have done! It looks as if someone has led you astray on this airmail business. Anyway, I’ll try to get an airmail off to her in the next day or two and send hers on to you. She has had an airgraph from you saying you have written a long letter and she is looking forward to getting it.
I also received yesterday your letter of the 17th in which you told me of the publication of ‘Housewife’. Had I known just when it was published I might have had a chance at one of the few small shops, but I’m afraid I’ve had it now! My only chance is that one of our Wrens may be a reader of it, though that is hardly likely and in any case they probably would not hang on to it as long as this. Your description of the Falconer sketches sounds very good and I’m looking forward to seeing it, so be sure to save it carefully for me. Are you going to start a cuttings book now? You should do, you know. I was amused, by the way, at the children’s reactions to the lack of drawings by you. There is not much more to answer in that letter except to say that I seem to have invented a new animal in the Rangaroo!
OK. I’ll try to write Michael’s next letter in script, God help me. I think it will be a good way of encouraging him to both read and write, anyway. About these concerts at night, I think I’d be careful about them. Ten o’clock is too late for the children, I think, don’t you? I’m not at all keen on starting late nights for them. The trouble is to know when to stop.
I’m glad to see from the letter which came yesterday evening that Wendy is so much better. Give her my love and explain about the letter I had written to go with the chocolate, won’t you? Or, if I send the letter in this, you can tell her I’ll send some chocolate as soon as I get some more – in about a fortnight that will be.
Must fly. All my love, dear.
Arthur X