Monday 5th March
Dearest Mummy,
Just after we had mailed a whole ream to you on Sat. morning, another lovely fat letter arrived at noon, & we were so pleased! Thank you very, very much – we loved hearing all about your visiting day around the island & Lady B.P.’s visit, but must tell you to take great care of our Grandmama, & not go getting scraped by anymore buses!
By the same post we got a letter from my Father – quite nice & chatty & not complaining either (I wrote to him yesterday & told him about the event)- and also a letter from Frank. He sounded just the same funny fellow- not engaged or married, but very fed up with boarding-house life in Sidney, so says he is looking for a widow with a house!! He had heard from Al & says that he & Barbara seem to be getting on all right & that Barbara likes S. A. It was nice to hear from him again. I was glad that you’d heard from Mrs. White – Mary wrote to me after Christmas & told me about the baby & house etc. & seemed very happy & to like Perth very much, but it was Winnie told me about Mrs. White going out there- she is a brave little woman, isn’t she? It seems such a long way to go, & she is always ailing in one way or another. However, you’ll probably be coming to just as hectic as a household as she is! – one thing- we won’t be feeding the twins sherry this Christmas?!! (Silly Winnie about the cable!!)
Now, before I go any further – about the nighties! I went & “shopped around” today – didn’t have much time as Millie & I sneaked 1/2 hour away from work! – but we went to a big store with a good baby dept. They had two kinds of baby nighties- one was a kind of fine cotton stockinette – very thin & stretchy I thought – with a drawstring bottom, & cost $1.50. The other, which I would have chosen any day- was a white flannelette – very plain, with an opening all the way down (the other was a pull-over-the-head type which I wouldn’t have,) – it had a little lace around the neck and sleeve I think, & cost $2.95. Now the present exchange is about 7/- to $1.00, so it seems to me that to buy the material & make them will be very much better. I got a pattern, which I will send by sea (it is just a plain style- & it is supposed to take 1 3/8 yds. it says.
I thought tho’ if you made shoulder tucks & a good hem, they would last so much longer than the bought ones & be much much nicer too. I think if A. Trix can get Dayella it would be just as good for me as Viyella & a bit cheaper I think, & over here it isn’t necessary to have such warm things – all the nighties etc. are cotton of some sort, & only the little knitted jackets etc. of wool- & blankets & so on, of course, but even some of those are cotton. I haven’t been able to get an illustrated baby layette book yet, but will send a layette “list” in one baby mag. They say about 3- 4 nightgowns & 3-4 kimonos or sacques, but I am just going to have the open up nighties to do for both & think I should have 6 – does that kill you?!! I thought four Dayella ones, & 2 crinkle cotton, as it will still be v. hot in Ottawa in Aug. – & by the way, I am going to pay for the material if you make them – it’s a bargain! I’ll send a cheque on Martin’s in Cambridge & will never feel it!!
Have to stop now- Cec has gone back to the Lab. & I promised to go to bed at 10:30! Good preggy ma! Will answer the rest of your letter later, but want to send this off straight away.
Lots & lots of love from Cyn (Just 5 1/2 months!!!)
A Family History in Letters 