Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Isabel Field
Date
28 Aug 1917
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Object Detail
Date
28 Aug 1917
Transcript
St Ives Aug 28th
My Dearest Sis
I send on Geoff’s last letter came yesterday, in case any of yrs may have gone astray. A month since I had heard from him & I was getting anxious, in fact I wrote to the Officer of Records (NZ) in London to find out if he knew anything of Geoff’s whereabouts, in the meantime his own letter turns up. He says precious little – but the main thing is that he is well & fit & still ducking shells. As far as local colour goes the letter might have come from Otaki. He doesn’t seem to be getting my letters or parcels – but I expect they will reach him in a bunch. It is disappointing that so far only 2 pkts of food have reached him. Moving quarters of course may account for it. I sent him 2 pkts yesterday, cake & chocolates etc. It is about impossible to get the latter now & you see nothing but empty jars & boxes in the confectioners. I had to pay 9/- for the few I sent with the cake. The weather is atrocious. Am almost crazy looking after my poor pupils, who have only a limited time to get in their lessons. The sea washed in to my Studio the other night in a big gale & it has been a taste of the coming winter, just to remind us not to forget. I only hope this weather has left France alone, but I fear not – it has been a pretty general soak everywhere. Mrs Davidson is still here. Her husband is mentioned in the Mesopotamia Honours & he has got the C.M.G
A short line from the Judge this morning – I have just send cheque for £25 to cover insurance rates to Sydney on pictures. Have insured for £400 – almost hope they will go down & have done with it. Life is not all beer & skittles in war time & the price of every thing goes up & up excepting bread & coal wh appear fixed. Well no more now dear. It is good to know Geoff is so far safe & well & pray God the war may be over before the winter. The Labour people mean business & may force the Gov: to make terms. Geoff owes me no thanks – it is I who have to thank him. He is uncommon brave & is putting a fine face on it. Your loving Frances
My Dearest Sis
I send on Geoff’s last letter came yesterday, in case any of yrs may have gone astray. A month since I had heard from him & I was getting anxious, in fact I wrote to the Officer of Records (NZ) in London to find out if he knew anything of Geoff’s whereabouts, in the meantime his own letter turns up. He says precious little – but the main thing is that he is well & fit & still ducking shells. As far as local colour goes the letter might have come from Otaki. He doesn’t seem to be getting my letters or parcels – but I expect they will reach him in a bunch. It is disappointing that so far only 2 pkts of food have reached him. Moving quarters of course may account for it. I sent him 2 pkts yesterday, cake & chocolates etc. It is about impossible to get the latter now & you see nothing but empty jars & boxes in the confectioners. I had to pay 9/- for the few I sent with the cake. The weather is atrocious. Am almost crazy looking after my poor pupils, who have only a limited time to get in their lessons. The sea washed in to my Studio the other night in a big gale & it has been a taste of the coming winter, just to remind us not to forget. I only hope this weather has left France alone, but I fear not – it has been a pretty general soak everywhere. Mrs Davidson is still here. Her husband is mentioned in the Mesopotamia Honours & he has got the C.M.G
A short line from the Judge this morning – I have just send cheque for £25 to cover insurance rates to Sydney on pictures. Have insured for £400 – almost hope they will go down & have done with it. Life is not all beer & skittles in war time & the price of every thing goes up & up excepting bread & coal wh appear fixed. Well no more now dear. It is good to know Geoff is so far safe & well & pray God the war may be over before the winter. The Labour people mean business & may force the Gov: to make terms. Geoff owes me no thanks – it is I who have to thank him. He is uncommon brave & is putting a fine face on it. Your loving Frances
Pages
4 pages
Sender's address
St. Ives
Institutional No.
MS-Papers-0085-33
Credit Line
Letters
from
Frances
Hodgkins.
Field,
Isabel
Jane,
1867-1950
:
Correspondence
of
Frances
Hodgkins
and
family
/
collected
by
Isabel
Field.
Ref:
MS-Papers-0085-33.
Alexander
Turnbull
Library,
Wellington,
New
Zealand.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22720420
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22720420