Feb 13.
Dear Mother
Very many thanks for your letter today. So glad you are getting a bit of a change and a rest, I’m sure it will do you all the good in the world. My cold is much better now, and a few days in the trenches seemed to have a most beneficial effect, though I am still a bit snivelly, but I’m feeling perfectly well, which I certainly was’nt for a day or two. And thanks awfully for the gloves, they arrived yesterday & are also most welcome, as my other pair were getting a bit shaky & the warm woolly part inside was getting rather thin & worn. The cake has’nt arrived, but I got the refill safe & sound, but I have’nt used the original one up yet, so I have 2 refills in hand now.
We are out of the trenches now and in reserve for a few days, & then go back into the trenches about the 20th I think. There was’nt much doing last time, fairly quiet, with one or two lively intervals just to keep things going. I wrote to Ruth the other day, I wonder if she ever got my letter.
It’s been a miserable day today, fearful wind & rain, but I managed to get out for a bit of a walk this afternoon as I got fed up fugging round the fire.
Leave has been opened again but there’s not the slightest chance of my getting any, as only 2 officers are allowed away at a time, & we can’t go as we are in reserve, and no one can go if he’s already had one whack of leave, unless there is an urgent reason; so you can see there are several obstacles, each of which by itself would effectively prevent one taking leave!
I hope Topher is all right again now, bad luck his getting flu, but there’s a lot about and any amount of fellows have had it out here and have gone sick with it, I fancy I must have had a touch of it, being somewhat prone to it as you well know.
Have Topher & Jim had any luck with their commissions I wonder; under the circumstances it would certainly appear the best thing to do.
Must end up now; I got the Sketches & Bystander all safe, thanks v. much, most acceptable.
Love to all, yr loving son
Ted
