July 7 1929

One of our favourite stories when we were children was my mother’s tale of the midnight feast. She never wrote down that story, but in this letter we have the introduction…

Sunday, July 7, 1929

Darlingest Daddy and Mummy,

Exams are over! Hip, hip, hurrah! And I’ve something to tell you which I think will please you. I’ve had some results, Geography, Algebra and Arithmetic. I was top for Geography with 70%. Second for Algebra with 75% (Hons:) Second for Arithmetic with 57%. Aren’t you glad? I nearly shouted the College down when I saw the lists and I’ve been longing for to-day to be able to write and tell you.

Please do send another parcel soon Mum but not till the end last Sat: Mums dear, because as heaps of the girls are leaving we are going to have an M.F. (Midnight Feast) just to celebrate. You won’t tell anyone will you dears?

Mrs. Palmer has just come in with a £1000 Cross-word puzzle which she sent up last week and she thought she hadn’t and mistakes but then she found she’d put ‘dove’ instead of ‘love’ and it’s an awful shame but she’s still going to send the claim up and see if she gets anything. I hope she does.

How did the jam turn out Mums, was it a success? I hope so cause I like jam! Yum, yum!!

My teeth are getting nicer now I think and my nails are better than they were but they’re still rather awful, that old wart worries me now, Dad, do you think you could burn it off in the hols, it’s getting bigger now and it’s really horrid.

I wish I’d been Auntie Mac on Tues. Strawberries and cream. Oooo!

I’m glad I don’t miss any days to write to you, Dad and you are pleased with me.

I’ve put my name down for dancing and I’d love to go on with gym, Daddy, for I’ll be in the Senior Class next term and I’m getting quite good at it now and I love it awfully. But I’ll not if you don’t want me to.

What lovely things Auntie Mac & Uncle got, I do hope I see them & Kathleen again, I was thinking of Auntie Mac’s lovely chocolate cake last night!

I’m glad Ernest is getting better and will get his plaster off on Wed: It’s our Sports Day so I’ll think of him when I running my races. It was awfully nice of him to write to me when it is such a trouble to him. Tell him that I’ll answer his letter but he’s not to bother to write back.

Daddy, you are horrid talking about “my friend Billy” as though he was my bosom chum and wrote to me every day, when I come home I’ll tease you about “your friends, the German girls” how are they getting on? Billy & Walton are awful idiots, they are both very bad, no doubt. I know Athol Douglas by sight and he looks rather nice, have you ever spoken to him much, do you like him?

It doesn’t matter about seeing everybody before I go away then Daddy, but you’ll take me to the Exebish. won’t you, and I must see Ernest.

Mumsie, will you write & ask Mrs. P if she could forward my trunk for me, cause I’m shy!!!

On Thursday we had Geometry & English exams, on Friday Science & Latin, they weren’t as bad as I expected. I’ll bring the papers back with me.

Have you heard a record called “Let’s Fall in Love” from “Wake up & Dream”? Miss John has it and it’s awfully good. She has heaps of records and we have the gramophone on nearly all the time.

We had a Thanksgiving Service for the Recovery of the King at Olive’s this morning & I’m sending the little thing to see if you had the same. 

Yesterday I went to town with Pally and we got some lovely red cherries for 9’ a lb in in the market. Also I got a lovely tea rose buttonhole from an old man for 3’ + a lovely big bunch of water lilies & ferns for 6’ & gave it to Mrs. Palmer. Then Pally & I went to Smith’s a newsagent & went upstairs to an art gallery place where there wasn’t anyone & ate cherries for all our worth. Then we came downstairs and found a book of Schoolboy Howlers (Pax in bello. Free from indegestion!) and we nearly died laughing over them. In the afternoon we had to scratch the Tennis Match as it was to wet so Miss J. took us to the pictures to see “The Passing of Mr. Quinn” It was awfully thrilling, but quite nice. There was an awfully funny funny picture.

In the evening we went to the old girl’s play for the library. It was awfully good. First there was a play “The Lover” about a Queen who had been rescued by a gentleman when her horse threw her & she found out that he had followed her everywhere for years. It was rather feeble. Next came a “Mime on the word Irresponsibility”. It was done by an old girl & was awfully good, also a sketch about Domestic Actions. Just came two dances Night & Cymbal by another old girl, they were jolly good as there was hardly any space. After that came the best part of the Programme, by an old girl, an actress Betty Hardy. She did Charachter Sketches. She was awfully sweet. She did a Yorkshire, two Cockneys & an Irish. The Yorkshire was an woman telling her friend about her first visit to the theatre. Her husband had taken her & she’d seen a girl getting undressed & was rather alarmed then a man got out from under the bed & she shouted for “Perlice! Perlice!” & the police did come & take her out! Then a Cockney one was of a waitress in a café talking to her friend & telling about Whitsun-tide she went on the swing-boats with a nice young gentleman friend & his false teeth dropped out, and it quite put her off him, she said!

Then the Irish one was about a young girl who had come out of a convent & got a lot of money and she was talking about young men and she was awfully thrilled but she was only a little country girl & she said “Och, but Ah dunno!” Just like Leta does!! [Leta was a Ewing cousin her age, who lived in Ireland]

The last Cockney sketch was sweet, it was about a little girl & her wee brother looking into a room where there was a big dinner party & they were hungrey & they talked about the lovely food & the people & the dresses, then the footman came & pulled down the blinds & the poor little things both began to cry, then the little girl tried to comfort the wee boy although she was crying too & the girl was so good that she nearly made me cry too!

Mums, you’ll be pleased to hear that the sleeves are the only things I’ve got to finish of my white tennis frock! You see we all had to wear them at Tennis on Sat. and mine was nearly finished so Miss J. helped me heaps and it’ll be finished easily by the end of term & it fits a very nicely. We are all going to get white suede belts. My tussore, the seam by the top of the sleeve has come undone but Miss J. is going to mend it for me.

Swimming Sports are week on Tues. but I’m not going in for any as I don’t think my style is good enough & I mightn’t be able to swim the length yet.

I must end now so heaps & heaps of love from your own wee bairnie,

Cynthia

P.S. Mrs. P. has found 3 mistakes in the Puzzle now!

P.P.S. You must keep our M.F. secret!!!